The Great Gatsby
(F. Scott Fitzgerald)
The first time I read The Great Gatsby, I was at a bit of a loss. Call it a consequence of being a member of post-Cold War American society, but I had little or no frame of reference for the America Fitzgerald was relaying to me, the reader.
Recently, however, that changed. After ten years passed, I cracked Gatsby again, and realized why so many have tried to justify this work as an example of ?The Great American Novel.?
Fitzgerald?s use of language makes the enigmatic story of Gatsby come to life. The characters are all so real and tragic; Nick in particular imparts wisdom to the reader efficiently and effectively. As I read, the corners of pages quickly became dog-eared, as I struggled to keep track of so many excellent descriptions and quotes.
Depictions of the large home in which Gatsby resides, juxtaposed with the Lilliputian residence of Nick in stark contrast gives readers a deep sense the sadness and emptiness that fills the lives of those who are ultimately alone in a crowd, as is Gatsby. He is constantly surrounded by people, fostering the illusion that he is happy and well-liked, when he is truly desperate for a true relationship.
The topics addressed in Fitzgerald?s masterwork are multi-faceted, at once an indictment of American values during the period we know now as the ?Roaring Twenties,? yet at the same time, the parties seem like the forbidden fruit of the day, tempting innocents, bringing about wreckage both spiritually and literally?the collateral damage of living during Prohibition in the United States.
Thematically, The Great Gatsby addresses the archetypal needs of characters that endure, never losing their solvency, even as the modern world continues to evolve further from the days past referred to in the novel. After a second reading, my appreciation of the early- to mid-twentieth century American fiction aesthetic improved dramatically, leading me on to the works of several of Fitzgerald?s contemporaries.
For a story that both challenges and informs the reader in the realm of several age-old themes, consider giving this classic a read, or a re-read.
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