The Great Gatsby

You know it occurred to me recently that for all my critiquing and bitching about movies, TV, anime, games and life in general I've never really dealt with books in any meaningful way. I guess I find books and music a little harder to talk about because they seem like much more personal things. Also I've become extremely slotheful when it comes to reading books, which I blame on the aforementioned mediums which are consuming my life hastily and aggressively like a fat man on a half-hour lunch break. Or your mum in a circle of naked men. So in order to embrace a new medium I'm going to ignore your mums persistent phone calls and saddle up for The Great Gatsby, which happens to be the book I finished last night.

So reviewing what many people with a brain consider to be a classic may seem lazy. Because I can easily just say "yeah it's pretty good and well worth reading" and get back to Facebook without any concern for opposition. But I like to think I'm better than that, even if I'm not. So whilst not budging from the stance that The Great Gatsby is also "the great book" I'd like to actually discuss the books artistic merits and what personally interested me about the book.

I'll keep the plot synopsis brief to avoid spoilers as best I can. So the year is 1922 and we're in "the Roaring 20's" when the USA was enjoying the giddying highs of a soaring economy. The protagonist and narrator has moved into a rental house on Long Island next door to a Mansion owned by a man named Jay Gatsby; a legendary local figure who frequently throws extravagant parties and is the subject of gossip, speculation and rumor. Actually it is interesting the way the character of Gatsby is introduced into the story through the speculations of another character, so that when Gatsby does make his first legitimate appearance the reader is able to share the sense of awe and curiosity that grips so many of the locals in the novel. Upon meeting Gatsby and growing closer to him it is soon revealed what motivates him and it is here that the story really starts to get interesting.

So the plot may not sound like much and to be fair for a good hunk of the book it isn't. But it's the sudden depth the book has that I found particularly interesting. In the last chapter especially the true natures of the characters is revealed and many established expectations are turned on their head. It's quite disturbing and perhaps even shocking the way in which we suddenly see the world for what it really is and to my complete amazement I was left feeling lost and sympathetic in regards to the tragic turns of the novel. If I had to sum up The Great Gatsby in a crude, oversimplified way I'd almost be tempted to compare it to a soapie. This might sound like a flaw, especially from me, but I mean it in the sense that it spends most of it's time developing characters through entwined romances and everyday social conflicts but then delivers big on the season finale when it decides to knock it all down before us with a boating accident or a wedding massacre. Of course this is executed in a way that is far beyond the quality of any and all soap-operas and will likely leave an impression that will last well beyond the final page. Interestingly enough the book didn't sell particularly well during the authors lifetime and despite it's now classic status F. Scott Fitzgerald died thinking it and himself a failure. Knowing that the tragedy of the art would later be reflected in the tragedy of the artist adds to the impact of the novel and gives me a massive literature context stiffy. So if you feel a strong connection to my stiffy and feel we share similar stiffy inducing values I highly recommend you read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It will blow your load, uh, I mean "mind."

*coming soon: I will be reviewing Thor (movie), Skip Beat! (anime) and de Blob 2 (videogame). They should be funnier than this.*