Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - The Great Gatsby

This book is gorgeous, and the writing style is absolutely phenomenal. There is something incredibly enchanting about every paragraph in this book, that carries the mystery and marvel of the emotional story. The twists and turns of this book are brutal, and the characters are believable and at times beyond relatable. However, the ending does leave a lot to be desired for me, as it didn't feel quite as impactful as the rest of the book. The ending also felt weirdly worded and structured as compared to the rest of the book as well. Obviously this does not drag the book down by much, but it does keep it from being absolutely perfect.

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nexon's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious 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

4.0

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lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional lighthearted mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

This was my first time reading "The Great Gatsby", but I did go to see the movie adaptation in theatres when it first came out, so I am not unfamiliar with this story. It is fun to read a classic that is set a little closer to the present day.
"The Great Gatsby" follows a young man named Nick Carraway. Nick unknowingly moves into a modest house next to Jay Gatsby's mansion. Nick quickly befriends Gatsby and becomes one of his closest confidants. Nick also helps to reunite Gatsby and Daisy. Daisy is Nick's cousin, and she is married to another man, but she has a past with Gatsby that Gatsby has never gotten over.
"The Great Gatsby" explores how someone can be seemingly adored in life, everyone trying to be close to the shining star and get a taste of "the good life" but when it comes down to it, they were not "real friends". Gatsby built his fortune mysteriously and has surrounded himself with people who seem to love him, but they seem to use him for their own notoriety more than anything. I loved seeing how Gatsby had an electric personality that brought him everything he wanted, except the one true thing that would make him happy. Gatsby is also a morally gray character; you want to root for him, but you also do not agree with his decisions. His complexity makes him intoxicating.
This is a wonderfully written classic that is very approachable and easy to read.

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