50. Book Review: The Great Gatsby (2014)

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Synopsis

This exemplary novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when The New York Times noted “gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession,” it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.

Review

For my 50th book this year (I met my goal!) I decided to go with an easy and enjoyable read that would be a good companion to the holidays.  For some reason classics seem to perfectly pair with the Christmas break.  This was my third time reading this book and more enjoyable than the previous times.  This is such a fun and easy book to read. I often find myself reading and re-reading passages just because of how eloquent or absolutely perfect they are. This book was a great way to end the year!

Other classic books you may like…

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn 

Pride & Prejudice

8. Book Review: The Catcher in the Rye (2014)

The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger

Synopsis

The hero-narrator of THE CATCHER IN THE RYE is an ancient child of sixteen, a native New Yorker named Holden Caulfield. Through circumstances that tend to preclude adult, secondhand description, he leaves his prep school in Pennsylvania and goes underground in New York City for three days. The boy himself is at once too simple and too complex for us to make any final comment about him or his story. Perhaps the safest thing we can say about Holden is that he was born in the world not just strongly attracted to beauty but, almost, hopelessly impaled on it. There are many voices in this novel: children's voices, adult voices, underground voices-but Holden's voice is the most eloquent of all. Transcending his own vernacular, yet remaining marvelously faithful to it, he issues a perfectly articulated cry of mixed pain and pleasure. However, like most lovers and clowns and poets of the higher orders, he keeps most of the pain to, and for, himself. The pleasure he gives away, or sets aside, with all his heart. It is there for the reader who can handle it to keep. 

 Review

I never read this in high school (it was/is mandatory reading for most) and when I saw sitting on our bookshelves - where it has been silently sitting for years - I thought I might as well read it since it's a classic. I can't say I loved it or hated it, but it was an interesting read… I don't know if there is a lot that can be said for Catcher in the Rye that hasn't already been said. But I'm glad I read it. 

Other books you may like…

The Starboard Sea: A Novel

The Interestings: A Novel