Penguin Vitae Presents: F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

Kate: This is a good read.

United States on Jan 03, 2024

Giovanni: Great book, one of the best. We all know it is worth a read, a re-read, and a re-re-read. But there is only one problem: the size. The paperback is the size of a workbook. But that's what I get for not paying attention before purchasing.
Just beware.

United States on Nov 05, 2023

C Jennings: Fitzgerald writes of a man, Jay Gatsby, who pursued a dream, full of hope, that led to such sorrow. I felt melancholy after reading this. But that's a good thing, as I finished with a sense of calm and peace of mind that I have not had in some time. Life does not always have happy endings.

I race through adventure stories to switch off from the real world, and biographies to absorb information and learn facts. I raced through this as it made me feel something. For a book to elicit such a strong emotional response is something special. I will always remember this story, and will at times come back to it. We should all be so lucky to have a Nick and a Jay in our lives. He really was the best of the whole rotten lot. They both were.

United Kingdom on Nov 02, 2023

DecemberMilk: I like the detailed description of the grand life Gatsby used to have, I don't like the tone, too dark

Canada on Oct 10, 2023

Lizbeth: Llegó perfecto, espero no haberme equivocado y haber comprado un resumen, el libro es muy delgado, viene tal cual la imagen

Mexico on Jun 27, 2023

Steiniiiiii: I only heard that this is supposed to be on of the gratest bools ever made, and its true

Germany on May 23, 2023

Monica C Pinheiro: Mesmo depois de ter visto os filmes produzidos por Hollywood e conhecer o final da história, o livro me surpreendeu pela sua alta qualidade literária, uma trama bem construída e uma elegância de estilo curiosamente atual. Aqui vai um conselho batido, mas especialmente importante neste caso: por favor leiam o livro antes de ver o filme!

Brazil on May 10, 2022

ScottsWrasse: From an iPad, so please forgive typos and the like.

First and foremost, I know what it's like to resent a classic that everyone else touts as a great work of art. I feel insulted for some reason. Maybe it's because I know I'll have to explain myself. I'll have to distinguish myself from intellectually shallow people who prefer a good football game to a good book. I'll have to list the great works I do respect. Sometimes, I too am convinced that some folks out there are just intellectually dishonest. Whenever the topic of literature arises, I brace for the eventual discovery and judgment of my tastes and intelligence. I don't like "Crime and Punishment". I think the prose are disjointed and nonsensical. The motivation of raskolnikov bewilderding. Yawn.

That being said. Far too many people I know and respect absolutely love the book. It happens to top most favorites lists. I guess I'm just out of the loop on that one. Unfortunately for you (1 star reviewers), you're out of the loop on this one.

I breezed through this book in a day, and found it to be just as engrossing as any modern pop fiction novel. Most of the negative reviews I have read had to do with the...

United States on Apr 17, 2013

Nativenewyorker: I fell in love with F. Scott Fitzgerald's brilliant novel, The Great Gatsby, when I was in high school. I was captivated by the lush, lyrical prose that was such a distinctive characteristic of the novel. I think that Fitzgerald has given us a searing, powerful take on the rich dilettantes of the 1920's. He slowly and skillfully reveals the shallowness and callousness of these people, as they manipulate and deceive everyone. It seems that Fitzgerald's heroines were always reincarnations of his real wife, Zelda. It is clear that Gatsby has hopelessly romanticized the superficial and hollow Daisy Buchanan. He has elevated her to a pedestal that she does not in any way deserve. Yet he is determined to pursue her and his dreams, at all costs.

Fitzgerald is unmatched when it comes to character studies. He has used his own real life experience among the elite, to peel away the beautiful artifice and show us the truly ugly, heartless soul inside these people. Daisy and Tom are unhappy and unfulfilled people. Tom uses Myrtle to escape from the boredom and inanity of Daisy. He could care less if it all turns out badly. Consequences, morality and decency are not qualities that one...

United States on Oct 31, 2010