The Great Gatsby Book Review
By Ryan, Grade 12
“The Great Gatsby” is a famous novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was published in 1925 and was adapted into a film almost 90 years later with Leonardo DiCaprio starring as the main character, Jay Gatsby. Even though the book is quite old, it is a timeless story that has many messages to appreciate about society, obsession, and life. It can be slow at times, but it is definitely worth reading. Overall, I would rate “The Great Gatsby” a 4/5 stars.
The novel is written in first person, with Nick Carraway narrating the story of Jay Gatsby through his eyes. He moves to the West Egg, where his next door neighbour is a mysterious man who throws elaborate parties at his mansion with many guests – none other than Gatsby himself. Eventually, the two of them meet at one of the parties and they begin interacting more. Gatsby finds out that Nick knows Daisy Buchanan, the woman that he once loved. She is now married to Tom Buchanan, and Gatsby wants nothing more than to reunite with her.
The plot of “The Great Gatsby” is quite simple, and even slow-paced at times, but there is a lot of meaning behind the story. It is interesting to read about life during the 1920s, and there are very powerful themes of the American Dream, love, power, and social class incorporated throughout the novel. Fitzgerald writes with a lot of elegance, and also uses a lot of figurative language through the voice of Nick Carraway. One of my favourite quotes of the novel is the closing quote, “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” I think that this quote shares an important message that can be applied both to Gatsby’s life and to our own lives.
I would recommend reading this novel if you enjoy reading, appreciate figurative language, and like exploring the deeper meaning behind stories. I would typically choose a more action-based book for myself to read, but I was pleasantly surprised after reading this book for English class. “The Great Gatsby” is a great novel that delivers a powerful message while exploring the complexities of the 1920s.