The Great Gatsby
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
Summary
A slim, perfect novel set against the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties. It peels back the glittering surface of the Jazz Age to reveal a hollow core of obsession and moral decay. The story is narrated by Nick Carraway, who moves to Long Island and becomes entangled in the life of his mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby throws lavish parties in a desperate bid to win back his former love, Daisy Buchanan, now married to the wealthy but brutish Tom. As the summer unfolds, the novel explores the collision between Gatsby's romantic dreams and the brutal reality of class and money in America. It is a story about the American Dream—the belief that one can reinvent oneself—and the tragedy of trying to repeat the past.
Why Read This?
A miracle of concision and lyrical beauty. Every sentence is polished to a gem-like brilliance. It captures the fleeting magic of a historical moment while exploring timeless themes of love and illusion. It is a tragedy that feels like a party. Fitzgerald's prose is some of the finest in the English language, capable of evoking a sense of yearning and loss that resonates with every reader. Whether you see it as a love story or a social critique, it remains the definitive American novel, asking us what we are willing to sacrifice for our dreams.
About the Author
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) was the voice of the 'Lost Generation' and the poet laureate of the Jazz Age—a term he popularized. He lived a life of celebrity and excess that mirrored his fiction, struggling with alcoholism and a tumultuous marriage to Zelda Fitzgerald. Though he died believing himself a failure, with Gatsby out of print and forgotten, his work is now recognized as the gold standard of American literature. His ability to capture the beauty and sadness of the American experience remains unmatched.
