The Great Gatsby
Written by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Narrated by Michael J. Shannon
4/5
()
About this audiobook
F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1896, attended Princeton University in 1913, and published his first novel, This Side of Paradise, in 1920. That same year he married Zelda Sayre, and he quickly became a central figure in the American expatriate circle in Paris that included Gertrude Stein and Ernest Hemingway. He died of a heart attack in 1940 at the age of forty-four.
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Reviews for The Great Gatsby
20,616 ratings474 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5My opinion about this book is highly ambiguous. I really liked reading it and enjoyed the story but I still feel like I didn't get some important point.
Nevertheless, I am looking forward to re-read this book in a few years to renew my opinion. - Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5My book club read this, or I wouldn't have finished. I kept thinking, "This is a classic?!" I just don't get it. The characters are uniformly unlikable. The reader cares nothing about them. I felt no sorrow at Jay's death. I did not see it as a great love story, either. I was just bored by the whole thing ... just as the rich were bored with their lives ... maybe that's his point.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Not one of my favorites could have been better. It’s all a matter of taste I guess.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It was okay, a nice short story. The problem is that it is only engaging at some times, the rest of the time it was a bit boring. And it is pretty short, which is a bonus, since if it was too long it would've been annoying.
I have to say this, I hated Tom soooooooooooo much! I felt sorry for Nick. Jordan is a cold-hearted snob, and Daisy is just very spoiled and selfish. Gatsby has a weird destiny, but somehow he chose it to be so. All in all, Fitzgerald offers a long list of characters without much depth into their persona. It isn't my cup of tea, and I think it's overrated as a book. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5"The Great Gatsby" is a slow build. The first two-thirds of the book reminded me of the opening scene of the movie "Sabrina," but like Gatsby himself, was far more show than story. The conclusion, however, escalates in poignancy, mirroring the subtlety of works like "Death of a Salesman." I still find myself asking whether, as a narrative, this book really has that much to say or whether it is just so well-known simply because it has become the canonical "Jazz Age" portrayal, but without a doubt, the prose is exquisite and haunting.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I think a lot of people misunderstand this book. Many have been fascinated (as we still are) by this glimpse into the lives of the rich/famous. A classic if for no other reason than that it still speaks to us about obsession - whether it be about money or love. And that infernal light will always be blinking...
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Simply gorgeous. God, what Fitzie does with words.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I’ve read this a half dozen times; every time I get something new from it. This time around I was especially conscious of Fitzgerald’s writing. Some passages and sentences are beautiful. The characters, though, are self-absorbed, shallow creatures. That too struck me more this time.
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Terrible quality and narration. Don't waste your time. I do not recommend.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5De figuur Gatsby: eigenlijk heel negatief, maar toch sympathiek want passioneel; inhoudsloos leven in functie van obsesssie: liefde voor Daisy. Doordesemd van melancholie. Typische Scott Fitzgerald: Jazz Age, jetset. Opmerkelijk: de ik-figuur spreekt geen oordeel uit, registreert, maar geleidelijk aan toch opinievorming
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A slow start. I wasn't really interested in how the rich party (the extravagant but distant host, the lethargic women and the debauchery of men), but later on I realised this was perhaps necessary to set the mood. The novel builds up to an explosive climax and I finished the book well satisfied and reflective - the prose has a contemporary feel that stands the test of time. I think you need to have experienced the whole social dating scene (as the hunter and prey) to really appreciate the plot. But it goes much deeper than that and the significance of "The Great Gatsby is a highly symbolic meditation on 1920s America as a whole, in particular the disintegration of the American dream in an era of unprecedented prosperity and material excess. Fitzgerald portrays the 1920s as an era of decayed social and moral values, evidenced in its overarching cynicism, greed, and empty pursuit of pleasure." [sparknotes] Woow, mind blowing stuff! I think people have good intentions but somewhere down the road, the unexpected happens, temptations are rife, and some people get derailed.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite classics. I read this when I was high school, but didn’t get my own copy of the book until later years. I thought it was an interesting read. To read about the main character and how it was possible to redefine or recreate yourself and try to persuade the world around you to accept this new definition was amazing to read. Then to mix in a love story with Jay Gatsby and his love for Ms. Daisy Buchanan was a good read as well. Overall, I enjoyed reading this novel. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to read a good book and a classic.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Didn't know how much I was going to love this book when I first picked it up. It was a brilliant read. Can't wait for the film, which is coming out this year (2012) :)
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Insults the intellect of the reader. Clunky and convenient. Over rated. Skip this and the rest of his garbage. It screams: naive author is a married guy unfamiliar with the ways of the world.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Every time I read it, this book gets better and better, and I always discover new things.This read I discovered Nick's ambiguous tryst with the painter, and understood his love/yearning/obsession with Gatsby.Cannot believe I heretofore read right over the ellipsis after the party.Such glorious writing, so careful and well-placed. Waiting to see the movie.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It was a wonderful story. The recording skipped about 3 times.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Great Gatsby, for me, is like coffee or wine. Hated it the first two times I tried it but now that I've gotten used to it it wasn't all bad. I wish that I had been a better reader in High School because it's a very interesting, sad, and exciting novel.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Mediocre at best. Does Gatsby ever have an original thought or idea in his head? Not likely! This has always been touted as a classic. One must ask, WHY?
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I feel like The Great Gatsby should be more of a play rather than a novel. Some of the emotions and dialogue could be confusing or a little bland, especially from the women characters (but even more so Daisy), I get that is their personality but while reading it it didn't seem like a character flaw, just odd writing. I enjoyed the plot surrounding Daisy, Tom, Gatsby and the Wilson's, what I liked even more was that it was told from a different persons point of view so you kind of felt the frustration Nick was going through while all of this was going on even though he wasn't a big part of it he was still around it and drawn in against his will. The book is fairly short but I felt it kind of moved slow and had parts that were just filler but it makes sense why they are in the story towards the end. Overall The Great Gatsby was a good read, I felt it is a bit overrated with how much hype it gets and would much rather of read it in a play format.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beautifully written and incredibly thought provoking. Fitzgerald's prose is truly unparalleled.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An American masterpiece!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Great Gatsby, for all it's supposed to be about the American Dream, is really a good old-fashioned romance, with a Shakespearean pile of bodies at the end, a Great War, unsavory bootleggers, and several love affairs. Fitzgerald writes the characters so that you hate them all a little bit (Her laughter, her gestures, her assertions became more violently affected moment by moment, and as she expanded the room grew smaller around her, until she seemed to be revolving on a noisy, creaking pivot through the smoky air. "My dear," she told her sister in a high, mincing shot, "Most of these fellas will cheat you every time." [p. 31-32]) Writing a romance with characters that are not likable gives this book its tone - a sort of regretful, impersonal tragedy. I'm always sorry at the end, but I'm never quite sure who I'm sorry for.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is a great daily devotional that will take you through the Bible in a year and provide gems of insight each day.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I just re-read this today. A great short novel. Captures the frivolity and decadence of post WW1 USA. Nick, the Buchanans and all the other fleeting characters create an engaging yet ultimately tragic picture of the jazz age.
13/7/12 - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The classic novel of the lost American Dream. I love reading this book. I feel like each page necessary and adds to the story. Set in the 1920's with prohibition and dancing creates the perfect setting. I love reading about Daisy, and how my opinion of her has changed since first reading the novel back in high school. BTW - I now find her shallow and a gold-digger. I love that the man trying to relive his past is shown to be a fool. My favorite sections of the book are the vivid scenes that make me feel like I'm there watching. The dress shirts in Gatsby's room - getting drunk in the hotel - the car wreck, etc.
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5i was so disappointed and bored. maybe i was too young or maybe i just could not care about a bunch of bored rich white young adults. shrug.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ein Werk voller Bedeutung. Fitzgeralds wohl bekanntestes Werk scheint fast schon die Wirtschaftskrise der 30er vorherzusehen. Das Buch liest sich schnell und angenehm, auch wenn die Charaktere nicht sympathisch sind, aber das müssen sie auch nicht sein, um in einer träumerischen Sprache den Horror der Achtlosigkeit zu beschreiben, die die Reichen dieser Welt befällt. Allerdings zieht sich das Werk, obwohl es recht kurz ist, an manchen Stellen.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Finishing this book, I had the exact same sentiment I had upon watching the 1980s animated classic film Heavy Metal: "Well, I guess it was OK, but I don't see what all the fuss is about."However, upon reading the history and criticisms of The Great Gatsby (Heavy Metal) I started to develop a newfound appreciation for the themes and everything that went into making the book (film). While it isn't a fantastic book (film), I find that my initial impression was far too harsh, and thinking back on it I can definitely say it was an enjoyable, fulfilling, and deep (OK, maybe moreso Gatsby) read (watch).
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A book on human emotions. A good one indeed.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5After reading it again, I must say I appreciated this classic much much more with a second reading.It certainly helped that I could use the Robert Redford adaptation of the film as well as the upcoming Leo DiCaprio version to help me visualize the book.I have also recently read Fitzgerald's "Tender is the Night", and in terms of plot at least, that is to me the better read; but in terms of poignancy, characterization and tragic romance "Great Gatsby' is without a doubt the winner. But needless to say, both books are absolutely wonderful and I cannot wait to read more of Fitzgerald's works!!!