Following the advise...

I do not remember who was it who told me that you must give a chance to the first forty pages of a book. The author has that much to make you want to continue reading more or you are in all the right to leave it there. I try to always follow this advise. So here we are with the first forty pages of a GREAT book, The Great Gatsby.

It is ont easy to find a text where the words are placed in such form you can literally draw and feel the picture in your head. "If personality is unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, as if he were related to one of those intricate machines that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away."(Fitzgerald, 1925, p. 2) Gatsby is a deep person and quite sensitive, yet it takes time to get to know how he really is. The introductory paragraph helps you understand and opens the door to the soon-to-be known world. 

In spite of what I thought, the book is not narrated by Mr. Gatsby himself but by Nick Carraway, who turns out to be his neighbor. It is set in a time where there is an enormous gap between rich and poor. For those who are luckily rich, can afford to live in mansions or relatively big houses it is a delightful life, or so it seems. Life is a little more complicated when it comes to the poor. But, do not underestimate the power of money, it is not a synonym for happiness. Money can bring the worst out of people. 

"It was a body capable of enormous leverage-- a cruel body"(Fitzgerald, 1925, p. 7) Tom Buchan, the husband of Daisy (cousin of Nick Carraway) was quite a powerful man, he came from a wealthy family, which apparently did not bring out the best in him. 

The environment these rich people live is full of social pressure and different factors which prevent them from being happy. The world is going through a rough post-war time, materialism is flourishing and it is not very amiable. This can be reflected when Daisy talks about her daughter and tells Nick that she is glad that she's a girl because then she can be a fool and that would be the best thing that a girl could be in the world at that time, a fool. She emphasizes on the word beautiful, materialism once more. 

In the first chapter is the first appearance of the green light, a symbol which is characteristic in the book.

In the first chapter the contradictory mind of Nick Carraway is presented. He does not like the New York living style and in spite of that has a huge admiration for Gatsby, who represents all the luxuries and everything that Carraway dislikes about NY. The relationship between Daisy and Tom, they are distant, Mr. Buchan is known for his different affairs, but most importantly the one in NY. They pretend their happiness, but it seems and feels fake. That is the wonder of a well written book, you get to feel it, rather than just reading it. 

The scenery that is set in the second chapter is obscure, with ashes, you get to see the poor side of the story and how everything is not beautiful mansions, parties and cars. The image of Mr. Gatsby is quite mysterious. 

Vocabulary

riotous - from riot, involves public disorder.

flabby - fleshy, soft.