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

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • 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

I never read this in high school and college, so I thought I'd catch up and was glad I did. I can see how the book might become influential. It's pithy and insightful. It's also got some frustrating elements – misogyny and racism for starters – but the author (mostly) seems to be more observing/criticizing than approving the ideas/events presented. The audiobook's narration by Tim Robbins was quite good. The character acting especially is excellent even if I still don't love men narrating women with a falsetto. He does a remarkable job with all the dialogue, though, so my hat is off to him. The section of actual letters from Fitzgerald included at the end (and read well by Robert Sean Leonard) were not all that interesting to me. If one were intrigued by the novel writing/publishing process and Fitzgerald's point of view, perhaps that part would be more enjoyable. 
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