Short Book Review: The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

I listened to this as an audiobook and had to listen to it twice due to its stunning rhetoric and literary genius. To be honest, the first time through, it was hard for me to focus on the story going on because of Fitzgerald's amazing command over the english language. I got lost in his portrayals of people, places, and events. Every sentence in The Great Gatsby is a masterpiece. I can see why it is one of the most acclaimed American novels ever written. However, this only heightened the experience the second time through when I was able to follow the story while being dazzled by its imageries. 

Aside from the comforting and pleasurable aspect of just listening to the descriptions of The Great Gatsby (which will take anyone to pinnacle imaginative altitudes), the plot and story are sharp and cutting. The character development is intriguing, as I was always going back and forth on how I felt about each character. At one point I would feel connected and respectful toward a character, then immediately the imitation and acrylic would crumble away only to expose an empty corrosive soul. By the end, humanity seems but an egoistic breed which only seeks to be seen without care for what is actually real.

The calculation of the thickening plot was impressive. So many weaving elements of the story come together: prior details that seem just details become important features to bring the story to climax. Gatsby in the end is one that reminded me of so many, flashy and presentable, one who always seems to look the perfect part, yet, just like the rest but far more extreme.

I recommend this book to all people.You will be quickly removed from any thoughts of your world by the book's beautiful tapestry and you will be sucked into the vintage jazz age of the 1920's where the only thing that mattered was how it looked.