The Great Gatsby

"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a highly praised novel that hides theories about human desires and privilege behind the roaring world of the 1920s or simply put, the jazz age. Set in New York, Fitzgerald writes about Nick, who lives through extravagant parties and rich gossip, while experiencing Gatsby’s tale of true love and betrayal. Jay Gatsby serves as the catalyst for the story and represents the emptiness that lies under superficial, materialistic values. 

This book is not in every English class curriculum for no reason. “The Great Gatsby” is a captivating book, which, if you have the nerve to read, hides deep philosophy about American values and especially the “American dream”. However, for a book that only has 180 pages, it takes an agonizingly long time to get going, 100 pages gives or take. After the worldbuilding and gossip explanation, one could wonder if the deeply worded explanation of orange peelings and food preparations were really that necessary. 

To summarize, “The great Gatsby” is an amazing novel. Even though there are many outdated words and silly explanations, it’s all worth it in the end, when you finally understand the reasons for Fitzgerald’s thorough writing. I highly recommend this book to be read more than once, for every time you read it, a new thought sparks in your head, that makes you question this amazing book.