The 100 best books. In no particular order. Clocking in at number 100: The Great Gatsby. F. Scott Fitzgerald makes the cut in most lists of this sort, but why?
Is it the imagery and symbolism? Well, yes, it certainly makes it easier to use the book in an English class. In itself, the book wasn’t very popular at the time of release, gathering moment as time passed. Nowadays, it is hard to consider yourself well read without having thumbed through the pages. And it must be said that Fitzgerald uses his symbolism throughout the book, dispersing meaning and possible interpretations at every chapter.
Is it the age old tale of smalltown values vs. the bigtown lack of the same? Nick Carraway is the narrator, and the book starts with him declaring that he avoids judging people, laying the foundation for the conflict between him and other characters. In a sense, the book is a description of the age and values of that particular point in time, but the references can be applied to other periods, even todays society.
Is it the aforementioned description of the Jazz Age? The book describes an interesting and exciting part of US history, and the reader has every right to be drawn into the book. More than the actual happenings and settings of this age, the reader is exposed to the values and ambiance that reigned in this period after WWI.
All this and more; it is a tale of love, a tale of deceit, and it is a gripping and well written book to boot. All in all it is a wholehearted recommendation from me, even if it means pulling out the old high school copy from storage. Good reading!
And if you don’t own a copy of this great book, you can get one here from amazon.com: The Great Gatsby
