Perhaps it’s because I’ve read so many attempts at love stories that have been terrible, I’d begun to lose faith in the genre, but this revived it. The character of Gatsby did that. To wait for someone so many years, and then, knowing that that someone is already married, still try to win her over, having a feeling that she would still be in love with him too, that was beautiful. The way the love is brought out, through small details like how long they had been separated, or throwing parties expecting that she will be one of the uninvited guests that come, or even owning the mansion across from her so he can be near, that was brilliant. If Jay Gatsby’s love was interesting, the same can be said about how Fitzgerald portrays Tom Buchanan’s love too — wavering, reckless, adulterous, even to the point of taking his wife’s cousin along to meet his mistress. It stays the same till the point where he knows deep down that his relationship with his mistress will not continue. And Daisy… did she love Gatsby as much as he loved her? That’s something I find difficult to answer. Till the twist to the tale, I thought she did. After that too, I thought she did. But looking in retrospect, I do not know for sure.
Not every book that has been recommended to me by friends turn out amazing. But there are some that turn out to be wonderful, and when done reading, brings about a sense of loss, of wonder not just about the story but as to why I hadn’t read the book before. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald turned out to be such a book.
5 stars would be too less for the book, a classic that I found to be very enjoyable… yes, the Great Gatsby was so.
BookEnders' Blog 