Read, Run, Ramble

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read The Great Gatsby for the first time while I was in high school. I remember enjoying the book, but that is about all I remember. As I read through it this time, I was amazed that I didn’t remember more of the story - there are some really big events and surprises in this story!

Fitzgerald is one amazing writer - I enjoyed the scenery he produced. Readers will feel immersed into the partying lifestyle Fitzgerald created. I found myself visualizing in great clarity the dress, the hairstyles, the colors, the speech, the shenanigans…everything in this book comes alive.

Gatsby begins as an enigma and while readers get lots of details and answers about his life, he remains some what enigmatic. Other characters are a little more transparent as well as less likable. Nick, the story’s narrator, tells his own story as well as Gatsby’s in a clear voice. I liked Nick - he was affluent yet real and not snobby or “holier than thou”. Readers will watch as Nick transforms from a curious neighbor to a loyal, devoted friend.

For a classic, The Great Gatsby is surprisingly easy to read with a good flow and a mysterious, intriguing story line.