The Great Gatsby is the tale of lovers destined to be together, but meant to be apart.
The novel follows Nick Carraway, the honest and tolerant man from the Midwest trying his luck in the bond business in the East. Nick moves to the West Egg, right across the bay from his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom Buchanan.
Nick moves in next to a glorious Gothic mansion belonging to the young millionaire Jay Gatsby. Through whispers and rumors, Nick is soon to find Gatsby’s lavish party lifestyle is not all about sex and alcohol, like most things were in the 1920’s.
Gatsby, as you come to find, is in pursuit of the American dream. A part of that dream is getting the attention of Daisy Buchanan. Why is Daisy so important? She is Gatsby’s one true love. They embarked on a passionate romance before he went to war, and although Daisy is now married, Gatsby cannot let go of the sweet memories he has with her.
From this point in the novel, the real drama begins. With cheating, lying, and deceit spreading more quickly through the novel than the rumors of how Gatsby’s earned his fortune, the reader frantically flips through the pages totally engrossed in the story of young lovers trying to rekindle a flame lit long ago.
I absolutely loved the story and after reading it I understood why this novel has been acclaimed as an American classic. This love story is the first of its nature, and is the inspiration behind some the major romance novels and movies today. Fitzgerald’s novel opened the door for authors today to have the ideas of girls caught between two lovers.
The novel has been interpreted to film several times. Each film just never met the credibility or reputation of the novel that has been set through generations of praise from readers. On Dec. 25, 2012, Baz Luhrmann will be adapting the film to feature talent such as Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
The film casting was very competitive and the role for Daisy Buchanan was a hot ticket on the Hollywood audition scene. Blake Lively, Keira Knightly, and Natalie Portman all took a shot for the role before Mulligan stole the show and ultimately landed the part.
I am expecting this star studded film to be the most successful adaptions of the novel. Luhrmann was the director of films such as Australia, Romeo + Juliet, and Moulin Rouge. This film will surely uphold his reputations that the other films established: having a passionate romance story line with drama and suspense intertwining to create a great movie, one that I think could be worthy of awards.
I would suggest all genders of all ages to read The Great Gatsby. I enjoyed the suspense and deep themes running through the novel. American dreams, 1920 parties, and social classes defining integrity all help the reader realize that love can drive people to do unimaginable things.
I expect the movie to exceed the book, because with an all-star cast including America’s heartthrob DiCaprio, the movie should be a sophisticated interpretation of a classic novel. Filming began in September in Australia, but until Dec.25, 2012, we will have to sit back and anxiously await to see DiCaprio as the the mysterious Gatsby in theaters. In the meantime, this is a great time to read the acclaimed novel and fall into the romance of The Great Gatsby.
