So I knew my sister loved this book and have known so for years. Despite its famously downbeat story arc, there was a reading from this at her wedding (which is the fate-tempting equivalent of going all in).Anyway, long overdue on my reading list, I was looking forward to this immensely being as I am a fan of the great american novel.
So, I won't go into the plot too much here - and, in a way, it's one of those books where there a lots of vignettes that don't necessarily progress the story hugely but all serve to create a cumulative sense of time and place. The writing is, as you'd expect, beautiful - a mixture of sharply pointed observations, very specific references to people and events current at the time, and a line in throwaway wit. But I suspect it's not the the language itself that lead not only my sis, but others subsequently, to name this as their favourite. It is an amazing rich example of stories that feel inevitable. You know it'll end badly - the long hot summers of West Egg and the listless socialising of its inhabitants all slowly build into a crescendo that could only end in a deafening silence. But he manages to give you just enough hope that it might just work out.
All the people who've picked Gatsby are English graduates. I'm not sure whether there's anything to read into that - but just worth noting. I like that it's not the easiest read - it's not one of those books where the words almost wash over you - and the sense of inevitability that the book brings is masterfully worked.
One final addition to the reasons why I enjoyed this - it lead me to this http://greatgatsbygame.com/
Grab yourself a gin and tonic and enjoy.
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