Reviews with content warning for Gore - The Great Gatsby

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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

21 reviews

jasminn_perez's review against another edition

adventurous challenging medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

so slay i actually read this for my english class. it was good i want to know what happened with daisy at the end though. i rlly liked all the symbolism that was cooool

Content Warnings

nickel_'s review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

lectrixnoctis's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Jay Gatsby is the man who owns everything. But one thing will still be out of his space. Everybody who is anybody visits at his parties. Day and night, his Long Island estate buzzes with bright young things drinking, dancing and debating his mysterious character. For Gatsby - young, handsome, fabulously wealthy - always seems alone in the gathering, overseeing and remaining, though no one comprehends what for. Underneath the shimmering exterior of his life, he is concealing a secret: a quiet yearning that can never be fulfilled. And soon, this deadly fixation will force his world to unravel.

"The Great Gatsby", F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1920 Jazz Age fiction regarding the impossibility of recapturing history, was initially a loss. Today, the narrative of Gatsby's doomed devotion for the unreachable Daisy is considered a descriptive novel of the 20th century.

"The Great Gatsby" is a novel about the hindered love between a man and a woman on the surface. However, the book's central theme encompasses a much larger, less romantic scope. However, all of its action takes place over a mere few months during the summer of 1922. It is set in a circumnavigated geographical area in Long Island, New York. "The Great Gatsby" is a highly metaphoric reflection on the 1920s United States as a whole, particularly the corruption of the American dream in an age of unparalleled wealth and material luxury.

The author describes the 1920s as an era of degraded sociable and ethical values, evidenced in its overarching cynicism, desire, and pointless search for amusement. The wild jubilance that showed to decadent parties and fantastic jazz music—displayed in "The Great Gatsby" by the wealthy gatherings that Gatsby throws every Saturday night. Ultimately, the American dream's corruption resulted in the uninhibited desire for money and fun beat more noble pursuits. When World War I ended, the generation of young Americans who battled the war became extremely disillusioned, as the murderous slaughter they had just faced made the Victorian social righteousness of early-twentieth-century America appear stuffy, without hypocrisy. In the aftermath of the war, the dizzying height of the commodities demand led to a sudden, sustained increase in the federal capital and a newfound materialism, as individuals began to pay and devour at exceptional levels. An individual from any social environment could, potentially, make a fortune, but the American aristocracy—families with old wealth—scorned the newly wealthy manufacturers and speculators.

The friction between "old money" and "new money" embodies itself in the novel's vast geography: East Egg means the conventional elite, West Egg the self-made rich. Meyer Wolfsheim and Gatsby's future suggest the rise of organised corruption.

The book's primary plotline reflects this review, as Gatsby's dream of loving Daisy is destroyed by the difference in their sociable statuses, his resorting to crime to make sufficient money to ingrain her, and the rampant materialism that illustrates her lifestyle. Besides, places and objects in "The Great Gatsby" have meaning because characters instil them with purpose: the gazes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg best present this idea. In Nick's mind, the power to create significant symbols constitutes a central part of the American dream, as early Americans supported their new country with their ideas and ideals. Nick analogises the green bulk of America rising from the ocean to the green light at the end of Daisy's dock.

One of the main topics studied in "The Great Gatsby" is the sociology of wealth, specifically, how the recently coined millionaires of the 1920s differ from and relate to the old aristocracy of the country's wealthiest households. West Egg and its locals represent the newly rich in the book, while East Egg and its residents, particularly Daisy and Tom, represent the old aristocracy. The author describes the freshly rich as vulgar, gaudy, flashy, and lacking sociable classiness and preference. Gatsby lives in a monstrously elaborate villa, wears a pink lawsuit, drives a Rolls-Royce, and accomplishes not picking up on minute social movements, such as the hypocrisy of the Sloanes' invitation to lunch. In distinction, the old aristocracy maintains grace, taste, subtlety, and elegance, embodied by the Buchanans' classy home and the harmonious white clothes of Daisy and Jordan Baker.

However, what the old elite has in taste appears to lack in spirit, as the East Eggers prove themselves irresponsible, selfish bullies who are so used to money's power to ease their reasons that they never worry about hurting others. The Buchanans present this stereotype when they move to a new house far away at the novel's end rather than condescend to attend Gatsby's funeral.

In the world of "The Great Gatsby", class affects all aspects of life, and especially love. Myrtle mentions this about her husband, George, whom she mistook for better "breeding" and hence more excellent opportunities. Also, Gatsby's dream of Daisy is bound up with the class. Only after amassing a considerable wealth does he feel capable of constructing his move. At the end of the novel, class dynamics dictate which betrothal stays (Tom and Daisy), which one is beaten (George and Myrtle), and which one will never come to exist (Gatsby and Daisy). Just the most wealthy couple pulls via the events that finish the book. It seems that the misfortune may have brought them closer. Because of their privileged class position, Tom and Daisy believe that they are immune to the consequences of their actions.

The American Dream directs to a shared collection of ideals that conduct the nature of the United States. These shared objectives include a picture of space that provides all Americans with the chance of upward colonial mobility, as long as they work for it. Gatsby spends his life accepting that if he earns enough cash and receives enough controls, he can transcend his lower-class birth and evolve equally to Daisy and Tom. Yet, even though Gatsby succeeds in achieving capital, he is never taken by the upper class. Gatsby's loss to attain the American Dream means the dream is both an impossible and unwise purpose.

The dreams of love and marriage are profoundly tested in the novel, which centres on two loveless unions: the union between Tom and Daisy Buchanan and between George and Myrtle Wilson. In both circumstances, the marriages appear to be unions of nicety or advantage than true love. Myrtle presents that she wedded George because she thought he was "a gentleman," meaning she hoped he'd raise her rank. Daisy nearly funded out of her wedding to Tom the day before her marriage, and Tom had an affair within a year of the wedding, but the team is well-suited because of their transferred class and lust for fun and material possessions. Even Gatsby's all-consuming affection for Daisy seems more of a desire to possess something unattainable than true love. Nick, meanwhile, dates Jordan Baker throughout the book, and though their relationship has its points of warmth and kindness, both parties generally seem lukewarm and emotionally far away.

Throughout the fiction, places and locations embody the various aspects of the 1920s American culture that the author depicts. East Egg symbolises the old elite, West Egg the newly rich, the gorge of ashes the moral and colonial decay of America, and New York City the vibrant, amoral investigation for cash and amusement. Additionally, the East is related to the ethical decay and social cynicism of New York. In contrast, the West (including Midwestern and northern areas such as Minnesota) is connected to more traditional social values and ideals.

As in primarily of Shakespeare's work, the temperature in "The Great Gatsby" always matches the emotional and narrative tone of the story. Gatsby and Daisy's reunion begins amid pouring rain, proving awkward and melancholy; their love reawakens just as the sun starts to reach out. Gatsby's critical fight with Tom appears on the hottest day of the summer, beneath the scorching sun. Wilson murders Gatsby on the foremost day of autumn, as Gatsby swims in his pool despite a palpable coolness in the air—a symbolic attempt to control time and restore his relationship with Daisy to how it was five years before, in 1917.

Situated at the back of Daisy's East Egg pier and scarcely observable from Gatsby's West Egg property, the innocent light represents Gatsby's longings and dreams for fortune. Gatsby associates it with Daisy, and he goes toward it in the darkness as a guiding lamp to lead him to his goal. Because Gatsby's goal for Daisy is broadly associated with the American dream, the green light indicates that more generalised ideal.

The Valley of Ashes between West Egg and New York City consists of a lengthy stretch of lonely land formed by the disposal of industrial ashes. It describes the ethical and colonial decay that results from the unrestrained pursuit of capital, as the rich satisfy themselves with regard for nobody but their pleasure. The Valley of Ashes embodies the dilemma of the needy, like George Wilson, who live among the muddy ashes and lose their vitality as a result.

The visions of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg are a couple of fading; bespectacled gazes painted on an old advertisement billboard over The Valley of Ashes. Though the novel explicitly makes this point, they may describe God gazing down upon and considering American society as a moral wasteland. Instead, throughout the book, Fitzgerald suggests that symbols only have meaning because characters instil them with purpose.

This work of fiction is an absolute delight to read. I may be a bit biased since I have read it in my A-levels and got a good grade for it; however, I do think it's one of the most outstanding awards that I have read, and I do think that everybody should at least have heard of it/read it I never thought that I would be such a fan of this book. Still, I cannot recommend it enough with all the little details the author has put into it, for example, the metaphors or the symbols and even the motives are just beautiful, and every time I read this book, I find something you which is fantastic.

Content Warnings

abby_reads_books's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

prettyartpop's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

annapox's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

piperlee's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

gracer's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

8 March 2021
This is a classic, so I'm not tagging it, but, yeah: SPOILERS

This marks my third reading of Gatsby.

Is Nick Carraway the original millennial? He ghosts Jordan Baker, feels bad about it, and tries to clear it up, just because, you know, you shouldn't ghost. Also, he hangs out with awful, rich homeowners while he rents and takes the train to work.

You could write an extensive research paper on the symbolism of housing in this book. Gatsby's huge mansion is modeled on a French Hotel de Ville -- with a tower! He buys his parents a house in Minnesota, but of course it isn't his. When his father, Henry, comes for the funeral, he shows Nick the picture he has of Gatsby's mansion, which he carries around in his wallet. That house is not just a symbol of everything he's accomplished, it's also the only tangible thing he's accomplished.

And yet, despite the flashy, fancy mansion that he owns, Gatsby is always outside of houses.

He hides outside Nick's house waiting to finally meet Daisy again. He stands outside the Buchanan's house waiting for a signal from Daisy that never comes. He doesn't even get to DIE in his own house, but outside it. The number of scenes in which some character is standing outside a house and looking at what's happening inside, or noticing how the light shines out of the windows, well... someone could count them. Not me, at least not this time. That said, the word "house" appears in this book 104 times, and if you add mentions of "mansion" (5) and "palace" (4), that puts us at almost one mention per page. Just saying.

I was also struck by the references to light and dark in this book. We are often looking at windows, and we are often looking specifically at the light leaking out of windows. We are also looking at the way the light bounces off the moon, or the amount of electric lights brilliantly shining out of Gatsby's mansion, or four superfluous candles on an outdoor table at midsummer on the Buchanan's verandah, or the reflections of the sun on the sea, or or or...

In addition, this book always takes place during the day or at night. That sounds stupid, that's when everything takes place, but you always know which one it is (except when you get confused the book says "it's past two" so you think they've just finished their lunch but actually it's 2 in the morning because it's the Jazz Age and they're still partying). It is either the middle of the night and Gatsby is throwing a party and everything is twinkle lights and garden cocktails, or it's an interminable summer day and the hot sun is beating mercilessly down on you. I don't know what this means yet, but I'll be thinking about it.

What else? The usual. Tom is evil, perfectly captured. You know there are still a million toxic men walking around doomed to never repeat their football glory days in high school/college, just like him. Nick is sort of neutral, maybe even borderline normal (but why was he ever friends with Tom? ugh), intriguing, but why does he hang out with these people if he hates all of them? (He's also our millennial renter next door.) Daisy is a dependent, cowed woman first, evil rich person second. Actually, she isn't that evil (until the end), most things just happen to her and she has no control over anything. Then she has control over one thing, handles it extremely poorly, and a lot of people die as a result, no consequences for our poor little rich girl. I don't get why people get mad about this because this is still how our world works, but okay. Jordan is interesting; she has the potential to be so cool and she's such a wet noodle. How do you take a professional female athlete in the 1920s and make her so boring? It's fascinating.

I was thinking, as I read this book this time, that I feel a little different about the writing in itself than I used to. It's beautiful, and I love it. But after reading Henry Green's Living, it feels a little more... limited, maybe. I don't think that's a bad thing, it just makes me realize that the writing is beautiful and I think well done, but of an older tradition, and it's the plot and themes that make it modern, in its way. That's what's new and exciting here.

See you in 5-10 years, Gatsby.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just read this book for the second time. Previously I always linked it to a train ride in the Netherlands, which was where I read it the first time; from now on I will probably also link it to a friend's sofa in Bogotá. My original impression was that this is not only one of the best books I have ever read, but also one of the most perfect. I was happy to find that the second reading confirmed this opinion! (

First read: 16 September 2008
Second time: April, 2013

Content Warnings

molbui's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Content Warnings

ha1yan's review against another edition

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emotional reflective fast-paced

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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