Is this the Great American Novel?

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald. Perhaps the most famous American novel of the 1920s, The Great Gatsby has been riding a sine curve ever since, going into and out of fashion at regular intervals. It is heading into a new popularity phase right now. Which is good, because it just may be the Great American Novel we used to talk about.

There is so much in this short novel, so many extraordinary characters (Fitzgerald said he thought Tom Buchanan was his best creation), settings you can almost smell and touch, a seemingly simple but actually quite complex plot line, a little mystery, a little murder. And lots of themes and symbols. An English teacher could go nuts with the theme of time, with which the book starts and ends, the American Dream, travel by automobile (both Jordan and Baker were makers of automobiles at the time), wealth, honesty, and clothes.

And of course the green light flashing at the end of Daisy's dock.

I picked up the book because the 22nd Avenue Book Club is going to be discussing it next month. I'm so glad we picked it.

2012  No 32

Comments

[ChrisCross53]

Love this novel - what a great choice for a book club. I didn't know Jordan and Baker were car makers. That's an interesting choice of names.

[Mary]

There will be so much to talk about when we meet next month, Chris. I do love this novel.

[Nan]

I never, ever tire of this book. I have read it maybe four times, maybe more, and each time I am wowed!
You and Chris are meeting?! So lucky!

[Mary]

Nan, my sentence was ambiguous. The book club is meeting in three weeks to talk about the book. Chris will not be there, alas, although you are both invited if you happen to be in Spokane.

I just re-read Gatsby less than a week after I read it and posted this.