Welcome

“Let us read, and let us dance;
these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.”

Wednesday 29 August 2012

The LainiBop Challenge - Book 15 - The Great Gatsby - GUEST

I made this: Unknown at 8:00 am

READ!TO GO!
15115

The LainiBop Challenge

THE GREAT GATSBY
F. SCOTT FITZGERALD

* * * * *
* * * * * SPOILERS * * * * *
* * * * *

I loved, loved, loved this book. I'm really looking forward to seeing the new remake of the film but not sure how it will translate to the screen.
The Great Gatsby tells the story of the fictional communities ofWest and East Egg in New York. The narrator is a man called Nick Carraway. Early on in the book, he admits that "it was a matter of chance that I should have rented a house in one of the strangest communities in North America" He is the link between all of the characters, from his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom Buchanan, to the Great Gatsby himself, a mysterious figure, who lives right next door to Nick but for much of the early part is only referred to by name, and always with some strange and fantastic story attached.

There are a couple of main plots throughout, which are all neatly tied together at various points in the story, and are all equally compelling. We have Tom and Daisy's tempestuous marriage and rumours of an affair, to Gatsby's regular, magnificent parties and who he really is underneath all the hype and scandal. I love the character of Nick, because he plays the part of the narrator, but not being directly involved in the story, he is in the perfect position to comment on the events and people around him. Having explained already that he finds the community strange, we can rely on him to take an impartial view of events and can relate easily to his descriptions. Daisy and Tom's relationship is fascinating too, this is one of the things which is subject to rumour and scandal among the other characters, everyone having an opinion on Tom's affair. The fact that we are quickly introduced to his mistress with whom he seems to lead a double life with their own friend's separate from Daisy just makes this all the more enticing to read.

Most of all though, I absolutely adored the way this was written, the prose is so beautiful and imaginative, that it made me smile as I read. Fitzgerald compares seemingly mundane items and people in such a way that they seem anything but boring and ordinary. "...wedging his tense arm imperatively under mine, Tom Buchanan compelled me from the room as though he were moving a checker to another square"
"'We ought to plan something' yawned Miss Baker, sitting down at the table as if she were getting into bed". (pg 18)
"It was the kind of voice that the ear follows up and down, as if each speech is an arrangement of notes that will never be played again." (pg 15)
"We pushed aside curtains that were like pavilions, and felt over innumerable feet of dark wall for electric light switches - once I tumbled with a sort of splash upon the keys of a ghostly piano" (pg 153)
These words conjure up beautiful images and for that reason alone, I will definitely be looking up further works by Mr. Fitzgerald. Even if the story itself hadn't been so enjoyable, the words he used captivated me completely throughout and transported me to a different time and place. And that, to me is the reason I read. After just finishing the dire work that was Mary, Mary by Julie Parsons, this was a joy. I would absolutely recommend everyone to pick this up and have a read.

Youtube:

Spotify:
LeedsBookClub Leeds Playlist - The Great Gatsby
YouTube HERE
LeedsBookClub Leeds Playlist - The Great Gatsby - The Jazz Age
YouTube HERE!

SCORE       9/10





* * * * *
Say Hello to @Lainibop

Her To Be Read Challenge - The Countdown Begins!





Book 30 - ?
Book 29 - ?
Book 28 - Sexing the Cherries by Jeanette Winterson
Book 27 - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Book 26 - Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
Book 25 - Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Book 24 - From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne
Book 23 - Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Book 22 - Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less by Jeffery Archer


Find more reviews HERE

If we've used any videos, you'll find them on the LeedsBookClub YouTube Channel - 

Visit LainiBop's playlist HERE 
Visit Fizzy Elephants HERE
The 10 Things I Hate About You playlist is HERE!
* * * * *
Table of Contents - Guest Stars

* * * * *
Table of Contents - Laini's Book Shelf

* * * * *

0 comments :

 

Leeds Book Club Copyright © 2010 Designed by Ipietoon Blogger Template Sponsored by Online Shop Vector by Artshare