The Great Gatsby (1925)

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Title: The Great Gatsby
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Year of Publication: 1925
Genre: Literary Fiction
Setting: Long Island, New York, during the Roaring Twenties

Plot: "The Great Gatsby" is set in the summer of 1922 and follows the life of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire living in the fictional town of West Egg on Long Island. The story is narrated by Nick Carraway, a young bond salesman who becomes entangled in the lives of the wealthy elite. Gatsby, who throws extravagant parties at his mansion in the hopes of attracting his former love, Daisy Buchanan, portrays the disillusionment and emptiness of the Jazz Age. The novel explores themes of wealth, love, social class, and the American Dream, with a backdrop of lavish parties, hidden desires, and tragic consequences.

Major Characters:

  • Jay Gatsby: The enigmatic millionaire with a mysterious past.
  • Nick Carraway: The narrator and Gatsby's neighbor, who becomes involved in Gatsby's life and the events surrounding him.
  • Daisy Buchanan: Nick's cousin and Gatsby's former love interest, married to Tom Buchanan.
  • Tom Buchanan: Daisy's husband, a wealthy and arrogant man.
  • Jordan Baker: A professional golfer and friend of Daisy's.

Awards: "The Great Gatsby" did not receive any major literary awards at the time of its publication, but it has since become recognized as one of the greatest American novels and a staple of high school and college literature curricula.

Legacy: "The Great Gatsby" is widely regarded as a classic of American literature. It explores themes of the American Dream, wealth, and the emptiness of the Jazz Age. F. Scott Fitzgerald's writing style, with its lyrical prose and vivid descriptions, has contributed to the enduring popularity and critical acclaim of the novel.