Book Review - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Title: The Great Gatsby
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Genre: Classic/ Fiction
Published: 1925
 
Description: There was music from my neighbour’s house through the summer nights. In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whispering and the champagne and the stars’. Everybody who is anybody is seen at the glittering parties held in millionaire Jay Gatsby’s mansion in West Egg, east New York. The riotous throng congregates in his sumptuous garden, coolly debating Gatsby’s origins and mysterious past. None of the frivolous socialites understands him and among various rumors is the conviction that he killed a man. A detached onlooker, Gatsby is oblivious to the speculation he creates, but always seems to be watching and waiting, though no one knows what for. As the tragic story unfolds, Gatsby’s destructive dreams and passions are revealed, leading to disturbing consequences.
 
Review: “The Great Gatsby” is considered a timeless classic. I has an atmospheric description of the decadent age of the 1920s and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s poetic writing style.
 
The characters a lively and complex and Jay Gatsby himself is the ultimate, naïve dreamer. The books shows a cynical view of the American Dream, social classes, illusion vs. reality and the destructive power of dreams.
 
The book has a very slow start. It was hard to get into it. And for a book that is under 200 pages, that’s an issue. The start was a bit boring to me as well. The love story was too sentimental and Gatsby saying “old sport” every three sentences really annoyed me as the story went on.
 
I understand the reason why it’s a classic, why people love it. I just don’t think it’s the literary masterpiece people claim it to be. It’s a hot take, but I believe it’s a tad overrated.
 
Rating: 3/ 5