The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

First published in 1925, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald takes place in West Egg and East Egg Long Island, New York. The story is narrated through the perspective of Nick Carraway, a midwesterner who decided to head out east and become a bond salesman. The novel is concerned with Jay Gatsby, Nick’s mysterious neighbor that lives in the lavish mansion next door, and primarily focuses on Gatsby's affair and obsession with Daisy, who is Nick’s vain, second cousin once removed. Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan, Daisy’s wealthy but also unfaithful husband, who has an affair himself. Throughout the novel, the reader learns more about Gatsby’s personal life and ambitions, which ultimately culminates to a tragic and shocking finale that leaves the reader with a sense of emptiness.

The Great Gatsby is probably one of the most well written and intricate books I’ve ever read. A big reason why I thought it was so intricate is because I found value in reading it more than one time. For example, when Nick says “No--Gatsby turned out all right at the end; it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men,” I didn’t fully understand its meaning and dismissed it as unimportant upon first reading this statement. However, after I finished the novel and looked back at what Nick said, I saw how it truly is him reflecting on the events that transpire in the novel and how his words tie into one of the book’s core themes of failure. Personally, I think that the ability to go back through a book and find deeper meaning in certain sections where you didn’t before adds meaningful value where most books don’t. The Great Gatsby itself did not succeed around the time it was originally published, and Fitzgerald unfortunately died believing it was a disappointment. However, after the book was distributed to thousands of soldiers during WW2, it rose to fame and became the classic it is today, which really shows how it thrived off of further evaluation in more than one way.

I would recommend The Great Gatsby to someone looking for a tragic, well-written story that’s ultimately about failure despite how hard you’ve worked to reach success. Fitzgerald’s depiction of America during the 1920’s stood out to me as well, since not only is it historically accurate, but also an entertaining criticism of the self-indulgent society of the time, which to me was one of the most enjoyable aspects of the novel. I also liked that it is narrated through Nick; Fitzgerald could have just as easily written the story through the eyes of Gatsby, since he is the primary figure of interest and his story embodies the lack of success presented in the novel. However, the enigma surrounding Gatsby’s life would be lost, and the book would feel more like a love story and would likely lose its noteworthy critique of society. This interesting perspective is one of the many reasons why I found The Great Gatsby a well written and overall intriguing read.