Review by Sharon
With Baz’s film version of The Great Gatsby on the horizon I chose this appealingly slim book for my next book club with grand visions of frocks and cocktails. Was I motivated by the movie or the promise of cocktails? A little bit of category A and a little bit of category B.
But what a cracker of a book!
Taking place over just a few summer months in 1922, The Great Gatsby is full of deliciously flawed characters, opulent parties and intriguing relationships. On the surface it is the story of Gatsby’s enduring love for Daisy Buchanan but ultimately it is about much, much more. Fitzgerald explores the decay of moral and social values, the clash between ‘old money’ and ‘new money’ and the decline of the American dream in a time of material excess. And he does it succinctly (pick the woman who just struggled through Anna Karenina…). Upon finishing Gatsby I immediately wanted to go back to the beginning and read it again.
So, our next book club – frocks, cocktails and a good book. I might have to actually put my glass down for a few minutes and discuss this one!
