After finishing The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, I truly and highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves a good romantic tale. Though the novel is filled with love and sincerity, there are dark secrets lurking around every corner. The novel is a short, quick read, but in no way does that make this tale anything less than a classic. Fitzgerald introduces characters in ways that instantly give the reader a personal connection with each and every one of them. Nick, the narrator, is the endearing goof we all can’t help but love, and his unusual friendship with uber-rich Gatsby raises a lot of questions from the reader. Daisy, the beautiful love interest for Gatsby, barrels recklessly through life with her husband, Tom, who we all seem to dislike in one way or another. And who is Ms. Jordan Baker? Why, she’s just another great mystery of Fitzgerald’s mind. The struggle for power and love is immanent when Daisy and Gatsby’s past is revealed—but is love really at stake? Or is it simply Gatsby’s lust for Daisy that causes what might be the greatest ending in literary history? You’ll just have to read it to see.
For all of you out there who don’t like to read, have no fear. This amazing tale also comes in movie form. The Great Gatsby was originally released in 1926, under the direction of Herbert Brenon. The movie was remade in both 1949 and 1974. Recently, the movie was remade for the fourth time–and might I say: wow. Having seen the 1974 rendition and the 2013 edition, the movie quality has greatly improved. This new version of The Great Gatsby takes the classic tale and puts a modern twist on it. The soundtrack is revamped, the costuming is incredible and the casting was spot on. The movie stars none other than Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby. Who doesn’t love a movie starring Leo? Leo is able to portray Gatsby just as he is portrayed in the novel, which is truly a talent. The movie also stars Tobey Maguire as the narrator, and Gatsby’s best friend, Nick Carraway. Playing the lovely Daisy Buchanan is the very convincing Carey Mulligan. The movie also cast Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan and Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker. Each actor portrayed the part that they played in a unique and overzealous fashion, which truly portrayed the beautiful scenes from within the novel. Though the ending of the movie was slightly different from the book, any reader would be happy to know that the movie stayed true to the book’s character, unlike most modern novel-to-screen conversions. I would highly recommend both the movie and the book, as The Great Gatsby is certainly a classic tale everyone should read or see at least once.