Nanoremo - finished!

About the Book 


Title: The Great Gatsby
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Publication: Charles Scribner Sons (April 10 1925)/Amazon Kindle
Summary: This is the story of the rise and fall of self-made millionaire Jay Gatsby, told by his neighbour Nick Carraway. Set in 1920s America it depicts a bygone era of wealth, decadence and excess. 

What I Think

I thoroughly enjoyed The Great Gatsby and found it a quick and easy read. The themes of The Great Gatsby: wealth, beauty, greed and power mirrored the society of the Roaring Twenties perfectly. I did feel that one or two of the major revelations were dealt with too quickly and that more could have been done with them to add to the narrative. F. Scott Fitzgerald had a unique talent with words making his sentences beautiful and lyrical. I had a very clear picture in my mind of the world in which these characters were set. Also, through accurate, but succinct, descriptions I could imagine what they looked like, how they moved and spoke. 

Previously filmed starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, 2013 promises a new and exciting film version directed by Baz Luhrman (Moulin Rouge, Romeo+Juliette, Strictly Ballroom). He co-wrote the screenplay and is bound to give the classic a modern twist. I can already picture Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan in the lead roles and am very much looking forward to seeing it.  

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For those of you who'd like to take part next time, here are the rules, courtesy of John Wiswell's Bathroom Monologues:

1. Find a classic novel you've never read, preferably one you've been meaning to read for a long time.
2. "Classic" is up to your definition. If you feel Beloved is a Modern Classic, you read it.
3. Between February 1st and 28th, read the book.
4. Join in on Twitter, blogs and Facebook to discuss your journey through the classic. 

Nanoremo...now, what's that?

'Nanoremo' kept popping up all over social media and I had no idea what it was. I had previously taken part in Nanowrimo, which is the challenge to write a novel (minimum 50,000 words) in a month, but this was a new one to me. I've since found out that it's: National Novel Reading Month. Here are the rules, courtesy of John Wiswell's Bathroom Monologues:

1. Find a classic novel you've never read, preferably one you've been meaning to read for a long time.

2. "Classic" is up to your definition. If you feel Beloved is a Modern Classic, you read it.

3. Between February 1st and 28th, read the book.

4. Join in on Twitter, blogs and Facebook to discuss your journey through the classic. 

Having read Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald at university, but never The Great Gatsby, that is the book I decided on. Written and set in 1920's America I'm hoping it will depict a bygone era with themes that are still relevant today. I'm also interested in the style of writing and whether that is any different nearly an entire century later. 

Also in 2013 the latest film version is going to be released starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan, which I'd like to see. Director Baz Luhrman (Moulin Rouge, Romeo+Juliette, Strictly Ballroom) also wrote the screenplay and he's bound to give the classic a modern twist. 

I'll keep you posted.