Review Detail

When I was little, I can remember my older sister talking about some magician she’d heard of, I assumed she’d seen him perform at a party. She had told our parents about this “Great Gatsby.” At this point, I was young, and I didn’t realize that this magician, was no magician at all. He was one of the main characters of a book called the Great Gatsby. After eyeing the book on her shelf for years, and listening to her go on and on about why that book was the “best book ever,” the book was finally assigned to me in class.
To tell the truth, I don’t think I liked the book as much as my sister did, but it was not a bad read. It is one of those stories where you have to look between the lines at the symbolism, instead of just taking the story word for word. The symbolism, themes, and motifs of this book are what complete it. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses this novel as a way of explaining the world full of decay as it was in the 1920’s. He sets the scene with vivid imagery which helps the reader get a better idea of what is happening, especially the younger reader.
My favorite character was the narrator. He is an interesting character with a lot to say on paper, but with rather little to say to the other characters in the story. He worked behind the scenes, as a supporting character in his own story, telling the tale of Gatsby. Gatsby was a rich businessman in search for love, however not form anyone. He wants Daisy Buchanan, a married woman he was once in love with, to love him again.
A great scene of the book was in one of the earlier chapters where Daisy and Gatsby meet again for the first time in half a decade. It made me laugh at their awkwardness, and Nick even left the room to try to help them bond again. “This is a terrible mistake,” he said, shaking his head from side to side, “a terrible, terrible mistake.” Gatsby had lost hope. But soon Daisy and Gatsby were chatting up a storm, just like old pals.
If I were to change any part of the book, it would be the ending. It was just so tragic and sad. One unhappy event followed the next. I would have made the ending happier, but unfortunately, if it was different, the book would not flow as well, and it would lose a lot of meaning and symbolism.
It is a great and easy read for those who don’t want to read the 300-page novels. I would definitely recommend the book to anybody who is a fan of historical or realistic fiction, but it has something in it for everybody. Even though Gatsby is not a magician I can have booked for my next birthday party, the book was worth reading overall, and I would read it again.
Ellie Bivins