The Reading Challenge Group discussion

The Great Gatsby won our Classic poll this month! The conversation can begin on April 1st.

I read this last year for the first time. My intention was to read it before seeing the movie but I never made it to the movie...no surprise there. I really did enjoy this one.

I enjoyed it, too.

A lot of people hate this book, but I think it's because it's taught in high school. I read it in college and enjoyed it. I wouldn't say any of the characters are nice people, but I found the imagery very engaging.

Before I started joining groups on goodreads, I participated in some discussions of the book in the book forums. I'm interested in seeing the answers to one of the topics in said forum, which is, did you pick up on Nick's homosexuality while reading the book?

Hmmm. Didn't pick up on that but I don't find it surprising, so perhaps I recognized it subconsciously. I have to dig up my old copy so I can reread along with you all.

I did realise that he felt something for Gatsby, especially from the way he described him, but was he not in love with Jordan Baker?

Amy wrote: "I did realise that he felt something for Gatsby, especially from the way he described him, but was he not in love with Jordan Baker?"

Amy (and Renee!), there's a scene in the book that has been read by critics and scholars as Nick hooking up with some dude. Our professor had us go line by line to read between the lines there.

As for Jordan, even without the line-by-line reading, it was pretty clear Nick didn't care about her in the slightest. They dated because it was convenient.

There is so much symbolisim in this book. Much of what happens in it is between the lines. I had wished I had a copy of the cliff notes (do they even have that anymore) when I was reading it. I really didn't like any of the characters. I thought they came across as spoiled brats.

I can't wait to read this book! My sister has been begging me to read it so I can discuss it with her. I have seen the movie, but I know it can't compare. Just ordered my copy!

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature...

Cliff Notes for Great Gatsby. :)

oh wow! Thanks Sandy and Amy. I can't believe its out there. I had friends in high school who use to read the cliffs notes instead of the book but I use to love having both on a classic read.

I've just read this for the first time, really enjoyed it, him hooking up with a man totally passed me by though.

I read this book about three weeks ago. I had read it in high school and mainly read it again because I still remember lines from the book from a little skit that my friends and I did for English. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it the second time around. Usually with classics, I dip into them sporadically, but I couldn't put this book down. So glad I revisited it.

Finished this book today - I enjoyed it as a view of the time period, but I would certainly not call it a favorite by any means. If you've not seen the recent version of movie, I would recommend watching it.

I finished this yesterday. I'm a Brit, so this book wasn't a set book in school as it seems to be for a lot of Americans - I had no preconceptions other than the trailers I had seen for the film.

This was one of those books that made me turn right back and read the first few pages again as soon as I'd finished.

Aitziber - I'd read your comment before I started the book, and the passage you're referring to jumped out at me - I don't know if I'd have noticed it if I hadn't read your comment first, but it actually seemed pretty clear cut.

For me, the most interesting part of reading this was the sense I gained of it as a part of the American literary tradition. Things kept leaping out at me as I read it - advice I've read in so many 'how-to-write' books is so clearly inspired by Fitzgerald's style. I could feel resonances of more recent American writers - Donna Tartt, say, and even Stephen King, though I can't necessarily put my finger on what it is specifically I'm sensing here. I had the feeling of this book as one of the foundation stones of American fiction that writers have been bouncing off in various ways ever since.

I enjoyed it - the prose was crisp and sparkling and, at times, exquisite. I liked the dialogue and the characters felt well-defined. There are so many interesting, thoughtful ideas in here that are written in an almost throwaway style, for example, in chapter one Nick Carraway narrates about Gatsby:

"If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures then there was something gorgeous about him"


It's almost certainly one I'll read again at some point - the fact its so short makes that more likely. :o)

Jelliebeans, I enjoyed your comment. It was really thoughtful and I think you're absolutely right. The Great Gatsby was considered THE American novel for a while, and still retains a lot of importance. It is very influential for the writers that came after.

Yes, I also read the book after watching the movie, and I couldn't help picturing the movie most of the time.