Book Club Chat

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

By Shelli Kauffman

The Bremen Readers gave the American classic, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald at 2.93 rating. The classic novel set in the roaring twenties revolves around several egotistical and self-centered characters in New York City. Jay Gatsby is obsessed with recapturing his past with the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan. Unfortunately, Daisy is married and rather shallow. She loves Gatsby, but is very comfortable with the lifestyle her philandering husband provides her.

Most of the book discussion centered on how unlikable all of the characters were. How did Fitzgerald’s novel become a classic with a group of characters who seem to have no redeemable traits? Why do readers, decades after the first printing, still flock to this classic? Well, the novel certainly does evoke conversation. There’s greed, romance, suspense, and murder. Then there’s the rhythm Fitzgerald uses with the English language that makes the reader fall in love with Gatsby while at the same time disapproving of all he does. When describing Gatsby’s smile, the narrator expounds, “It understood you just so far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.” Ah, if only we could all ask Fitzgerald to describe our smile in that way. Overall, this is a novel definitely worth the read, but don’t expect to feel light hearted exuberance when you’re finished with it. 

To join the Bremen Readers' next discussion on Aug. 16, stop by the Adult Desk to request a copy of the next book, "When We Were Sisters" by Emilie Richards. 

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