F. Scott Fitzgerald
Hailed by some as the prime literary example of the Jazz Age, it is hard not to expect great things out of The Great Gatsby, a slender novel that packs quite a punch as it evokes the glitz and glamor of the Roaring Twenties alongside a personal tragedy far too common in any age. Fitzgerald uses limited space to get at a fundamental part of the human condition, the pain of unrequited love and the inevitable sadness that comes with living in the past. The book doesn't turn any conventions on its head but it is honest throughout. It is narrator Nick Carraway's normalcy that draws the reader in and makes the story applicable to any readers. The narration is simple and to the point and Nick Carraway seems to mirror general opinion regarding the events at hand. He is an individual and he does play a specific role in the story of Gatsby, but Fitzgerald's novel is so accessible because his narrator pulls no punches and relates to the reader. Carraway is never unnecessarily omniscient and his entrance into major plot events does not strain credibility in any way, making Gatsby's ultimate decline all the more tragic. Yet Gatsby always maintains a safe distance from both Carraway and the reader, always slightly shady and all the more evocative because of it.
Fitzgerald's short novel is straightforward and to the point. Its main strength comes in its characters, all of whom are immediately vivid and recognizable. By keeping the novel's events simple, Fitzgerald is able to examine their effects in more detail. The book is firmly rooted in the Jazz Age and the strange ability of Prohibition to make millionaires , as well as the effects of long deployment on hometown love. The characters float along almost carefree until the underlying tragedy of their situation catches up with them- the tragedy is evoked with light touches but is deeply moving all the same. Fitzgerald simply presents it as it is without overly moralizing and without unnecessary extra drama. The story is limited to its fairly small cast and does not attempt to be an epic, reaching epic status through its simplicity and deft (yet subtle) insights. Fitzgerald's concise novel seems a bit simple at first glance; there is nothing terribly surprising in its plot and its characters are normal, though vividly imagined and brought to life. What lurks beneath the surface, however, is an artfully constructed story of love and loss, tragic because of its simplicity and because of the ability of Fitzgerald to evoke the mood of the Jazz Age in a story that transcends its time and applies and moves readers today.
Grade: A
Fitzgerald's short novel is straightforward and to the point. Its main strength comes in its characters, all of whom are immediately vivid and recognizable. By keeping the novel's events simple, Fitzgerald is able to examine their effects in more detail. The book is firmly rooted in the Jazz Age and the strange ability of Prohibition to make millionaires , as well as the effects of long deployment on hometown love. The characters float along almost carefree until the underlying tragedy of their situation catches up with them- the tragedy is evoked with light touches but is deeply moving all the same. Fitzgerald simply presents it as it is without overly moralizing and without unnecessary extra drama. The story is limited to its fairly small cast and does not attempt to be an epic, reaching epic status through its simplicity and deft (yet subtle) insights. Fitzgerald's concise novel seems a bit simple at first glance; there is nothing terribly surprising in its plot and its characters are normal, though vividly imagined and brought to life. What lurks beneath the surface, however, is an artfully constructed story of love and loss, tragic because of its simplicity and because of the ability of Fitzgerald to evoke the mood of the Jazz Age in a story that transcends its time and applies and moves readers today.
Grade: A
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