Having seen the Baz Lurhman version of the film 'The Great Gatsby' and stumbling across a copy of it that found its way into my possession, I decided to apply myself to reading it.
There are some people that recommend that you should always read the book before seeing the film but because the film is so accurate, there is no harm in watching the film before reading the book. I actually find that having seen the film enabled me to visualise what Fitzgerald was writing. I tend to find that just the words in a book are next to never powerful enough to create a scene in my mind and this is the same for The Great Gatsby but with the help of the film I could imagine everything. Baz Lurhman got the script almost exactly word for word which really helps.
My Co-worker told me that it was a good book and I have to agree with him 100%. It's better than a good book, it's a brilliant book. The book doesn't drag on, doesn't loose you in the middle and doesn't rush through it. Ten chapters or so is a perfect amount for that story. Small chapters allowed me to keep motivating myself to read it because I was almost always something like two pages from the end of the chapter.
I can't say much about the language. I don't have a degree in English and can't give it the critical, analytical review that it might deserve or that maybe the readers want, I wouldn't know where to start and you'd be better off visiting An Armchair By The Sea blog as that is more her field than mine. What I can say about it is that both the film and the book got everything correct. It does seem that there is a prejudice against the wealthy but then maybe that was his experience. I felt like I understood the book and I was very impressed with the whole concept of the book. When I get something that is printed on old paper I half expect it to be a typical love story like so many of them are, but not this one, this is another great that goes up there with Harper Lee's To Kill A Mocking Bird.
If you haven't read it already- read it and watch the film!
