The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Summary
Nick Carraway, a young Yale grad & WW1 veteran takes a job in Long Island as a bond salesman. He rents a house neighboring the lavish residence of Jay Gatsby, a wealthy man who frequently holds extravagant parties while seeming strangely withdrawn from them. Daisy, a cousin of Nick, lives across the bay from Gatsby, along with her husband Tom, who coincidentally is Nick's collegiate acquaintance. After the two groups converge, Gatsby garners an obsession for Daisy, on account of a sexual encounter held between the two 3 years earlier.
Characters
Nick Carraway - Eager young man, quick to get dragged into a mess he can't even see coming.
Daisy Carraway - Careless and effervescent young lady, husband to Tom Buchanan and cousin to Nick.
Tom Buchanan - Somewhat imposing and arrogant millionaire who lives across the bay from Jay Gatsby, husband of Daisy.
Jay Gatsby - Flashy, wealthy man with only one goal in mind, Daisy. Neighbor to Nick.
Most Memorable Passage
He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced, or seemed to face, the whole external world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself.
Review
I thought the book was very entertaining, and could be very immersive. It was very detailed & specific in its descriptions of the setting, which I thought created a setup for a great read. It was accompanied by a fantastic plot, despite its focus on my least favorite literary genre, romance. The writing style very clearly exhibits its 20s influences, and at times can seem rather tedious, but nonetheless interesting.
Cover Page
The famed cover is among the most celebrated pieces of art in American literature.
Dr. T.J. Eckleberg
Dr. T.J. Eckleberg provided an ominous and seemingly omnipresent figurehead in the novel.
Leo!
Leonardo DiCaprio represented Jay Gatsby in the 2013 adaptation of The Great Gatsby.