A review by m4rtt4
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

mysterious reflective medium-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

3.25

Didn't expect this to feel so plain? Lukewarm? Clearly something was there, but it felt like it was kept away at an arm's length and eventually my arm got tired of reaching. The Roaring 1920's vibes were definitely there, but not as vividly as I had hoped. A world of careless partying and glorious riches, but also one where beating up your wife and being racist is the norm. There was quite a lot of deep stuff between the lines, like how rich people can get away with anything yet money can't buy you love, but the stuff felt very surface-level and I don't quite get why this is such a hyped book.
I didn't really like Gatsby at all, so the ending pleasantly surprised me :') I was also kinda rooting for Nick and Jordan, but then again I didn't really like Nick either and I'm glad Jordan knew her self worth.


As a Finnish person I was pleasantly surprised to hear of Carraway's housemaid being a Finn, but oh, the hypocrisy of these American upper-class people! Being blatantly racist, they speak about the superiority of the white Nordic race which they deem themselves a member of, but the only person from an actual Nordic country, the Finnish housemaid, is repeatedly described as demonic, just a nameless creature muttering incomprehensible nonsense.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings