For this week’s blog, I would like to reflect on my reading of the novel “The Great Gatsby.” What ultimately inspired me to read the book, was the fact that a new movie was being released next year based on the book, and it intrigued me. So I went and asked my dad if he had read this book, and his answer was “Yes, it was a great book! You should read it sometime.” Or something along those lines. FUNNY JOKE DAD. Either way, he wanted me to read this book. Around this time my class was assigned an independent novel study, and I thought that this book would be ideal for me to read. Yeah, I was completely wrong.
This book ended up being the toughest book I have probably ever read. I’m definitely a person who enjoys reading classics. You name it, I’ve probably read it. But this book was definitely difficult. And once I started reading it and telling my dad how tough it was he started apologizing to me constantly saying “he forgot that it was a tough read,” and he “screwed me over.” Yes dad, you definitely did!
Basically and very simply put, the book is about a very rich man who as time goes by, he tries to reunite himself with the woman he fell in love with years ago, and basically “repeat the past” with her. The whole book is very back and forth, and by the time that you actually realize and understand what’s going on in a certain scene, you’re already half way done the book. I read the same page over and over again numerous times trying to decipher what was actually going on in the story. It was not enjoyable or easy at all.
Towards the end of the book, it becomes easier to understand as events start unfolding and all of the background stories throughout the book start to intertwine and come together. The last 50 pages of the book were probably the only ones that I didn’t have to read over 3 times, and I could actually stop stressing out and enjoy the book.
All in all, I thought it was a very well written book. I loved the story line to it, I loved the way that everything connected at the end, and once I eventually started to understand the book, I definitely enjoyed it. I would recommend this book for sure, it’s a classic and definitely worth the struggle. For people who may not enjoy books as much, definitely do not even attempt to read this book. For some this book may be “The Great Gatsby,” for others, I firmly believe that it is “The Not So Great Gatsby.”
This book ended up being the toughest book I have probably ever read. I’m definitely a person who enjoys reading classics. You name it, I’ve probably read it. But this book was definitely difficult. And once I started reading it and telling my dad how tough it was he started apologizing to me constantly saying “he forgot that it was a tough read,” and he “screwed me over.” Yes dad, you definitely did!
Basically and very simply put, the book is about a very rich man who as time goes by, he tries to reunite himself with the woman he fell in love with years ago, and basically “repeat the past” with her. The whole book is very back and forth, and by the time that you actually realize and understand what’s going on in a certain scene, you’re already half way done the book. I read the same page over and over again numerous times trying to decipher what was actually going on in the story. It was not enjoyable or easy at all.
Towards the end of the book, it becomes easier to understand as events start unfolding and all of the background stories throughout the book start to intertwine and come together. The last 50 pages of the book were probably the only ones that I didn’t have to read over 3 times, and I could actually stop stressing out and enjoy the book.
All in all, I thought it was a very well written book. I loved the story line to it, I loved the way that everything connected at the end, and once I eventually started to understand the book, I definitely enjoyed it. I would recommend this book for sure, it’s a classic and definitely worth the struggle. For people who may not enjoy books as much, definitely do not even attempt to read this book. For some this book may be “The Great Gatsby,” for others, I firmly believe that it is “The Not So Great Gatsby.”