re-reading the great gatsby.

since baz luhrmann's film adaptation of "the great gatsby" is coming out tomorrow, i thought i would do a quick rereading before i see the film. (and quick, right now i'm in the middle of "beloved" and need to finish that because i just got a new novel about zelda fitzgerald at the library.)

so before i start my reread, though i would jot down my initial impression of the book before i do my rereading.

so i have to admit that in my humble opinion it should have been called "the not so great gatsby" or "the decent gatsby". my life was not altered after reading it for the first time. though i will admit that it could have been due to my age. i read it when i was 28 instead of the usual early twenties. i remember talking to my cousin jonathan who was/is 8 years younger than me and it seemed to have left a bigger impression on him than me.

and don't get me wrong, jay gatsby's character is great and deserving of that title. his unwavering love for daisy is swoon worthy though the stalking aka buying a house near her, and the scheming, aka throwing lavish parties to get her attention, was creepy. wait i take that back, i want a man that will throw lavish parties with lots and lots of champagne to get my attention. and talk about great parties!!!

sidenote on the parties: so the fitzgeralds are notorious for their partying and i really feel that if i was alive during their era we would have been BFFs. i am an exotic mix, they would have invited me to add some color.

but other than the novel didn't move me. i hated the fact that daisy went back to her husband. and in the end the two of them come out of the horrible messes they made unscathed. they ruined people's lives and then went back to their marriage as though nothing was wrong. daisy especially since she was responsible for the end of myrtle and jay. i guess that is what i didn't like, is that she doesn't suffer the consequences of her actions. granted she had to live the rest of her life with her horrid husband who probably continued to cheat on her but at least she is alive. daisy didn't deserve a love like gatsby and maybe that is why i didn't enjoy the novel. i don't know. we'll see how i feel after this second rereading.