Review of 'The "Great Gatsby" and "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz"' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
I like [a:F. Scott Fitzgerald|3190|F. Scott Fitzgerald|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1176164670p2/3190.jpg]. A lot. Some of his short stories are fantastic, and most of them are at least quite good.
But when I read [b:The Great Gatsby|4671|The Great Gatsby|F. Scott Fitzgerald|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1218672960s/4671.jpg|245494] approximately twelve years ago, I recall thinking: What the hell is all the hype about? It was not nearly what it has been built up to be.
Was it good? Sure. But I dug [b:This Side of Paradise|46165|This Side of Paradise|F. Scott Fitzgerald|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170314430s/46165.jpg|2520849] much more. Admittedly, I read Paradise before Gatsby, and at the time I could more easily identify with the coming-of-age existential discovery Paradise offered than whatever it is that Gatsby has to offer. (That I can't even describe it tells you how much of an impact on me – I remember most of Fitzgerald's stuff that I've read very well, even the uncharacteristically shallow "A Diamond as Big as The …
I like [a:F. Scott Fitzgerald|3190|F. Scott Fitzgerald|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1176164670p2/3190.jpg]. A lot. Some of his short stories are fantastic, and most of them are at least quite good.
But when I read [b:The Great Gatsby|4671|The Great Gatsby|F. Scott Fitzgerald|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1218672960s/4671.jpg|245494] approximately twelve years ago, I recall thinking: What the hell is all the hype about? It was not nearly what it has been built up to be.
Was it good? Sure. But I dug [b:This Side of Paradise|46165|This Side of Paradise|F. Scott Fitzgerald|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170314430s/46165.jpg|2520849] much more. Admittedly, I read Paradise before Gatsby, and at the time I could more easily identify with the coming-of-age existential discovery Paradise offered than whatever it is that Gatsby has to offer. (That I can't even describe it tells you how much of an impact on me – I remember most of Fitzgerald's stuff that I've read very well, even the uncharacteristically shallow "A Diamond as Big as The Ritz").
It probably is time for me to dig Gatsby out of the box in the attic and re-read it. But that would take effort, and I'm not sure it would be worthwhile.
