The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

This is the third book represented in the book On Reading Well by Karen Swallow Prior. It is in the section of temperance. If you have ever read The Great Gatsby you know that he was not in any way temperate. He lived a life of overindulgence and partying. Then he died. A sad existence for sure. I have never seen the movie and this is my first time reading the book. I found the writing a bit vague in places. I gather that was intentional. The book was published in 1925 and set in 1922. So I didn't understand some of the references. I found the party life-style led by Gatsby and his hangers-on to be vapid and a waste of time, energy and money. I never totally understood exactly how Gatsby got his money to live this life-style but I think that was the intention of the author. There were allusions to underhanded and illegal dealings as well as sexual encounters that were never detailed but assumed. This was a fairly short read and it is told from the perspective of a neighbor turned sort of friend. Not a very uplifting story, but probably a cautionary tale of too much indulgence.