About a week ago I finished this thought-provoking novel and have had time to think it over. It is certainly a very... different sort of reading; not quite like any other book I have read. In this (not-so) short essay I’ll spill the beans on my thoughts, and also how to approach this work correctly.
First we’ll start out with a simple question: “What is The Great Gatsby?” To sum it up in a single sentence, it is a story of society; of the prosperous way of life in America during the 1920’s. To truly understand the background, however, you must know the context.
“The Roaring Twenties were the period of that Great American Prosperity which was built on shaky foundations.” ~Paul Getty
America had just returned triumphantly from the field of battle; an age of good fortune and well-being had begun, and the great machine of modernization was bolting at full speed. However, it was bolting right towards the end of the track, for just as Mr. Getty’s quote explains, the success of the decade was built on unsteady beginnings, and the figurative tower was about to tip. The Second World War and the Great Depression were just around the corner.
(Apparently it was the age of metaphors, too, because I’m pretty sure I used WAY to many in that last paragraph)
One great factor in this novel is the Prohibition, or the banning of all sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol from 1919 - 1933. At the time it seemed a good idea; after all, the illegal distribution caused a major amount of crime, so why not ban ALL of it? Unfortunately, what it DID do is increase the amount of bootlegging and smuggling, organized gangs, and it brought Al Capone.
So now that you have an idea of the setting, you may be asking “What happens within these pages?”
Well, not a lot.
While there is a plot, I don’t believe the author intended this to be a great story. This book is really more focused on capturing the theme of the decade, of the prosperity, and of the hardships. Not that it makes it any less of a interesting book, but it certainly makes it a lot different of a novel than most.
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald wrote this book in a way that keeps you glued to the book. While it is not a thrilling page-turner, it does make you want to keep reading until the end. The writing style is description-heavy, of course, but not in a way that bores. You really have to read the book to see what I mean.
Now for my final thoughts, which Lucy might describe as ‘wishy-washy’. I truly believe this is a novel which changes how people think of this decade, which I will dub “The Age between the Wars”. I love the writing style, and it really does capture the feeling of the time. However, what I did NOT fully enjoy were the plot and characters. The book really isn’t long enough to have a full story, and the characters seem a bit shallow. Perhaps I need to read it through again, and I might discover a bit more.
Now, should you read it? I would say certainly; if you have any interest in American history during the early 20th century or the pre-WWII era, this is the novel to read. I doubt you will find anything which will give you a better sense of the age.
And finally, how should you read it? I would highly recommend you put away your notebooks and pens, sit back, and simply read, not thoroughly analyzing every chapter, but letting the words wash around you. Imagine you are in a 1922 Ford Model T driving down Broadway (maybe play some Jazz music), and watch as Mr. Fitzgerald eloquently paints a picture of America during the Roaring Twenties.
