The novel chronicles an era that Fitzgerald himself dubbed the "Jazz Age." Following the shock and chaos of World War I, American society enjoyed unprecedented levels of prosperity during the "roaring" 1920s as the economy soared. At the same time, Prohibition, the ban on the sale and manufacture of alcohol as mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment, made millionaires out of bootleggers and led to an increase in organized crime. Although Fitzgerald, like Nick Carraway in his novel, idolized the riches and glamor of the age, he was uncomfortable with the unrestrained materialism and the lack of morality that went with it.
Thoughts: After finishing this book, my first thought was I'm sure glad I didn’t have to read that for junior high or high school even. Sure I thought it was interesting, but I can’t imagine why they make kids read this, even today. I picked up this book because my best friend said it was one of his favorite books and I believed him. Now I’m pretty sure that it was because he hasn’t very many books and this was one of the better ones, so naturally he would say it’s one of his favorites.
I liked this book, but there is no way I can dissect it and exclaim that it is one of the greatest classics of all time. It’s just an old book, sort of like Romeo and Juliet and The Crucible, which are also usually school reading requirements that are really good if you figure out all the themes and hidden meanings and all that other stuff they have you write about in school. To avoid all the complications, I’ll just say, this book is okay. It has a simple plot, and there are few interesting events, including a sort of shocking ending. It’s a short read that you might want to try out for a weekend. But if you haven’t read it yet, no rush, just get to it someday.
Favorite Line: "I've been drunk for about a week now, and I thought it might sober me up to sit in a library."
This book was provided by local library
6 comments
I know what you mean. Recently I read Animal Farm and even though I loved it - I thought to my self, "Man I would have hated this in high school." Some books take some age and experience to really appreciate :D
ReplyDeletePS Thanks for stopping by my blog!
lol, you crack me up. Thanks for the heads up! I don't think I'll be reading this any time soon :)
ReplyDelete♥Vane
Yeah, I know what you mean. I also had to read this for school and while I didn't mind it, I wasn't particularly blown away by it either. It was interesting and I don't regret reading it, but yeah, maybe I would've appreciated it more as an adult.
ReplyDeleteI had never read this book before.... not in my highschool, but I would love to read it because it's such an American classic. My school only made us read mostly English Classics (from England, that is), will add this to my to read list.. By the way, my blog is giving away free books and jewelry, please feel free to participate.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I didn't have to read this one in school, but it's one I want to read at some point. Knowing it's not very long makes it more likely I will read it :) Thanks for sharing your honest opinion!
ReplyDeleteThis one amused me in high school, as did the movie... it was one of the better ones we had to read.
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