The Great Gatsby

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

I don't know about you but when I hear the word classic to describe a YA book I'm a little weary. I don't want to read a novel written in the 1920s, it'll be weird, how will I ever understand what's happening?! These thoughts flit through my mind but I was pleasantly surprised by The Great Gatsby.
First off, Fitzgerald's writing is amazing. Normally I don't pay attention to that much but we read this book for my lit class. Part of our reading included having to record the color references in the book. Now some of the colors are symbolic, but others are just used for description; yellow jazz music, the green light on the deck, and everything gray in the valley of ashes. Once you start to pay attention, all you notice is Fitzgerald's use of colors!
The characters are interesting and mysterious. I still couldn't decide how I felt about Gatsby in the end! And Nick's revelation that Daisy and Tom are careless people is such a well written conclusion to a fabulous book.
I can see why this novel is considered of the best of the 20th century. You may be scared to jump into this book. But don't fret - you will get swept into the Roaring Twenties and the great world of Jay Gatsby!

Reader reviewed by Booked Books

Considered one of the best literary classics of the twentieth century, The Great Gatsby is a symbolic story that takes a bit of deep thinking to fully comprehend. One has to look past the portrayals of the shallow characters in order to appreciate the depth of the novel.


Narrated by Nick Carraway, The Great Gatsby is a cynical novel portraying the superficiality, irresponsibility, and overall flaws of humans.


After moving to West Egg, Nick befriends Jay Gatsby, his mysterious neighbor who loves to hold extravagant and huge parties weekly. Nick soon learns that Gatsby is in love with Daisy, Nick's cousin, and that she is the reason for Gatsby's ostentatious display of wealth. Gatsby had worked his way up the social classes because he believed himself to be inferior to wealthy Daisy. However, Daisy is now married to Tom, who has an affair with a woman named Myrtle. All these factors eventually lead to Gatsby's downfall.


The characters of this book were not exactly role models. Gatsby himself did not accumulate his wealth in honest ways; Tom and Daisy are narrow-minded, shallow, and selfish people who create messes only to have others clean up after them. Gatsby's dream and love for Daisy made him a victim. What makes him great is his selflessness, passion, and determination for Daisy; he'd do anything for his dream though Daisy continues to reject him. Unfortunately, Gatsby never learned to be careful of what he wish for.


Personally, I thought this was a good book; I can definitely see why it's so famous. It's beautifully written; however, I have to warn you that the plot moves slow, so if you don't pay attention to some of the descriptions, you might miss some important details. Admittedly, I did have to reread some parts to understand it. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who's easily bored, but if you're an advanced reader and you'd like to give this novel a try, I say go for it.


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