In 1922, F. Scott Fitzgerald announced his decision to write "something new--something extraordinary and beautiful and simple + intricately patterned." That extraordinary, beautiful, intricately patterned, and above all, simple novel became The Great Gatsby, arguably Fitzgerald's finest work and certainly the book for which he is best known. A portrait of the Jazz Age in all of its decadence and excess, Gatsby captured the spirit of the author's generation and earned itself a permanent place in American mythology. Self-made, self-invented millionaire Jay Gatsby embodies some of Fitzgerald's--and his country's--most abiding obsessions: money, ambition, greed, and the promise of new beginnings. "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter--tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.... And one fine morning--" Gatsby's rise to glory and eventual fall from grace becomes a kind of cautionary tale about the American Dream.

A splendid melee of Jazz Age lifestyle

F. Scott Fitzgerald had set out write a simple novel depicting the Jazz Age's misinterpreted lifestyles and emptiness. Not only did he complete this task, but he did so within the bounds of a simplistic literary masterpiece. Rarely does a work of such quality tend to be simple and light, and still get an emotionally heavy and confused message to the readers.

Nick is our narrator in Fitzgerald's namesake title. Spoken in retrospect, we only recieve one view of the people and places described outside of dialogue. This is important in realizing what sort of person Jay Gatsby was, as we only see him through Nick's eyes, he may have established himself as different sort to his other 'friends.'
Nick moves himself to West Egg Staton Island after military obligations and into the house neighboring one Jay Gatsby, who shared the ranks with Nick in the first World War. The Great Gatsby throws extravagant parties and rarely do his guest take time to acknowledge their host. Nick finds himself caught in the line of love, when Gatsby reveals his purpose for the house on the sound and the life of parties. They were all a lure, a bait, to bring one Daisy Buchanon to his home. Daisy happens also to be Nick's cousin. When Tom Buchanon realizes Gatsby's intent Daisy is caught in the witness's satand in a debate of devotion. Tom, who hasn't always been true to Daisy, finds a crowd about the home of his mistress as he passes it with Nick and Jordan, another aquaintance of the lot, riding in his coupe. She had been struck by a car as she attempted to halt the oncoming driver. Daisy was the driver, but Tom convinced the unknowing mistress' husband that Gatsby was behind the wheel. Mr. Wilson went hunting for Gatsby, he found him by his poolside and murdered him, then Wilson ended his own life.
Nick felt strangely obligated to organize Gatsby's funeral. Jay was an Oxford man, a self-made millionaire without a real friend in the world. He never took time befriend another, due to his obsession with Daisy. Thus, no one save Gatsby's father showed up. Of all the guests and aquaintances of Jay Gatsby, two were at his funeral and none would inherit his wealth.

"They smashed up things and creatures, and then they reatreated back into their vast carelessness, or their wealth or whatever it was that kept them together." -said of Tom and Daisy, and their wreckless, excess and insecure partnership.

Gatsby is Truly Great

What a joy it has been to return to a book such as "The Great Gatsby" after an absence of thirty years. I last read this book as a teenager and, although I enjoyed it then, it is a real delight to an adult.

In essence, the book outlines the life and lifestyle of Jay Gatsby who lived on Long Island near New York City in the 1920s. His background is shrouded in some mystery with various reports that he has been a killer, a bootlegger and a fixer of baseball's 1919 World Series. However, the key to his background is unrequited love for Daisy Buchanan who he knew at the time of the First World War and before he was sent away to France. Unfortunately, during his wartime absence, Daisy has married someone else and Gatsby is left yearning for her company. He throws vast and extravagant parties in the hope that Daisy might drop by and their love can be rekindled. His love rules his life as, across the water from his house, he can see the distant green light at the end of the pier at Daisy's home. This distant light epitomises his love for Daisy; it is far away yet still burning.

Without wrecking the plot for those readers who may not be so familiar with the book, Gatsby's life ends with pain and misery and no renewal of love. In this sense, the book takes on the character of a Shakespearean tragedy.

I can recommend this book to all readers of great fiction. "The Great Gatsby" has a timeless quality. It has endured for decades so far and will endure for many more to come.

Green Eyed Monster

F. Scott Fizgerald took inspiration from his wife Zelda. He wrote an essay that explains how the various colors relate both to her and to the important themes in his novels. The Great Gatsby is the perfect distallation of these themes and codes.