Maybe, you have heard from some seniors of a book that’s either good or bad, depending on who you ask. What is this book? The name of the book in question is The Great Gatsby (or TGG). It’s a book that all juniors read near the end of the year. 

The book is set in the 1920s and follows the ideologies of the time very well. The book itself centers around a rich man named Gatsby who is obsessed with a woman named Daisy. The story is told from the perspective of Gatsby’s neighbor, Nick.  

The book is boring at first, with a lot of locations, characters, and objects that are important. Then, after these things are introduced, the book’s tone switches to a happy-upbeat tone, which is full of elaborate parties and a bit of flirting. This helps develop the plot and introduce the characters. The buildup to the climax during this happy up-beat tone is very slow, and then after the climax, the tone becomes slightly condescending.  

Around the very end of the book, an important event occurs that results in the tone becoming even more condescending while adding a depressing tone as well. 

There’s also a ton of symbolism in the book with a couple of random objects becoming very important within the story.  

While my only complaint is that the first two chapters are boring, overall my personal opinion on the book itself is quite positive. The plot is very interesting, and there’s lots of details and diction used throughout to help develop the plot and to help the reader understand what is going on at a specific moment, which is a nice addition. I also like how the book has geography. Not a lot of books have a map as detailed as this book’s map. That’s why I rate this book a 4 out of 5.