So we beat on--

[trinityofone]

Today I am supposed to: write my Great Gatsby essay.

Today I have:

1) Managed a vague outline of my Great Gatsby essay while mostly looking over various bits of the book and sobbing, sobbing, because no book ever has or does move me like this one; it tears me apart and I am totally inadequate to the task of explaining why.

2) Eaten a sandwich.

But seriously, regarding 1)--I maintain and will continue to maintain that Gatsby is the greatest novel ever written, packing more into less than 200 pages than what others can manage in nearly 2,000 (and I have read War and Peace, so I know *g*). I cry every time I read it (and when I'm reviewing my notes to write an essay on it, apparently). Those of you who have read it: does it effect you in the same way? The class I'm writing the essay for is an American Lit class taught at an Irish university; the tutor has stressed that she thinks the novel highlights American themes--do you think that's true? I would say that the themes of Gatsby--trying to recapture the past, yearning to be known, loved--are universal. But then I am American, so I could be projecting. We do that.

What's your favorite book of all time? What book has moved you more than any other?

Comments

[turtlespeaks.livejournal.com]

The Great Gatsby makes me incredibly angry. I seethe when I read it, mostly because of Daisy. It's one of the most excellent books I've ever read, and my love for both Gatsby and Nick is great, but I can't read it without grinding my teeth. It's hard to explain, but something about the situation, the ending, and characters makes me so angry at everything.

I hate it because I think it's one of the most amazing books ever written, and if I didn't care, I don't think it would effect me half so much.

My overall favorite book is probably THE Hobbit, because it's the kinda book that touched me so well when I was very young, and I've never stopped loving it.

The book that moved me the most was actually a play. I ended up throwing The Crucible across the room in anger and disgust over the events. It's such a great book about the faults, betrayals, and disgusting depths of the human soul. Gah.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Actually, I completely know what you mean about Gatsby making you angry, because it makes me angry, too. Daisy infuriates me. I kind of want to strangle her. In the end, I think I hate her more than Tom.

I think a problem that a lot of people have with the book is that they expect it to be a more traditional romance--they want Gatsby and Daisy to "get together." And I had those instincts, too, especially when I was young, but with each successive reread, I more and more want to scream at Gatsby to run run run RUN AWAY. (Possibly with Nick--stupid slash goggles, once you put them on, you CANNOT take them off!) So as a love story, yes, the book is infuriating. As a tragedy, it's beautiful and perfect and it wrenches my heart in the best possible way.

As for the other stuff...I never had that reaction to The Hobbit, but there are other books from my childhood (E. Nesbit!) about which I definitely have similar feelings. And I really need to read The Crucible. *shame*

[turtlespeaks.livejournal.com]

Gatsby/Nick OTPFOREVA!! *giggles*

It really is a beautiful tradegy, about more then just Gatsby, but about a lot of American ideals. I react to if very similarly to the way I react to Chinatown, in that it's chilling that these are the people with money, and with power, and they control the rest of us. It makes it so people like Gatsby, who is deep down good, is no match for their overall corruptness of spirit.

Gah, I could wax on, but I won't. My dad is an English teacher who teaches it, I'm really forced to talk about this book ever year, and every year I have a new insight. (although I told him of the slash possibilities and he was shocked, and came to me a day later and thought that it was amazing and that it was an interesting read on the Nick character, to which i kinda went "Buzzah?")

Aside from being a teacher, my dad is also a storyteller, and most of my childhood books were read to me. I have a very soft spot in my heart for the Narnia books, the hobbit, Sword in the Stone, and Peter Pan. Reading them is fine, but having them read to you by someone willing to act out things and do voices just does something to you.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Nick is very difficult to interpret, and slashing him does kind of make sense. This reread (my fifth, I think) I was actively trying not to, because I fear I have a tendency to do that to everything now, whether or not it warrants it. But my God! If you have the book near you, reread the beginning of Chapter VIII. The one that starts, I couldn't sleep all night...I felt I had something to tell him, something to warn him about, and tomorrow would be too late. Then he goes over to Gatsby's house, which is ghostly and dark, and it's then that Gatsby tells him his story. Nick stays all night, and then in the morning they have breakfast together.

Um. It's kind of like, [insert your tragic sex scene here].

*facepalm*

My parents both read to me, too--it's a wonderful, wonderful thing, to be read to when you're young. I think few things in my life will top being read the first three Hitchhiker books by my mother--complete with voices. She could do a wicked Marvin.

As for The Crucible, can I be slightly less ashamed considering that I switched schools in the middle of high school, and thus never did certain things, and had to do others--like Their Eyes Were Watching God, blah--multiple times? Slightly less?