The Great Gatsby

Remember reading “The Great Gatsby” in high school? Remember reading it as an adult? No? Well… it’s time to crack open that book (or e-reader) and read (or re-read) this classic story, with the experience of adulthood!

In May, a re-make of the movie-of-the-book, The Great Gatsby will be released, so let’s read the original novel and have an online discussion, chapter-by-chapter, posting your thoughts, ideas, questions and comments along the way. Don’t forget to post comments though! Take your time reading this – don’t just blow through it… there’s a lot of meaning and subtleties in each chapter – take the time to understand them and discuss them.

Once you’ve finished, watch the 1974 version of the movie on Netflix and comment on that and how it compares to the book. Share your favorite scenes. Complain about the the worst scenes – just discuss!

Then in May, get together with your friends to go watch DiCaprio and Maguire’s version – then discuss it with everyone here…

Click here (in May) for ‘The Great Gatsby’ (2013) showtimes

So, get your eBook or printed copy from these locations:

 

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Discussion Pages

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The Great Gatsby (1974)

Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Bruce Dern, Karen Black, Scott Wilson and Sam Waterston

Watch in full screen

The Great Gatsby (2013)

Leonardo DiCaprio, Isla Fisher, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Jason Clarke and Tobey Maguire

Watch in full screen

Trivia

• Most of the book was written in the French Riviera.
  
• Francis Cugat created the popular blue cover art of the book. Fitzgerald liked the cover art so much, he worked it into the story by having Daisy give a description – "girl whose disembodied face floated along the dark cornices and blinding signs".

• The character of Meyer Wolfshiem was based on Arnold Rothstein, a New York mobster, while Daisy Buchanan was modeled after Ginevra King – one of Fitzgerald’s past loves.

• During World War II, 155,000 copies of The Great Gatsby were given to the military.
  
• There were other names for “The Great Gatsby”… such as: “Trimalchio”, “Gold-Hatted Gatsby” and “Under the Red, White and Blue”.
  
• There have been several movie versions of Gatsby:
• In 1926 there was a silent movie version.
• In 1949, Paramount released their version.
• In 1974 Robert Redford stared as Gatsby, along with Sam Waterston (probably best known for Law & Order).

 

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General Discussion