The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s exalted novel, is a very rich, moving story. From it’s interesting characters to its rather original plot, this book kept me hooked until the end. However, it is not a wholly unique or amazing novel. Rarely is there a book that I read that does not require a physical struggle for me to put down. And its plot is not completely without exception. Many books have quirky storylines with the death of a main character signifying the climax. Of Mice and Men, Romeo and Juliet, and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to name a few. The characters are linear, never truly evolving from their experiences. At most, only hidden attributes were unveiled.
Yet, despite the criticism, I did enjoy the book. The scenes of Gatsby’s parties were amazing; they were ripe with imagery, analogy, and altogether amusing events. The characters, too, were humorous. In the scene where the narrator introduces Ms. Baker and Daisy and Tom Buchanan, at first I was perplexed; then I was intrigued; finally, I ended the issue by laughing over the outlandish posse. And yet, I must again point out a fault in the characters: the ease of which Tom and Ms. Baker discussed Tom’s affair. By nature, affairs are scandalous; the guilty parties try to avoid scrutiny and discovery. And yet, after not having seen the man for years, Tom takes Nick, our protagonist, to meet the mistress. Another impossibility: Tom and his lover have their own apartment. That they spend enough money and time for their own abode surely must be suspicious to their respective spouses.
But, alas, a final decision must come. And it is a positive one. While I could point out many elements that would enhance this book far beyond its current ken, I admit that I enjoyed it. It made me laugh; it made me sigh; it made me groan; and, most importantly it held me in suspense. Congratulations, Mr. Fitzgerald, for you have earned my approval.
I agree with you that the plot at times was rather slow-moving. There was not really too much differentiation in the characters' emotions--they all basically stayed static throughout most of the novel. The author did do a good job of creating imagery of the extravagant houses and parties, yet nothing all that exciting happened inside of these great places. The ending indeed does tie up loose ends, but there was never really a dire conflict from the beginning. I felt the climax was at the part when Daisy admits to never loving Tom, but the resolution did not intensify that conflict in any other way, as Daisy recounts her comment and says she did at one point love him. I also find it odd that the lovers have their own apartment, and the author did not do a very convincing job of making the affair seem scandalous, despite, as you pointed out, that these things are a very big deal.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it was not identical to other story lines from other books, I do agree with you that The Great Gatsby is not a "one of a kind," as one may call it. It does in fact reside in the realm of a tragic love stories, and so it may bore some of its readers. But I am not one of those readers. I enjoyed this book very much. It held me in suspense at the climax, as you said, and it showed me that true love is not always lost over time. All of these things combined called for a great novel, and I must agree with you that Fitzgerald did earn my approval as well.
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