The Great Gatsby: A Classic?
I just finished reading a book I had been putting off for a while now, and at this point, I'm just wondering what a "classic" really is.
Sometime in August/September, I was hooked on the popular thriller series 'You'.
Great series!
One of the things I noticed then was the repeated mention of a name.
No, not Joe, Beck, or Marienne, or Love Quinn, or any of the other character's names.
It was Fitzgerald.
Heard it a lot from Joe.
The sound of the name intrigued me, not sure but I think it's Russian, I thought I had heard it somewhere, probably a quote by him, plus it had the same ring to it as Nietzsche's, but I suppose that should make Fitzgerald German instead.
I took a moment to google him, he's American.
Anyway, I decided to read 'The Great Gatsby' by Fitzgerald, find out what the fuss was about with Joe.
Not that before now I hadn't heard of the book, I had, I just didn't have an interest in reading it.
The opening line of the first page was a good one, a lesson actually.
'In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. ''Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, " just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.'
I think in one of my so far most popular pieces here, I used those lines. See
Well, that was it for me for chapter 1 and 2 as the lines that followed were a lot confusing.
I wanted to give up reading it as I noticed I often fell asleep each time I tried to read it, but a friend suggested I go ahead to read from chapter 3 and later return to chapter 1 and 2 after I had completed the book, rather than not reading it at all.
Great advice!
I finally got the story.
There were still lines I rushed through, not because of impatience, but because I wasn't getting them, but I got the story.
There were a few screenshots I took where I felt the words were powerful.
But generally, the plot was…well, to me, reading it in these times, it was a common one, but I suppose I could understand why it would be a classic to the men of old.
Aside from it possibly not being a common story at the time it was written, another reason I think may have won it the "classic" title, could be Fitzgerald's manner of writing.
Sure I had some blurry lines, skipped a few and grumbled at a few, but I realize that his way of writing (tho confusing to me) had a poetic tone to it if you'd (I'd) calm down to actually understand them.
He used a lot of metaphors, and quite frankly, a lot of big words.
I googled some and now I've got an add to my vocabulary, thank you Fitzgerald!
Personally, I don't recommend it as a "classic" (perhaps I don't know what that means) but if you're curious, like I was, well you might want to look it out.
And don't forget, if you get stuck in the first ten pages, advance to chapter 3, and come back later to chapter 1.
Or you may have read The Great Gatsby already, what are your thoughts on it? Please let me know in the comments.
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