Ok, so hopefully everyone has at least heard of this book thanks to all the publicity it's gotten from the movie! (Which is fantastic by the way, but this is a book review not a movie review so I'll try not to discuss it much.) After reading it last month before I went to see the movie, this book shot straight up to third place in my list of all-time favorite classic novels. It is preceded only by Wuthering Heights (1st place) and Pride and Prejudice (2nd place)! It is simply fabulous, and if you haven't read it yet you absolutely need to :)
The Plot: Without giving much away, I will say that the plot is full of lies, secrets, and scandals. So if you like that sort of thing, this book is for you. The book centers (obviously) around Gatsby, an absurdly wealthy man living on Long Island in the 1920s. The lifestyle for men in this era was all about money, alcohol, women, and living fabulously large. Gatsby throws wild and ostentatious parties every weekend for anyone and everyone from New York City to attend. However, Gatsby is a troubled man with a mysterious past, which you learn about when you read the book. The narrator is not Gatsby, but his next door neighbor Nick Carraway. He tells the story from his point of view, and how one summer changed his whole life. The plot was very interesting, and for me this book actually went by quite fast. It was a quicker read as far as classics go.
The Characters: Nick Carraway, the narrator, is a hard-working man from out west who comes to New York after his Yale education to work in the bonds industry on Wall Street. He is struggling financially, and lives in a home that is a fraction of the size of Gatsby's palatial mansion. Jay Gatsby is a very mysterious person. No one at any of his parties have actually ever seen or met Gatsby, and even his house staff have no idea who he is. That's all I'm saying about Gatsby! Daisy Buchanan is Nick's cousin, and she is described as being stunningly beautiful. She is married to Tom Buchanan, and they live on the other end of Long Island across from Gatsby and Nick's homes. They are both from old money and are extremely wealthy themselves. Tom went to Yale with Nick. Jordan Baker is one of Daisy's best friends, and a famous golfer. Daisy tries to set Jordan up with Nick for the summer. Myrtle is a woman who is married to a mechanic and lives in a dismal area between Long Island and NYC. I can't really say much more about her without revealing part of the story!
The Fashion: Don't even get me started! This book seemed like an endless party filled with glamour and high fashion! I always say I wish I could live in the 1920s, everything back then seemed so fabulous and carefree. In reality, there was a lot of underlying tension and suffering which was covered up by the glitz and glam, but the way this era is described in the book makes you want to buy a mansion in the Hamptons, wear tea-length dresses, diamonds, and big hats with feathers, and lounge by your glittering pool all day sipping champagne. I adore 20's fashion, and this book did a great job describing the outfits of the characters.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and I think it has a very powerful message behind it.
XX
Vina
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