Book Review: The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The blurb: ‘One of the greatest works of American literature…a timeless evocation of the allure, corruption and carelessness of wealth’ The Times

Jay Gatsby is a self-made man famed for his decadent, champagne-drenched parties. Despite being surrounded by Long Island’s bright and beautiful, he longs only for Daisy Buchanan. In shimmering prose, Fitzgerald shows Gatsby pursue his dream to its tragic conclusion.

‘A stunning illumination of the world…not only a miracle of talent but a triumph of technique’ Richard Yates

My review: As some people might know I work with books. This is as much detail as I’m going to go into. Now I have embarked on this career without an English Literature degree and there are countless people around me who have them and more in abundance. So this book and other classics I have been and will read, are all part of my continuing education into great literature. I’m in love with good stories you see and witty wordplay tends to leave me a little  unmoved.

However saying that The Great Gatsby did, in the end, win me over. There are some paragraphs describing the scenery of New York or West Egg that are without a doubt beautiful. Did my eyes glaze over whilst reading them half asleep on my commute home – yes. Unfortunately yards of descriptive prose are not one of my strong points. But underneath it all there is a compelling story here.

Gatsby is a man possessed, the social mores of the time do not allow for women’s rights to chose, to divorce easily or to demand divorce if their husband is unfaithful. I found Gatsby a dark and troubled character. The lives of those he effects and the stories of Nick the narrator, Tom and Daisy and Jordan and how they intertwine are very fascinating. The social mores of the time border on the vulgar obsession with wealth which leads more often than not to corruption. I can see why it’s a classic. It’s a perfect painting of 1920′s New York, the Jazz Age and the American Dream, something insubstantial and fleeting. Brilliant.

7 out of 10 stars! *******

BUY ME! The Great Gatsby (Wordsworth Classics)

Book Review: To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The blurb: ‘Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.’

A lawyer’s advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee’s classic novel – a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the thirties. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man’s struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming-of-age story, an anti-racist novel, a historical drama of the Great Depression and a sublime example of the Southern writing tradition.

My review: What have I been doing with my life! I completely missed this book out in my reading history which was a massive and insane oversight. It is absolutely brilliant. The characters are drawn with such precision that they stay with you for weeks after you’ve put it down.

The setting is very atmospheric and the boiling pot of prejudices in the Deep South in the thirties seen through the eyes of a child was a stroke of genius. I cried, I laughed, I was astounded at how far we’ve come. The whole thing had to be read in my head with a southern accent which was fun! Just a truly seminal book. I can’t tell you how much I thoroughly enjoyed this book. (Also it was my boyfriends old GCSE copy and I had a ridiculous amount of fun mocking him about his pencil notes in the margin!)

There’s a reason it’s a classic.

10 out of 10 stars! **********

BUY ME! To Kill A Mockingbird: 50th Anniversary edition