Who has read 'The Great Gatsby'?

[notnowbernard]

Am struggling a bit and don't know whether to persist

[janeite]

Me. Didn't think much of it to be honest.

[rempy]

Had to give up. Tedious.

[SimpleAsABC]

I got an A for higher english which included an essay on it.

Quite liked it.

There is a film!

[OhBling]

Oh, thank god. I studied it at school. And again at university. Nearly killed me. I was the only person in both my school class and university tutorial group who didn't thing it was brilliant, moving, fabulous etc etc etc.

Frankly, stop reading it now. It's just the most boring and pointless and forced book ever. I will never understand why it's considered such a classic.

[OhBling]

"Think" even!

[Hassled]

Persist! I adore it - one my favourite books ever. And then there is Tender is the Night, by FSF - another great book.

[Quattrocento]

I've read it three times and I still don't get it

[Lizzylou]

I loved it, sorry
And I don't normally "get" classics, they usually leave me cold, with the exception of Jane Austen and Evelyn Waugh

[Lizzylou]

Tender is the night is better imo

[notnowbernard]

Thanks for replies

I just really hate not finishing a book - rarely do it

But it hasn't grabbed me yet

[francagoestohollywood]

I loved it, while I didn't like TITN

[bodiddly]

We had to read it at school ... haven't felt any compelling need to read it again to be honest!

[Penthesileia]

Like it, though it has that 'tarnished after being school book' feel for me.

The film has a buff young Robert Redford though. Raaarrrrr!

[littlelamb]

Keep going it's worth it I promise! I too read it at school and I remember reading the last bit of it one night when I was babysitting and being so surprised at how it ends. One of those books I wish I could read again for the first time iyswim

[OhBling]

Bleugh. All that floating around in white dresses. I would have punched the lot of them!

[GreenGables]

I rarely give up on a book, but I too am really struggling with this one! I have decided to take a break from it for now as I have found it far to slow and insignificant. I do hope my (eventual) perseverance will be rewarded by a fab ending!

[pointydog]

yes, I liked it. Didn't find it a struggle. It's maybe just not your thang.

[notnowbernard]

I am about to start Chapter 4

If I am still struggling by Chapter 5 I will abandon

[BoccaDellaVerita]

Was, by popular consensus, the best book our book group read last year. I picked it.

or as you will.

[Clary]

Oh it's my favourite book.

It's very short tho - not sure if you should continue if y're struggling.

I love love love the visual descriptions - Daisy with her hat, Gatsby's shirts, the sheep on 5th avenue, the lavendar cab with grey upholstery, Dr Mekleburg's eyes...

Amazed that people find it tedious (tho some of my book club hated it as they didn't like any of the characters)

I cry whenever I read it again, at the end, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past

[BoccaDellaVerita]

[Clary]

[notnowbernard]

I'm throwing in the towel

I'm 88 pages in and keep having to re-read paragraphs because my concentration is wandering

Oh well