The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

I can't recall if The Great Gatsby was required reading in high school. If it was, I didn't read it (sorry Ms. Patnode). I decided I wanted to read it after a co-worker said it was her favorite book and it was recently made into a movie. I wasn't sure what to expect, knowing it was a classic and written a long time ago. I'm really glad I read the book because I thought it was great.

Nick Carraway moves into a small house on Long Island, surrounded by the wealthy with huge mansions. His neighbor is Jay Gatsby, who has a mysterious past but is always throwing lavish parties. Nick is somewhat new to New York, but he does know Tom and Daisy Buchanan.  Nick spends time with Tom and Daisy and frequents Gatsby's parties. Even with all the wealth and parties, nobody seems to be happy. Everyone is chasing a lover who is entrenched in a relationship. It is a runaway train that cannot possibly have a happy ending.

Nick carries the story, as everything is told from his perspective. And while he is a main character, he remains set back from most of the action. It is really about Gatsby and Daisy and their relationship. They were in love years ago, but a lot has changed since then. It leads to an unimaginable ending but one that I really liked.

The story is well written. The way everything wove together was great. The character's lives intersected like you wouldn't believe. I also thought Fitzgerald's use of adjectives was the best I've read in any book. He was very descriptive and detailed, but his choice of words flowed easily and did not slow me down.

This got me thinking after I finished reading the book...this is a book high school students would enjoy. It's fun and hip. Parties and wealth and relationships. I think if it was presented in that manner, kids would actually read it. But in my opinion, kids don't like reading books that they are required to read or that are from decades or even centuries ago. And while I don't blame them, I think The Great Gatsby is an exception.

My rating for The Great Gatsby: 5 stars out of 5. Get it here!

P.S. I thought I was going to watch the movie this week, but the theater where it was playing stopped showing it.