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Kemper's Reviews > The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby
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Jay Gatsby, you poor doomed bastard. You were ahead of your time. If you would have pulled your scam after the invention of reality TV, you would have been a huge star on a show like The Bachelor and a dozen shameless Daisy-types would have thrown themselves at you.
Mass media and modern fame would have embraced the way you tried to push your way into a social circle you didn’t belong to in an effort to fulfill a fool’s dream as your entire existence became a lie and you desperately sought to rewrite history to an ending you wanted. You had a talent for it, Jay, but a modern PR expert would have made you bigger than Kate Gosselin. Your knack for self-promotion and over the top displays of wealth to try and buy respectability would have fit right in these days. I can just about see you on a red carpet with Paris Hilton.
And the ending would have been different. No aftermath for rich folks these days. Lawyers and pay-off money would have quietly settled the matter. No harm, no foul. But then you’d have realized how worthless Daisy really was at some point. I’m sure you couldn’t have dealt with that. So maybe it is better that your story happened in the Jazz Age where you could keep your illusions intact to the bitter end.
The greatest American novel? I don’t know if there is such an animal. But I think you'd have to include this one in the conversation.
Mass media and modern fame would have embraced the way you tried to push your way into a social circle you didn’t belong to in an effort to fulfill a fool’s dream as your entire existence became a lie and you desperately sought to rewrite history to an ending you wanted. You had a talent for it, Jay, but a modern PR expert would have made you bigger than Kate Gosselin. Your knack for self-promotion and over the top displays of wealth to try and buy respectability would have fit right in these days. I can just about see you on a red carpet with Paris Hilton.
And the ending would have been different. No aftermath for rich folks these days. Lawyers and pay-off money would have quietly settled the matter. No harm, no foul. But then you’d have realized how worthless Daisy really was at some point. I’m sure you couldn’t have dealt with that. So maybe it is better that your story happened in the Jazz Age where you could keep your illusions intact to the bitter end.
The greatest American novel? I don’t know if there is such an animal. But I think you'd have to include this one in the conversation.
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Quotes Kemper Liked
“I’ve been drunk for about a week now, and I thought it might sober me up to sit in a library.”
― The Great Gatsby
― The Great Gatsby
Reading Progress
September 22, 2007
– Shelved
Started Reading
May 25, 2010
–
Finished Reading
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Petra It's a year now, still in a dark place
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rated it 5 stars
May 26, 2010 10:24AM
Great review. Absolutely on target.
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Petra X wrote: "Great review. Absolutely on target."Thanks!
yeah man, excellent review
Taylor wrote: "yeah man, excellent review"Thanks!
It's completely true though, a modern day gatsby wouldn't have had to deal with the infamy or degradation that he receives in the book.
Taylor wrote: "It's completely true though, a modern day gatsby wouldn't have had to deal with the infamy or degradation that he receives in the book."Nope. He'd have his own reality tv show.
So enjoy your reviews-thanks for the time and efforts you put into them!
Noran wrote: "So enjoy your reviews-thanks for the time and efforts you put into them!"Thanks! Glad you enjoy them.
Once when I was teaching this book I opened the classroom discussion of Chapter 6 with the question: 'Why is Anna Nicole Smith famous?' (This was in the days before she died.) The conclusion I hoped they would get is that Anna Nicole Smith is famous because she is famous. That's really all there is to it.The same goes for Jay Gatsby. No-one knows why he is someone worth notice; but he is. Kemper, you are correct in suggesting that the characters' fascination with this enigma is sort of parallel to how we view reality-TV stars today. They're no-one special; yet we seem to idolise them. So it is with JG.
Just finished the novel! I didn't love it, but I love your review.
I'm with Fatin Nawaz I think we in the present might be a little sensitive with stories that are very common like the Great Gatsby.
And I'm agree with you.
And I'm agree with you.
And I'm agree with you.
is it bad that i read this whole thing in jon benjamin's voice
Forrest wrote: "is it bad that i read this whole thing in jon benjamin's voice"I hope that everyone does.
Libby wrote: "Wonderful, wonderful review"Thanks!
Great review Kemper even though you totally missed the point and got it wrong! Kudos.
Terry wrote: "Great review Kemper even though you totally missed the point and got it wrong! Kudos."At least I'm consistent.
Very funny - and you better be with that profile pic. :)
Spot on review. I was just thinking about this theme yesterday. Throughout time rich assholes have gotten away with heinous crimes similar to those in Gatsby. It seems that at the present these miscarriages of justice are at their worst.
Heather wrote: "Very funny - and you better be with that profile pic. :)"It's a lot to live up to.
Khryste wrote: "Spot on review. I was just thinking about this theme yesterday. Throughout time rich assholes have gotten away with heinous crimes similar to those in Gatsby. It seems that at the present these mis..."Thanks!
It's always interesting to me this re-interpretation of classic literature. When I originally read this novel while attending a prestigious ivy high school in the affluent Riverdale, New York nonetheless I simply detested the Jay & all his friends for I was in fact the Nick Carraway of this situation, always observing the caveat emptors play themselves out in the country homes of the Hamptons. This is in fact a cautionary tale which eloquently showcases the ignorance and corruption of those of wealth, power and bloodline. But today, scoffs, this story is celebrated for all the wrong reasons.
I totally agree with you. Gatsby was born ahead of his time. He was born in a time period where the American society didn’t appreciate success and saw it as a weakness. In today’s society to observe someone transition from poverty to wealth and fame is inspirational and admirable. In today’s world not many have the dedication and perseverance that Gatsby had to achieve his dream. His dream to be with Daisy gave him the strength to change and transitioned to a different social circle he didn’t belong to and had to sacrificed his identity for a woman who didn’t deserve it… Gatsby’s story would have been different if he had been given more time to open his eye and see the real Daisy Fay. He would have had a happy ending where the American dream didn’t end in tragedy.
Such a great review. Poor Gatsby, I don't know how I feel about him. He certainly deserved better had he not made a fool of himeself.
