Tuesday 25 June 2013

Devouring Books AND Films: The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

"I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life."

I'd read The Great Gatsby two or three times before I read it this time round, and I always left it with a vague sense of admiration but only a hazy idea of what had actually happened in it. I've never actively hated it like I have, say, The Catcher in the Rye (DAMMIT, Holden) but I've never felt much of anything towards it either. 

But then. I saw the film, and I liked it so much that it inspired me to read the book again, and lo and behold, was that... Me remembering concrete events? And those concrete events being improved by the GORGEOUS writing (because Fitzgerald writes gorgeously, I don't think that's what makes me not-remember Gatsby)? Amazing! I think that really, my having no prior claim over the book (in terms of wanting to freaking marry it, like most of the film's harshest critics) was a real advantage in watching the movie because I didn't have all these ideas about exactly how everything should be and I could enjoy it for what it was.

Here's why I really liked the movie- reading The Great Gatsby before, I think that what has happened to me is that I read it, take in the language (the gorgeous language, I'll say it again!) and then leave the book with only the vaguest idea of what actually happened. This is the only way I can explain having read the same book more than once and never remembering anything about anything, and that fact has made me completely ambivalent towards the story in the past. What the film has done has given me actual, visual groundwork that I can base my reading upon and actually remember the stuff that happens, and that is reason enough for me to like the film.

There are other reasons: Leonardo Dicaprio is a really really good Gatsby (I haven't seen the Robert Redford version but I would imagine that he is an EXCELLENT Gatsby, but that's another matter), I think the sets and the decadence and all of that stuff was done really well and Baz Luhrmannly (which, coming from me is a compliment because I really like Baz Luhrmann) and I just generally liked putting it into my eyes and would definitely watch it again. Plus, there's that whole thing where it made me understand and, more importantly, remember the book better, and that's worth its weight in film reel, trust me.

I'm not going to go through the whole story because I'm preeeetty much assuming we all have some idea of what it's all about at this point, but there are a few things in it that are things that, for me, stop it from being the ultimate book of all books that it's often lauded as being. They are these:
  1. I don't care for any of the characters- And I don't mean that I hate them all, but more that I can barely drum up a single emotion for any of them, and I think we all know that indifference is worse than hate. I don't know what it is, but they're all so... I don't know, distant? that I find it really hard to care about any of them in any genuine way. And I know that's not everything, but when I'm reading? It's pretty much one of the main things I want.
  2. Daisy- I feel like Daisy carries a lot of the blame for the things that happen (oooh, cryptic) in the story, and I don't think that's fair at all. I mean, she's clearly a terrible person (they're all kind of terrible people, in their own ways) but that doesn't mean that she's wrong for having been in love with her husband, and for being kind of... overwhelmed with the way Gatsby acts towards her. Because, um, having a dude pine after you for five years, knowingly building a house across from where you live and generally tailoring his life so that it'll be perfect for the moment that you come back into it? I don't really see that as romantic, I kind of see STALKER written in bright flashing lights. And then demanding that she say she has always loved him and no one else? I'm sorry Jay, but Daisy's right- that is asking too much. WAY too much.
Ugh, Gatsby. Seriously. But: as I have said THE GORGEOUS WRITING, and there were so many points where I was completely familiar with the things the characters were thinking or feeling and I'm all about the universal feelings and thoughts and the general describing of the human condition in interesting and true ways and this does that a lot. It's never going to be my favourite book, but at least I feel like this time, thanks to a little help from the film, I'm going to remember more about it, and remember that actually, I do like it. I just don't really feel things about it. But maybe that's ok.

21 comments:

  1. Oh! I would like to have a sense of WHAT THE HELL ACTUALLY HAPPENS. All I remember is that there is a place called West Egg.That is IT. It seemed so vague and blah when I read it. Perhaps I'm just massively stupid. I expected (and wanted) to love love love it, but it just seemed very vague and pretty.

    p.s. My head is replaying all of The Way We Were because REDFORD & that bit where she says something about Fitzgerald dying of booze and caviar.

    STREISAND
    AND
    REDFORD

    TOGETHER!!!!

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    1. Exactly!! Seriously, every time I read it I was like 'well, that was nice' and not have CLUE what happened. Which, after reading it post-movie, seems kind of stupid because EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS IN THE BOOK HAPPENS IN THE MOVIE (more or less). I just don't even know what it is about it that makes this happen. But yeah, it is pretty vague and also pretty. But alongside the movie, it is better.

      p.s. REDFORRRRRRRD! I really want to see the 70s Gatsby now because REDFORD. I imagine that he's PERFECT as Gatsby.

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    2. IMAGINE IF YOU MARRIED SOMEONE WHOSE SURNAME WAS FITZGERALD AND YOU BECAME FRANCES SCOTT FITZGERALD THAT WOULD BE SO COOL!

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  2. I haven't read the book (yet, I'm planning to!) but I went to see the film on Saturday. I felt the same about the characters, in that I really didn't care about any of them... I also didn't really dislike Daisy (although she is obviously quite shallow, but they all are!), so at the end of the film when Nick is saying how horrible everyone else is I was a bit.. yeah, Daisy's husband is horrible, but she isn't really? She's sort of horrible in a more understandable way.

    That's only going on the film though. I might be biased because I like Carey Mulligan. Maybe she's a real bitch in the book!

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    1. Daisy IS kind of a bitch, but I think she only is if you're looking at things from Nick or Gatsby's Point of View (which you obviously are, but also THE MALE GAZE and also other sexist things). Actually, no- I think she's a bitch for (we assume) agreeing with Tom's plan to let Gatsby take the blame for the hit and run, (although that is Gatsby's plan too!) and also for NOT EVEN GOING TO GATSBY'S FUNERAL, but I think in terms of Gatsby expecting her to have loved him for all those years BECAUSE he loved her is just ridiculous and unfair and yeah, too much.

      I'm just so happy to have thoughts about these things now! Before I was just like 'um... There's a yellow car and someone called Daisy and I *know* that Gatsby dies at the end...' So yeah!

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  3. ABSOLUTELY!!! I think you know that I've had similar experiences with the book. I keep reading it (four times now!) trying to grasp at the meaning but it eludes me every single time. The movie opened up the visual and really helped bring it all together. When I read it the fourth time after seeing the movie I was amazed at how much more I grasped than the prior readings. And kudos to Baz for making me lust after Leo a little bit--he's never been my favorite but he mad a gorgeous Gatsby. In the end, though, I always feel such sharp and deep pity for Gatsby the character. It's so tragic isn't it?

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    1. I did! I did know that! And yeah, I really think the movie was SO GOOD for like creating the visual side of it, which was what I really needed- I don't even know how to be critical about it, because it was just a continual like 'Ohhhhhh' and 'Oh yeahhhh' for me!

      ALSO here is a train of thought your comment set me off on- Gatsby is this like super-self-made man, and he does it all for Daisy so that he's worthy of her and blah blah blah, BUT because he's gotten everything he's wanted up to that point, he's sort of forgotten that *people* don't really work like that, and he can't have Daisy in the same way that he would build a house, i.e. she can't be perfect. This might not make any sense, but it's just a thing I'm thinking now!

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    2. Oh no--it makes perfect sense. He has EVERYTHING and has created everything but he still lives in a false reality when it comes to Daisy. He can say the right things and do the right things but in the end he'll never change the future. Gah!! It's just so tragic!!!!

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  4. I recently re-read this in anticipation of seeing the movie. Well, I didn't see the stinking movie because I live in a one horse town and they don't keep movies around for long. Ugh.

    ANYWAY. I like the book. I'd forgotten how much. But I had forgotten most of the book as well. Is it weird that I think it's a beautiful little book but couldn't remember a thing from it?

    Was this a sneaky trick by Fitz so that we'd read and re-read?

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    1. OMG what if that was his secret plan though?! Like 'how do I write a book that's slightly mystifying so people are intrigued by it but can't remember it so they have to read it again?' Damn him and his beautiful words.

      I recommend seeing the movie when it comes out on DVD or whatever though! If only to remember what happens and stuff lol

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  5. "I always left it with a vague sense of admiration but only a hazy idea of what had actually happened in it" yes, this. And also why I want to re-read the book

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    1. Do eeeeeeeet. I feel like I'm always going to recommend re-reads of Gatsby because it's pretty short and also so prettyyyyy *sigh*

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  6. I like the book despite the characters not being likeable. It's an insight into a life which a) doesn't exist anymore and b) I would never be a part of anyway. It's fascinating.

    Definitely watch the Robert Redford version. It's odd but Leo almost looks like him in the Baz Luhrmann version. But it is truer to the book and is great. I just love it.

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    1. The characters not being likeable isn't necessarily a drawback for me, either, it's just when I feel *nothing* about them that I'm a little bit more concerned about the way they've been drawn and stuff. But I definitely agree with both a and b, and the 1920s are such an interesting time where everyone had everything (that there was) and still weren't happy... I feel like we should learn things from this!

      I am totally into watching the Robert Redford version. The Robert Redfordness of it will be enough for me, tbh!

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  7. I was going to quote what Alley quoted because yes, excellent, and agreed. The writing really is beautiful. This is the book where America is a great green boob, right? (I kid. [It is, though, right?])

    I love Baz Luhrman, too, and I really wanted to see this movie but 3D - NO. But I will definitely be renting it. Glad you liked it!

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    1. Oh, is THAT what the great green boob (light) is all about? I thought it was about being maddenly within reach of the thing you want the most but never quite being able to reach it.... But I'm down with it being America, if you want.

      IT WAS OUT IN 3D?! I don't think that even registered with me, because if it had I would have been REALLY PISSED OFF! How... Unnecessary (although tbh that's how I feel about 3D all the time, anyway.)

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    2. No, it was like, there's a scene almost at the end where the author is talking about explorers discovering America, and they could suckle at her rolling hills or something... I think it was this book, but now it sounds ridiculous.

      Boo 3D! And it wasn't playing in Victoria ANYWHERE in 2D. What the what.

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  8. Do you know I completely agree with you about the visual remembering thing. I always had this fuzzy memory about what actually happens in the book but seeing it in the flesh (so to speak) has really helped. Plus it's like a man-candy film from start to finish. Ah, Leo. Robert is good but Leo is better. In my opinion anyway. He's got that Gatsby smile down to a t. A white, pearly t. I'm so pleased you liked it.

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    1. WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN TO EVERYONE?! It makes no sense. I'm going to have to say Jennifer was right and this is some kind of Fitzgerald master-plan for re-reads.

      I really did like it, but Leo is BETTER than Redford?! That seems... not right. Not that I don't love Leo (although he will always be the kid from What's Eating Gilbert Grape? to me) but it's ROBERT REDFORD. I feel like he IS Gatsby!

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    2. I TOLD YOU!!

      I really need to see the movie darn it.

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  9. I love Gatsby the book and Gatsby the character. But I think that the characters are not necessarily supposed to be three-dimensional. We get so little about Nick and Myrtle, for example. I don't want to say they are caricatures, but character development is obviously not the point here.

    Also, everyone should just do what I did and get the poster text version of Gatsby. Then you can just read a few lines every time you walk by. :)

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