Scribner Books discussion

With The Great Gatsby movie rapidly approaching, we want to know…


-When’s the last time you read The Great Gatsby?

-Discuss the first time you read The Great Gatsby.

-Who’s your favorite character and why?

-Based on who was cast in the movie, which actor/actress best depicts a character in the book?

-What were some favorite lines/quotes from the book that you hope to hear in the movie?

-What, in your opinion, makes The Great Gatsby a classic novel?


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Grade eleven. I fell in love instantly and have re-read the book dozens of times since.

When kids ask me my favorite book, I say this is the one. Fitzgerald's genius, to me, is that the book reads as if he wrote it effortlessly. But we know from his notes that he agonized over every word. That's an amazing lesson for wannabe writers - the harder you struggle and work and think, the better the result.

It's a classic because it did mroe than capture an age.. you can imagine Nick, Gatsby and the rest living in today's america. The cars would be different, and maybe the drinks, but the essential human drama (love, loss, deception, self-delucion and dreams that crash against the rocks of the eggs) is eternal.

"The Great Gatsby" is the story of the myth of the "American Dream," symbolized by, among other things, that distant green light. The tragedy of trying to obtain the unobtainable: The past, youth, lost love. It's the story of old money (East Egg) vs. new money (West Egg); class warfare at its finest. It's the story of us, in all its tragic glory.

What amazes me about "The Great Gatsby" is how accurately Fitzgerald depicted the roaring twenties as they actually happened. At first, I thought that it was written afterwards because it reads like it has the wisdom of hindsight. Fitzgerald knew that the Jazz Age was like a party that had to end. It was fun while it lasted, but the world was bound to move on and come crashing back to reality, especially people like Gatsby.

To be honest the last time I read about "Gatsby" was about a year ago. I've long lost the book since then.

The first time I ever read the book was sophomore year in high school. I never liked to read but Fitzgerald's writing style intrigued me. Drove me deeper and deeper into the book.

I would honestly have to say Gatsby, for the fact that his character in the book was so mysterious it gave this ominous appearance that something was more than the words.

I never watched the movie. I always felt the book was enough. No need to put the words into pictures.

My favorite quote from the book is the last three paragraphs, " And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby’s wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy’s dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night.

Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter — to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And one fine morning ——

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

What makes it a classic to me is the fact that the writing style is taught in school. The book is taught without the movie. It stands along with the greats such as east of eden, this side of paradise...ECT. You can not turn away from the emotion and feeling and just brute thought that took to write this book. It is by far my all time favorite.

The last time I read Gatsby was over a year ago I'd say. I can't really recall my first time reading it as such, but I read it due to a friend recommending it to me. I liked it enough to immediately buy any other F Scott Fitzgerald books I could find.

I consider it one of my favourite books now mainly due to the richness of the language, how playful Fitzgerald is with his words (a lot like Nabokov) and how fluidly it reads. Unlike some (great) books, this is not hard work to read. It really is a showcase of all that the English language can be.

I read The Great Gatsby last summer, it was also the first time I had ever read it. I was astonished how easy the novel was to read and how beautiful and evocative the language was without excessive flourishing. F. Scott managed to say so much with so little. Every word was needed. I love Jay Gatsby and Nick.
Jay Gatsby is so relatable, and like many of F. Scott's character he really embodies a beautiful melancholy that illustrates the uncertainty of life. I really think the cast of the movie will do a great job with the film.

I haven't actually read it recently, though I've seen Gatz twice in the past year, so I've heard it read as many times. It's just a perfectly structured novel. And Fitzgerald could do more with a single sentence than any other, I think. Movie-wise, the only casting that concerns me is Tobey Maguire as Nick.

I love Gatsby for so many reasons. Fitzgerald's writing is brilliant--the way he breathes life into his characters. It's amazing the way we, the audience, fall in love with the wayward, dreamy, deluded man that is Gatsby. Still love the line: "What, Gatsby?" Ooooooh...American literature at its finest. I read it for the first time in high school, and then again in college and again, and again, and again. One of my all time favorites.

The first time I read Gatsby was because my grandmother recommended it. I've actually read it twice which is unusual for me, I don't usually re-read books.

I love the book because I think it's an important comment on American culture. First of all, IMO Gatsby isn't about Gatsby, it's about Tom & Daisy and in particular their marriage. It's about how 2 people manipulate and murder and get away with it in a culture of privilege. Do they have feelings for each other? Do they have feelings at all? These are the questions that stick in my mind 10 years later.

I read it in grade 11 of high school. To me, the themes and subjects are timeless. It could be set today, and nothing about it would change. It will always be relevant.

The real magic of the book comes from the way Fiztgerald writes. His words are lyrical, and beautiful, so much so that his writings are one of the few thing I would prefer listen to than read for myself. That is why I am so looking forward to the movie, and I think having Baz directing is going to be a marvelous thing. It will be both visually and audibly stunning.
I personally think that Leonardo is going to make a great(ha) Gatsby as well.

I read Gatsby my junior year of high school, and from then on I was changed. Until I read this book, I still thought that love was this hopelessly romantic thing that would always be so kind. Gatsby showed me that even though that kind of love does exist, love can also so be very ruthless and unkind. The way that Daisy just goes back to her husband shows that.

Umm... the movie is "vastly" approaching?? I don't think that word means what you think it means.

You know -- I'm not sure when I first read GATSBY, but I now teach American Literature to 11th graders, so I read it every year! And what a joy. I'm also a writer -- and I use The Great Gatsby as the example of a "perfect" novel -- we look at its structure, the narrative voice. It's a classic because of Fitzgerald's way with language, his poetry, and of course for its portrayal of the corrupted American Dream. All of America's hopes up until that time are captured in the novel. I'll always think of Robert Redford as Jay Gatsby (showing my age) but I'm curious to see the new version. And it's always interesting to me how many of my female students either love or hate Daisy; we often end up debating her strength/ weakness. It is my absolute favorite book to teach!

I read the book in high school and was captured by it ever since. Fitzgerald's writing to me had the economy of Hemingway with the lyricism of Salinger. For me part of the beauty of this work is that there is a feeling which pervades the entire novel that all the characters are moving towards an inevitable fate, yet he expresses this so subtlety it feels upon the first read that it is the opposite, that it is all about choice.

Gatsby remains one of the great romantic characters of the modern age. He realises that love alone cannot bring Daisy to him so he willingly recreates the Eden she requires to exist, at great danger and moral sacrifice to his own self.

Fitzgerald seemingly gives the reader enough to make harsh criticisms and moral judgements over almost all the characters and certainly the main ones. However, when reading over the individual passages and paragraphs and segments of chapters it is more the case that no one character is truly shown to be morally bankrupt or truly delinquent.

The character of Jay Gatsby's immense likeability it seems comes from the fact that he remains uncommitted towards making strong connections with other characters. He appears to float through his world, only truly touched by the progress he makes towards claiming Daisy as his own. However, it is in the background that I found my favourite character, the narrator. Not Nick's observations about both the East and West Egg's life and inhabitants but rather Fitzgerald's narration which hangs in the air like an invisible fog, ever so gently leading the reader towards the realization that the energy of class and the history of social dynamics is not to be defeated with cleverness nor strength of will and determination.

My favourite novel.

First read it in my early twenties. Thought it was dull, as nothing seemed to happen. Second read- a few years later. Seemed better. By third read I was hooked. Now read it every Xmas and still find new delights. Nick, I think, is THE character. Favourite passages include Tom Buchanan's rants on white supremacy (pre-figuring the coming German storm) and Nick's description of the breeze blowing through the room: curtains billowing, Daisy and Jordan gently fluttering to the ground etc.
I worry that the upcoming film will be an overblown video clip. Lurhman is great, but can anyone do it justice?
I think it is a masterpiece for many reasons, notably its brevity. Just 55,000 words. Fitzgerald cut it and cut it until it became a polished gem. As close to word perfect as anything I've ever read, or am ever likely to. Only the poets can compare.

-When’s the last time you read The Great Gatsby?

The last time I read The Great Gatsby was around this time last year. Now, the last time I read Trimalchio (which I think I slightly prefer over the novel proper) was about two months ago. Both get better with each read.

-Discuss the first time you read The Great Gatsby.

The first time I read TGG (tired of typing it out, ha), like many other readers, was in my freshman English class. While I didn't appreciate the novel to the extent I do now, I did enjoy it. The lyricism of the book was my favourite aspect then, and it still is now.

-Who’s your favorite character and why?

Gatsby, hands down. To me, he is an extremely sympathetic character, and his story is simultaneously the story of America and the American spirit.

-Based on who was cast in the movie, which actor/actress best depicts a character in the book?

Not a fan of the majority of the actors/actresses chosen for the movie; I still think it's a travesty that Ben Affleck couldn't make time in his schedule to play Tom. Tobey Maguire isn't right for Nick; I don't think Maguire can quite capture the weariness of Nick, but I'd like to be pleasantly surprised.

-What were some favorite lines/quotes from the book that you hope to hear in the movie?

Not a line, but the scene in Myrtle's apartment is a fave of mine. In particular this passage:

"“Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!” shouted Mrs. Wilson. “I’ll say it whenever I want to! Daisy! Dai ——”
Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand.
Then there were bloody towels upon the bath-room floor, and women’s voices scolding, and high over the confusion a long broken wail of pain. Mr. McKee awoke from his doze and started in a daze toward the door. When he had gone half way he turned around and stared at the scene — his wife and Catherine scolding and consoling as they stumbled here and there among the crowded furniture with articles of aid, and the despairing figure on the couch, bleeding fluently, and trying to spread a copy of Town Tattle over the tapestry scenes of Versailles. Then Mr. McKee turned and continued on out the door. Taking my hat from the chandelier, I followed."

-What, in your opinion, makes The Great Gatsby a classic novel?

The beauty of the language, its brevity, the timeless story and characters, and its continued relevance today. Among other things.

1. When’s the last time you read The Great Gatsby?

I last read it in college, so that would be about 6 years ago. I was studying to be, of all things, an English teacher.

2. Discuss the first time you read The Great Gatsby.

My parents took me to see the Robert Redford version in the 1970's (I was, say, 10), and I fell in love. I know that I read it in middle school (or before), but after seeing the film, I knew that I had to get my hands on it as soon as possible.

3. Who’s your favorite character and why?

My favorite character is the car, as it is literally what drives the entire story. It is a novel about the car. The car is what breeds dreams as easily as it kills them. The car is the key instrument in the killing of the novel's most vital characters. Both dreamers--Gatsby and Myrtle--fall prey to misinterpretations of the car.

4. Based on who was cast in the movie, which actor/actress best depicts a character in the book?

I am not certain that any of these actors will do this justice. Too, it concerns me that the studio put off the release date of this. To me, that spells trouble. A dream cast would have Jon Hamm (now) as "Gatsby" and Catherine Zeta Jones (years ago) as "Jordan" (CZJ even golfs!). I do not like Tobey Maguire as "Nick." TM just strikes me as far too winsome, silly-making, soft-voiced. Sam Waterson was "Nick."

5. What were some favorite lines/quotes from the book that you hope to hear in the movie?

"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."

I raised my children on this tenet (They can all quote it.), and I believe in its strength.

6. What, in your opinion, makes The Great Gatsby a classic novel?

I would have to say that its "classic" status was born when the book was brought into the American canon of required high school literature. It remains there, as it speaks of the universal desire to just steal a bit of life while you are still alive enough to live it.

When’s the last time you read The Great Gatsby?
I read it last summer in anticipation of the movie.

-Discuss the first time you read The Great Gatsby.
I read it in the early 90s (1990s, I'm not THAT old), when I first discovered my love for all things Fitzgerald. I kept trying to replace his references to goofy politicians with our goofy politicians and high end autos with our modern day Bentley, and the like. But the spirit of the characters, the madness that drove Gatsby, those are eternal human traits.

-Who’s your favorite character and why?
Gatsby, because I have seen something similar to "poor boys can't marry rich girls" vapidity but not related to wealth.

-Based on who was cast in the movie, which actor/actress best depicts a character in the book?
Tobey Maguire is the perfect cast for Nick Carraway. He is very believable as the meek bond salesman who watches all of the powerful forces sweep around East and West Egg.

-What were some favorite lines/quotes from the book that you hope to hear in the movie?

Well I love the shirt scene when Gatsby throws them around the room and Daisy bursts into tears because she realizes that if she had just stayed true to her heart it would have worked out. Gatsby did make it big after all.

-What, in your opinion, makes The Great Gatsby a classic novel?
It's his greatest novel with the broadest appeal. Everyone has mistakes they made when they were younger. We all want to re-live somthing in the past and make it better.

Fitzgerald's greatest novel though is "Tender is the Night". It would be a great movie too. It has a duel, a murder, several crazy people, a drunk, and a poser. And it is set in the wealthiest parts of the Mediteranean. It would be a beautiful film.

The last time I read this book was while I was long term subbing for our Advanced Placement English teacher. Not only did I rediscover the novel, I also enjoyed the great discussion by our juniors/seniors! I think a couple of things make this a classic. First I find the characters easy to relate to. We all know people who try to scam everyone around them, so the novel can be personal. I also think that the accurate description of the times pulls the reader into the story.

Based on who was cast in the movie, which actor/actress best depicts a character in the book?

I'm so glad they choosed Leonardo Di Caprio as Gatsby! He's just perfect for it. When I read about the erlier life of Gatsby, I couldn't help but imagine young Leonardo like in 'Titanic'. Also because there is one prallel to Jack: poor boy loves rich girl.
I just can't wait to see him in this role!

I read Gatsby for the first time in 11th grade and enjoyed every word. I even tried calling people "old sport" while we were reading it. SInce then, I've read it twice. I promised myself it'd be what I read every summer. And I'm reading Trimalcho now. Just on the trailer, I'd say Leonardo really pulls off Gatsby. If I had to picture him, I'd picture Gatsby as Leonardo and Redford put together. My favorite quotes were when Gatsby said "Can't repeat the past. Why of course you can." and at the end when Nick described how "Gatsby believed in the green light."

I think Gatsby is classic for much the same reason any gangster movie is viewed as a classic: it shows a poor boy doing he what can to get what he wants. I'd also say it's because we know the relationship between him and Daisy is doomed, but we still hope against hope Gatsby can reach his green light.

As an English teacher, I had the privilege of teaching The Great Gatsby to my American Literature students for many years, until I retired in 2011. It has become my favorite novel, both to read and to teach. Over the years, I came to admire Fitzgerald's unique writing style and referred to it as poetic prose. His language is imbued with so much lyricism, imagery and symbolism that it enriches the narrative while enhancing the reader's experience of the story. To me, the novel is allegorical and dreamy and that's why I loved the 1974 film with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow. I'm not very hopeful that the new movie will be able to capture the book's artistry and depth. From the trailers I've seen, the film appears to be visually over-the-top and I find the soundtrack jarring at best. My favorite characters are Nick and Gatsby, the realist and the romantic dreamer, who become unlikely friends. One of my favorite quotes is when Nick speaks of Gatsby for the first time "...Gatsby turned out all right at the end; it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men."
There are many reasons why this timeless novel has become a much loved classic. One would have to be because of the universal themes that it embraces, among them being the American Dream; old money vs. new money; social class distinctions; unrequited love; repeating the past; carelessness and hope. The Great Gatsby is indeed a novel for the ages.

Michele wrote: "One of my favorite quotes is when Nick speaks of Gatsby for the first time "...Gatsby turned out all right at the end; it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men." "

That's an excellent quote from the book, but it's most interesting because it's disingenuous. Gatsby didn't turn out all right at the end; at the end, he's face-down in a swimming pool. Gatsby only turned out all right because Carraway pro-actively turned him out all right--by telling a story that portrayed Gatsby as a hero. It's a very metafictional passage.

Not at all. You need to understand what's meant by "turned out all right". You're judging in a modern, materialistic context, you need to see what was meant by it in a 20's context. Simply put, it means that Gatsby didn't (intentionally) do wrong by anyone. At various points in the story his motivations may have been questionable but in the end it was clear that he never meant any harm to anyone, as contrasted by Daisy & Tom Buchannon.

Stephen wrote: "As far as "turn[ing] out all right" goes, I agree with Martin. However, Nick's role in manipulating his reader's impressions of Gatsby can't be denied. He refers rather early in the novel to "what ..."

Hi Stephen, I see why you put that question to your students. I think it's an important aspect of the novel, that Nick is the only person who knows Gatby's story. It's why he's the only person who attends his funeral. Again, I think it's significantly different from a modern perspective than a 20's perspective, in that the rise of modern science and associated secularism has given us an expectation of objectivity that perhaps didn't exist in the 20's, or at least was somewhat different than it is today. In any case I do think it's important that Nick is the only person who can tell the story, because he's the only one who knows it. It give a very human element and it's important and as such bears examination, certainly. Cheers, Martin

Martin wrote: "I think it's an important aspect of the novel, that Nick is the only person who knows Gatby's story. It's why he's the only person who attends his funeral."

Have you even read the book, Martin? There were several other people at the funeral, including Mr. Gatz and Owl Eyes.

As for "turning out all right," I understand exactly how you're misreading it; you think Fitzgerald was too dull to recognize his own loaded use of the phrase "the end." Stephen correctly alluded to the point that Nick Carraway is what's known as an unreliable narrator. This is a literary device that preceded Fitzgerald by centuries and is still in use by authors today. It has nothing to do with a 1920s context or a "modern" context.

Hi Zach, yes I read the book, twice in fact. I can clarify, Nick was the only character of import who attended the funeral, the other attendees were stock characters, people who attend funerals let's say, except perhaps Gatsby's father, I'd forgotten about him. Please understand that what I posted was my own opinion only, I'm not a teacher nor a professional literary critic or anything of the sort, I'm just someone who read the book. I didn't intend to offend anyone. If you have a question regarding what I wrote I'll be happy to answer it, but I'll thank you to refrain from insulting me. Regards, Martin.

Zach wrote:
"As for "turning out all right," I understand exactly how you're misreading it; you think Fitzgerald was too dull to recognize his own loaded use of the phrase "the end." Stephen correctly alluded to the point that Nick Carraway is what's known as an unreliable narrator. This is a literary device that preceded Fitzgerald by centuries and is still in use by authors today. It has nothing to do with a 1920s context or a "modern" context."

Zach, you may be missing the point that my earlier quote spoke to, which is that Nick Carraway represents "the voice" of Fitzgerald and thereby he is the moral authority in the novel. Gatsby was the one character who Nick excluded from the "foul dust"...betrayal, carelessness, hypocrisy...all the qualities that Nick observed in Tom, Daisy, Jordan and others, but not in Gatsby. Did Nick idealize Gatsby too much? Perhaps some readers might think so but he did refer to him as, "...Gatsby who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn”, meaning his materialism and criminal ties, yet later referred to him with, "Gatsby turned out all right at the end...”. What I believe Nick admires about Gatsby is that in spite of his flaws, Gatsby remained true to his incorruptible dream, even when the forces around him tried to destroy it. In the end, Nick doesn't want to leave Gatsby and compliments his friend by telling him, "They're a rotten crowd. You're worth the whole damn bunch put together." Nick's sympathy towards Gatsby and his desire to tell his story is a measure of just how much Fitzgerald identifies with both of these characters, who sprang from his own Midwestern imagination and who both, like the author himself, ventured East in search of their own American Dream.

Hi Michelle, well said. That's pretty much my understanding as well, although I doubt I could have put it so nicely. The book really is a masterpiece, & I'm enjoying this discussion of it a lot.

The last time I read The Great Gatsby was a little over a year ago during my 3rd year of college. I always like to reread some of my favorite books when I'm feeling stressed out and needing some kind of escape.

The first time I read The Great Gatsby was in high school. My senior year, it wasn't for a homework assignment or anything, but reading classic books made me curious and I can't lie, the book cover kind of pulled me in too.

I never actually had a favorite character, maybe Jordan cause she's just as honest as I find the book to be.

Although I wasn't too sure about Carey Mulligan for the physical traits of Daisy, I've seen her other work and I'm certain she will definitely do the character justice. Same thing with Isla Fisher. But Leonardo DiCaprio, may IMO be a bit too intense for Gatsby, but who knows? maybe that's exactly what the casting directors were going for.

"The officer looked at Daisy while she was speaking, in a way that every young girl wants to be looked at sometime, and because it seemed romantic to me I have remembered the incident ever since."
"I've been drunk for about a week now, and I thought it might sober me up to sit in a library."

To me, The Great Gatsby is classic because of it's honesty. Especially being published during a time when it was all about the facade, the lavishness and illusion of grandeur. It tells the story of love, tragedy, hope and deception, all against the scenes of parties and social gatherings where people dare not speak of terrible things so as not to ruin the good time. I found it interesting how sucked into the world the book made me feel, how affected I was by these fictional characters. The fact that I could relate and understand these characters when they were supposed to exist in another era is what I feel like makes the book so wonderful. I've never been in the exact same situations, but it's like these are people I know, they exist, in essence, in the form of other people in today's world.