Hi, Page Turner here. Today is the third book in the 30
series on “15 Books Every Person Should Read.” Yesterday was about The Giver by Louis Lowry. Today I’m
going to be writing about The Great
Gatsby. A beloved, gritty classic about the 1920s, I read this book a few
years ago and have been captured by
its message ever since. I hope you enjoy today’s book review!
The Great Gatsby—a Book Review
The 1920s, dubbed the Roaring Twenties, has captured the imaginations of generations. Twinkling lights, flapper dresses, jazz, and Downton Abbey-esque dinner parties have all been general characterizations of this time period. Add in some speak-easy bars, some romance and mystery, and a trip to the cinema in the family automobile to complete the picture.
This appeal has drawn many to The Great Gatsby, a timeless classic set in the Roaring Twenties. The novel is told by the point of view of fictional character Nick Caraway, a young man staying in New York City. Once there, he meets an interesting and outlandish neighbor named Gatsby whose estate rivals the imagination and whose parties are the talk of the town. Joining Gatsby, Nick’s second cousin, Daisy Buchannan and her husband, Tom, are two other primary characters, along with Tom’s mistress, Myrtle Wilson. While there are others, the main story revolves around these five individuals: Nick, Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, and Myrtle. A summer in the breezy cities of East and West Egg of New York sets an extraordinary backdrop. I remember picking it up with eager anticipation.
The Great Gatsby is told by the point of view of Nick, but truth be told, most of the story simply flows around Nick. He is an innocent bystander for the most part, as a horror of sin and waste crashes in a tidal wave around him. Plots, affairs, useless drunken parties, and desperate lovers clash and quarrel around his head. Marriages are ruined, lives lost, and revenge sprung.
The main plot behind The Great Gatsby is the double affairs of a husband and wife Tom and Daisy Buchanan. Nick learns that his cousin’s husband is cheating on her, and that Daisy herself is visiting an old boyfriend, the enigmatic and reclusive socialite, Jay Gatsby. The affairs of both Tom and Daisy form the undercurrent to the story, eventually culminating in a tragic disaster.
The Great Gatsby is a sad story. People drink, dance, and die. Nick watches it all, sometimes takes part, and loses friends and family to what can only be described as wasted time, money, and lives. The 1920’s, often perceived as an opulent, fantastic, magical age is revealed to be nothing than more of the same. More wasted passions on bitter shores of regret and pain. Speaking of the future in the conclusion, Nick narrates, “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
I remember closing the book with surprise. The Great Gatsby had left me with nothing but a pervasive feeling of disappointment. I didn’t understand The Great Gatsby until I talked with a friend. She said the point was that lives were wasted. Sadness does pervade the book. Without Jesus, the main characters searched and searched but couldn't find a meaning to their wanderings on earth. No manner of love, friends, or wealth could repair it.
It reminded me of Ecclesiastes. The author writes, "'Vanity of vanities,' says the Preacher, 'Vanity of vanities! All is vanity'" (Ecclesiastes 1:2). The Preacher in Ecclesiastes is making the point that without God, everything would be vanity, or futility. When we read the Bible we realize that it is Jesus who gives us meaning and life. He is the Bread of Life. He writes that we are to come to Him, and if we do we will never hunger or thirst again. I love that verse! Jesus Christ Himself satisfies our souls and saves us from a futile, famished life.
The Great Gatsby is a sad book, but our ending may be happy yet. Nick Caraway brought to the small novel a profound message that resounds with every heart: There must be more to life than this. I thank Jesus that there is! Despite my love for the glitz and glamour of the bygone Roaring Twenties, our world today is not so different. There's still distractions---and God's promises ring just as true. He always offers us true satisfaction in Him.
The 1920s, dubbed the Roaring Twenties, has captured the imaginations of generations. Twinkling lights, flapper dresses, jazz, and Downton Abbey-esque dinner parties have all been general characterizations of this time period. Add in some speak-easy bars, some romance and mystery, and a trip to the cinema in the family automobile to complete the picture.
This appeal has drawn many to The Great Gatsby, a timeless classic set in the Roaring Twenties. The novel is told by the point of view of fictional character Nick Caraway, a young man staying in New York City. Once there, he meets an interesting and outlandish neighbor named Gatsby whose estate rivals the imagination and whose parties are the talk of the town. Joining Gatsby, Nick’s second cousin, Daisy Buchannan and her husband, Tom, are two other primary characters, along with Tom’s mistress, Myrtle Wilson. While there are others, the main story revolves around these five individuals: Nick, Gatsby, Daisy, Tom, and Myrtle. A summer in the breezy cities of East and West Egg of New York sets an extraordinary backdrop. I remember picking it up with eager anticipation.
The Great Gatsby is told by the point of view of Nick, but truth be told, most of the story simply flows around Nick. He is an innocent bystander for the most part, as a horror of sin and waste crashes in a tidal wave around him. Plots, affairs, useless drunken parties, and desperate lovers clash and quarrel around his head. Marriages are ruined, lives lost, and revenge sprung.
The main plot behind The Great Gatsby is the double affairs of a husband and wife Tom and Daisy Buchanan. Nick learns that his cousin’s husband is cheating on her, and that Daisy herself is visiting an old boyfriend, the enigmatic and reclusive socialite, Jay Gatsby. The affairs of both Tom and Daisy form the undercurrent to the story, eventually culminating in a tragic disaster.
The Great Gatsby is a sad story. People drink, dance, and die. Nick watches it all, sometimes takes part, and loses friends and family to what can only be described as wasted time, money, and lives. The 1920’s, often perceived as an opulent, fantastic, magical age is revealed to be nothing than more of the same. More wasted passions on bitter shores of regret and pain. Speaking of the future in the conclusion, Nick narrates, “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
I remember closing the book with surprise. The Great Gatsby had left me with nothing but a pervasive feeling of disappointment. I didn’t understand The Great Gatsby until I talked with a friend. She said the point was that lives were wasted. Sadness does pervade the book. Without Jesus, the main characters searched and searched but couldn't find a meaning to their wanderings on earth. No manner of love, friends, or wealth could repair it.
It reminded me of Ecclesiastes. The author writes, "'Vanity of vanities,' says the Preacher, 'Vanity of vanities! All is vanity'" (Ecclesiastes 1:2). The Preacher in Ecclesiastes is making the point that without God, everything would be vanity, or futility. When we read the Bible we realize that it is Jesus who gives us meaning and life. He is the Bread of Life. He writes that we are to come to Him, and if we do we will never hunger or thirst again. I love that verse! Jesus Christ Himself satisfies our souls and saves us from a futile, famished life.
The Great Gatsby is a sad book, but our ending may be happy yet. Nick Caraway brought to the small novel a profound message that resounds with every heart: There must be more to life than this. I thank Jesus that there is! Despite my love for the glitz and glamour of the bygone Roaring Twenties, our world today is not so different. There's still distractions---and God's promises ring just as true. He always offers us true satisfaction in Him.
I hope you get a chance to read The Great Gatsby this summer! The last couple of reviews have been a little on the heavier side. Expect a lighter book on the 3rd. Happy summer reading!
---page turner
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