Reading the Classics

There are hundreds of lists concerning "100 novels everyone should read" such as this one from the Telegraph or this one from goodreads. Fact is, hardly anyone will ever read all the books on such lists. They are classics, after all, and only hearing that word awakes the image of a bulky book with a dusty cover, written in a language that sounds more than strange to the modern reader. Such books can't be read as a bedtime story or while waiting for the bus. Reading them may take a lot of effort, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try.

I have recently read "The Great Gatsby", a book you will certainly find on almost every list of "novels everyone should read". I became interested in reading it because a movie, based on the book, had just been published (what a strange logic, you might think, but I'm actually one of the few people that would rather read the book than watch the movie).

The Great Gatsby is written by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. It takes place in the fictional town of West Egg, Long Island (a prosperous neighbourhood) in the summer of 1922. Nick Carraway, the novel's narrator, takes a job in New York and rents a small house on Long Island. His neighbour is Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire who organises many extravagant parties.

Nick has a cousin, Daisy Buchanan, whom he visits often. She lives on the other side of the Bay with her husband Tom.

Eventually, Nick receives an invitation to one of Gatsby's parties where he meets Jay Gatsby himself. Nick later learns that Gatsby knows Daisy because they have had an affair and that he is still in love with her. Gatsby's wild parties are only meant to catch Daisy's attention and impress her, should she really show up at Gatsby's house. Nick decides to arrange a meeting between the two. Daisy finds out that she still likes Gatsby and they begin an affair. However, Daisy's husband Tom grows increasingly suspicious of her and Gatsby's relationship...

I'm not going to tell you the ending, you can find it out yourself. It is unexpected, but not a happy one...

My copy of the book was published by Wordsworth. This publishing house offers cheap editions of many novels, "designed to appeal to the general reader and students", as the introduction of my copy claims. Since with such novels it is often essential to understand the historical background rather than all the words, I found it very helpful that there were many notes that helped the understanding. There was also an introduction, but it is probably wiser to read the novel first, as it is more of an interpretation than an introduction.

If you want to read a classic of American Literature that is neither too long or too difficult, I can definitely recommend reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby". Or the lazy among you might just watch the movie :-)