Scan barcode
A review by penguinna
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This novel is about illusions — illusions of love, happiness, and dreams that pervade the lavish society of the Roaring Twenties in America.
Gatsby is in love with Daisy, but the Daisy he loves is not the real woman. She is an illusion he crafted in his mind. When he was young and poor, he fell in love with her wealth, and over the years, her memory transformed into an idealized perfection.
Daisy, on the other hand, is in love with money. Her husband, Tom Buchanan, doesn't even hide his evenings with a lover, but Daisy pretends not to notice so she can continue living in her perfect illusory world. Gatsby believes she has always loved him and wants to leave Tom, but in truth, she has never loved anyone but money.
Tom Buchanan just wants to have it all to maintain the perfect image of himself. He has no genuine feelings; he only wants to possess. He is a weak man pretending to be powerful — yet another illusion.
All the characters in this novel live a lie. They pretend to enjoy each other's company and play a game of creating the right impressions, but they are all empty inside.
Life in the Jazz Age of New York spins and twirls so fast that no one cares about anything. It is just one big party. They remain on the surface, surrounded by money, alcohol, expensive cars, and hundreds of famous people in their mansions. Yet, when they die, no one even bothers to attend their funerals.
This is the Jazz Age of America, and Fitzgerald could not have depicted it better.
Gatsby is in love with Daisy, but the Daisy he loves is not the real woman. She is an illusion he crafted in his mind. When he was young and poor, he fell in love with her wealth, and over the years, her memory transformed into an idealized perfection.
Daisy, on the other hand, is in love with money. Her husband, Tom Buchanan, doesn't even hide his evenings with a lover, but Daisy pretends not to notice so she can continue living in her perfect illusory world. Gatsby believes she has always loved him and wants to leave Tom, but in truth, she has never loved anyone but money.
Tom Buchanan just wants to have it all to maintain the perfect image of himself. He has no genuine feelings; he only wants to possess. He is a weak man pretending to be powerful — yet another illusion.
All the characters in this novel live a lie. They pretend to enjoy each other's company and play a game of creating the right impressions, but they are all empty inside.
Life in the Jazz Age of New York spins and twirls so fast that no one cares about anything. It is just one big party. They remain on the surface, surrounded by money, alcohol, expensive cars, and hundreds of famous people in their mansions. Yet, when they die, no one even bothers to attend their funerals.
This is the Jazz Age of America, and Fitzgerald could not have depicted it better.