This novel is one of the easier classic books to understand and enjoy, plus it is rather short so if you are looking to read classics this is a good novel to try. The author (whether that truly be Fitzgerald or his wife Zelda) really captures the atmosphere of the 1920s in America and all that it entailed, making the reader feel emersed in the story. It is a great rags to riches story that expands on the question of whether money really does bring happiness or not.

The novel is more character driven than plot, and the author makes the characters so interesting that even though they are possibly the worst people to read about because of their abysmal personalities and habits they are nevertheless entertaining. The characters are fully fleshed out which is impressive for how short the book is. The plot that is there unwinds at a decent pace and keeps you engaged, causing you to want to see how all of the events play out and connect to the past.

It is easy to see why this novel is now considered a classic.

Anonymous

Nov 29, 2024

6/10 stars

Again, Spark Notes made this a much more enjoyable read for me. I wasn't really sure if I was even going to like it much until about a quarter of the way through. Still, it's a classic worth reading.