The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby 

By Scott Fitzgerald 

Rating : 4/5 

Genres : Classics, Magnum Opus

I dont know why I have put off reading this book for so long. Its not very long but the characterization of Gatsby is so clear and impactful - it proves that the length of a novel is no requirement to make up a great story/plot. 

Jay Gatsby is the man who has dreamed big and achieved what he has always wanted in life. He wanted to hold onto something tangible in the form of an idealized lover Daisy but the choice of his lover and the motives for holding her onto him turn out disastrous in the end. Is he a victim to wanting and aiming for the unattainable? I think he didn't and couldn't read the evident signs in the character of his lover because he held onto his dream too tight that rendered him blind to the reality.  :/

Coming to the story.  There is a lot of myth and hype surrounding the persona of Jay Gatsby and his millions of wealth. No one knew where he came from or how he made his money but there are a lot of stories floating around about his numerous business enterprises. He makes an entrance into the society of New York City and becomes quite a sensation as a party thrower whose doors are open to anyone that wishes to have a good time. He develops a friendship with his neighbor Nick Caraway who is the narrator of this story. As time passes and the rapport between the two develop, Nick dispels the fog of illusion surrounding Gatsby and finds that everything that everyone ever knew about this man was pure fiction. Gatsby had a tragic and an unglossy past - he  was born poor, escaped from his family to become a sailor,enlisted into army and once out of it became a business man with shady and illegal deals (that we don't know till the end).

 At one point in his life - before he goes away to the army, he meets a rich, much sought after young girl Daisy (who also happens to be Nick's cousin) and becomes enamored with her. He lies and deceives her about his past to impress her. He returns from the army and to his shock finds that she got married to someone else. Unable to let go off his dream of being with her,  he reenters her life and tries to ensnare her once again - this time showing off his wealth and fame. Gatsby becomes a victim to a crime he hasn't committed so that his lover can make a safe and selfish escape with her cunning and beloved husband. Its a truly sad ending to a man who has perhaps been seeing things at a different level that is far removed from reality. He dies a man with no one to even attend his funeral but a few blokes he knew at random. 💔

How accurate is calling such a man full of illusions and idealizations as 'great'? I think what makes him great is his potential for self sacrifice and true love even if the object of his attentions didn't deserve it. :)