The Great Gatsby

I just finished reading The Great Gatsby this morning, and I loved it. (Finally, a book I've finished AND enjoyed this year!) I thought the story line was perfectly simple, yet dramatic. Far more satisfactory than Wuthering Heights. I loved the setting... how much fun would it have been to have lived in 1920s New York City? One of my favourite quotes on this came from one of my favourite characters, Jordan Baker:

"I love New York on summer afternoons when everyone's away. There's something very sensuous about it - overripe, as if all sorts of funny fruits were going to fall into your hands."

I like Jordan because she's entirely cool and collected, no matter what. She also has a very independent nature, never working herself up into a frenzy. I found myself being annoyed while reading Wuthering Heights because I couldn't handle Catherine's attitude. Constantly whining and crying in the most selfish manner. Transitioning from her to Jordan as a female lead was like a breath of fresh air. Jordan, to me, has a bit of a Lauren Bacall air about her á la To Have And Have Not and The Big Sleep.

Now I'm looking for a new book to read. I searched Amazon for books similar to The Great Gatsby, and I saw that Hemingway was a common occurring recommendation. I think I'll stop at the Elgin library after school and check out The Sun Also Rises.

The Great Gatsby

I'd started reading Wuthering Heights and was enjoying it. Then I reached a point where, quite frankly, I couldn't handle Catherine's whining anymore. The constant dramatic aspect was stressing me out. I didn't really need that adding to my life at the moment.

So, I put it down and picked up The Great Gatsby. I'd been waiting quite awhile to read it, as it had been checked out from the library. I'm on about page 33 now, and I'm enjoying it. It looks promising thus far. I'm intrigued by the time period and the main character and I'm interested to see where it leads. I've heard lots of positive things about it.