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zbrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful adaptation of Gatsby. The colors depicted the mood of the scene and the characters. The green light stood out even at the end, representing “the dream”, one that is never obtainable. This would be a good book to those who struggle with the original novel.
runningonwords415's review against another edition
5.0
Such a lovely companion to the original text by Fitzgerald. I felt a deeper appreciation for Jordan with this illustrated rendition & more disgust toward Tom than the actual text. I found myself enjoying new quotes, as well, because of how they were highlighted. Enjoyable if you’ve read the original & a very quick read!
tobyyy's review against another edition
3.0
Oh lord. Suffice to say I’m glad I did not waste my life reading the actual novel. Wow. Such a depressing story populated with an absolute mess of human beings.
That being said, I do want to read Nick by Michael Farris Smith (prequel to The Great Gatsby from Nick’s perspective) and The Chosen & the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (retelling of The Great Gatsby but with a queer Asian MC plus magic). So I felt that I needed to at least know the bones of Gatsby before jumping into either of those books.
Mission accomplished.
Also? The art was beautiful. I really loved the colors used — all different shades of pastel, cool and warm shades were used with the correspondingly emotional scenes. So much love for Aya Morton’s art!
That being said, I do want to read Nick by Michael Farris Smith (prequel to The Great Gatsby from Nick’s perspective) and The Chosen & the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (retelling of The Great Gatsby but with a queer Asian MC plus magic). So I felt that I needed to at least know the bones of Gatsby before jumping into either of those books.
Mission accomplished.
Also? The art was beautiful. I really loved the colors used — all different shades of pastel, cool and warm shades were used with the correspondingly emotional scenes. So much love for Aya Morton’s art!
brisotkovsky's review against another edition
5.0
This edition of the great Gatsby couldn’t be any less than five stars. I loved the watercolor art, and I loved how the art brought out very specific quotes. This makes me want to read the original book again soon.
running_erins_'s review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jasminenicholson2001's review against another edition
4.0
Reading this edition reminded me how much I enjoyed this book and all its metaphors and deeper meanings behind everything. It was adapted really well, I liked that it was the original text just cut down to fit the graphic novel style rather than re written. Even cut down they still fit the best quote in too!
neilrcoulter's review against another edition
3.0
If any book can truly lay claim to the title “The Great American Novel,” it’s The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald created characters and a model for telling the story of American life that continue to be fresh and generative for more stories and a deeper understanding of this country. But it’s not just the overarching structure that makes the book a classic—it’s also the micro level of every choice of word and phrasing. If you took out any page at random and gave no other context, Gatsby would be instantly recognizable.
But this is a review of a graphic novel adaptation, and because the original novel is so verbal, it never translates perfectly to any other medium. In this adaptation, Woodman-Maynard’s illustrations are beautiful—vibrant, whimsical, well-suited to the story. I especially love her literal picturing of Fitzgerald’s metaphorical imagery, such as Daisy and Jordan floating about the sofa, or Gatsby’s house literally falling like a house of cards. Woodman-Maynard crafts a wonderfully impressionistic overview of the basic story of the novel.
Unfortunately, because this adaptation omits so much of Fitzgerald’s language, and so many scenes are either absent or rearranged, the graphic novel is only an impression of the original. It doesn’t give me the feeling of having lived through the story with these characters, which is so important in “getting” Gatsby. It all goes by too quickly, but to the characters themselves, these few months felt like eternity itself. The graphic novel adaptation, then, ends up being only a too-quick tour of some of the important moments in the story, rendered in stunning, colorful watercolors.
But this is a review of a graphic novel adaptation, and because the original novel is so verbal, it never translates perfectly to any other medium. In this adaptation, Woodman-Maynard’s illustrations are beautiful—vibrant, whimsical, well-suited to the story. I especially love her literal picturing of Fitzgerald’s metaphorical imagery, such as Daisy and Jordan floating about the sofa, or Gatsby’s house literally falling like a house of cards. Woodman-Maynard crafts a wonderfully impressionistic overview of the basic story of the novel.
Unfortunately, because this adaptation omits so much of Fitzgerald’s language, and so many scenes are either absent or rearranged, the graphic novel is only an impression of the original. It doesn’t give me the feeling of having lived through the story with these characters, which is so important in “getting” Gatsby. It all goes by too quickly, but to the characters themselves, these few months felt like eternity itself. The graphic novel adaptation, then, ends up being only a too-quick tour of some of the important moments in the story, rendered in stunning, colorful watercolors.
jessireadsya's review against another edition
4.0
The artwork in this graphic novel is absolutely beautiful. When I was in high school, I was obsessed with this story. Now that I am a little older, I found some problems I didn't catch as a 16 year old. I still truly enjoyed this graphic novel.