What are you currently reading?

Read \"The Great Gatsby\" took me about 3 hours, I'm going to be needing it for college so I thought I should know the basics of it, at least (or actually enjoy reading it before analysing it).

It's an odd book, I'm fairly torn on it. I liked it but at the same time, I didn't really care for any of the characters.

Kuroboshi wrote:

Read \"The Great Gatsby\" took me about 3 hours, I'm going to be needing it for college so I thought I should know the basics of it, at least (or actually enjoy reading it before analysing it).

It's an odd book, I'm fairly torn on it. I liked it but at the same time, I didn't really care for any of the characters.

I did it about four years ago, and i actually totally agree with you! For me it was the one thing I actually ended up appreciating the most about the the writing, is that despite the characters I really enjoyed it. Still not totally sure about the ending though!

Warning: Spoiler!

One interpretation we came up with in college was that Fitzgerald deliberately wrote the book like that so that the readers could never feel too attached to any of the characters and thus understand how the hedonistic society of the 1920s was completely separate and secluded from normal life. That theory works well between the character of Nick and Gatsby too, seeing as when Nick (the relatively 'normal' guy) recalls his memories of Gatsby, they all seem dreamlike, distanced and hazy. You could interpret that in itself in a multitude of ways as well. It's a good book to study - Completely littered with symbolism throughout.

I quite liked the book. :woohoo: Or maybe not so much the book, but the style. I said before - Fitzgerald is an incredibly elegant writer.

Kuroboshi wrote:

Read \"The Great Gatsby\" took me about 3 hours, I'm going to be needing it for college so I thought I should know the basics of it, at least (or actually enjoy reading it before analysing it).

It's an odd book, I'm fairly torn on it. I liked it but at the same time, I didn't really care for any of the characters.

I did it about four years ago, and i actually totally agree with you! For me it was the one thing I actually ended up appreciating the most about the the writing, is that despite the characters I really enjoyed it. Still not totally sure about the ending though!