The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a classic. It is set in the 1920s and showcases the fantastical life of the wealthy. I first read this novel when I was 15, and I thought it was wonderful. 6 years later, I decided to reread the famous novel. I don't know whether it's because I am older and it has been a while, but I found it to not be as enticing as when I was 15. Yes, Fitzgerald wrote it brilliantly, but maybe cause I knew what was coming next, I did not enjoy it as much the second time. The novel is almost like one huge soap opera.

The novel starts off with Nick Carraway who recently arrived to New York City. He moved from Minnesota to the "Big Apple" to learn about the bonds business. His parents and family weren't exactly too thrilled since they thought it was a wasted business. Maybe his family was right because it is hardly mentioned that Nick actually has a job. I understand that Nick having a job is hardly important to the plot, but it would have been nice to see the main characters actually making a living. Some characters, on the other hand, don't have a job. Jay Gatsby is one of the most important characters in this novel (hence the book being named after him) and he lives off money he made doing odd jobs throughout his life. Nick and Gatsby are neighbors living on West Egg; those who inhabit it are who is considered "new money." While Nick is an honorable character and the narrator, Gatsby is a little more shady. No one really knows for sure how Gatsby became wealthy or what his past was really like. Throughout the novel, the reader is given glimpses into Gatsby's past, but the characters are never certain on who this man really is. Gatsby throws elegant parties for what seems like every night. It is all elegant: food, music, clothes, and the people.

You also meet Daisy and Tom Buchanan. Daisy is Nick's cousin and Nick knows Tom from Yale. Daisy and Tom live on East Egg. Daisy also knows Gatsby as a past romance, and things start to heat up when she realizes Nick is Gatsby's new neighbor. So, once Daisy and Gatsby meet again, they start sneaking around and have and affair. Tom is also having an affair with a married woman named Myrtle (wife of Tom's mechanic, Wilson), and Daisy knows about this. Daisy comes off as flighty. I wanted to punch her from time to time. She knows her husband is having an affair, but does not dare say anything about it. She also has a nanny taking care of her child. I am not against nannies, but if you're home all day just lounging around, take care of your child. One of the things she says: "That's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool." Tom also gets annoying because he thinks he is indestructible, and he thinks he has Daisy fooled with his own affair. Although Gatsby is a gentleman, he is over swept with emotions for Daisy and does not think straight. Everything he does is for Daisy. Nick is surely the most noble, even though he keeps everyone's affairs a secret. 

The entire plot is basically a mixture of love triangles. Maybe this is why I don't find it as enticing as when I was younger. I don't have much patience or sympathy for those cheating on their loved ones (whether you're married or not).