Georgia Kostopoulou

 

“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, he told me, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

That’s the first line of the book and one that I will always remember. It is so true and so honest and we tend to forget something as simple as that!

“The Great Gatsby” is a classic and I really cannot understand why I haven’t read it earlier. Well, I’m glad I did now.

The story is being told by Nick Carraway, after everything has passed like water under the bridge. At least for most of the people that used to attend Gatsby’s parties, that’s exactly what happened. Nobody really cares anymore.

After moving to his new house, Nick is reunited with his friend Daisy Buchanan. Daisy is now married to Tom Buchanan, a former athlete and current businessman, and they have decided to stay in the east. Not very far from New York City. Daisy and Tom have a child and they are supposedly leading a happy life. Only that’s not how it is and Nick finds out soon enough. Tom is having a woman in the city. This is not just a rumour Daisy and her friend Jordan Baker told him. Nick has actually the chance to meet this woman, as one day, Tom takes him to town and introduces him to his mistress, a married woman named Myrtle Wilson. They spend the day at Tom’s and Myrtle’s city house, along with some of their friends. Nick is not sure how he feels about all this, but he was never Tom’s friend. He is Daisy’s friend.

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Next to his house lives a mysterious person. His name is Jay Gatsby and his house is just a big party every weekend. He never invites people. They just arrive on their own accord. But he invites his neighbor, Nick. Gatsby attempts to befriend Nick. He has a really good reason to do it though. He knows Nick is Daisy’s friend and he wants to ask him to help him meet Daisy. You see, Gatsby and Daisy were sweethearts before he left for the war and before Daisy married Tom. Now that he is finally back, he wants another chance with her. He only hosted those big parties because he knew Daisy lived in the area and he hoped she might actually attend one night. Nick decides to help him and he is the only person that manages to get so close to the Great Jay Gatsby, a man everyone seems to know about, but nobody actually knows.

“No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Fitzgerald attributes the whole 1920 era in just this one small book! The book was first published in 1925, so this was just how everyday was for Fitzgerald, but not for us. We get a glimpse of the city itself, the atmosphere and the people. The narrator, Nick, sees everything from a distance, as he took sometime to describe the events that took place and everything feel emotional sterile. Until the very end, when he really tries to find the right people to say the last goodbye.

The whole experience of the book was made so much better by the audiobook narrator, Tanner Buchanan. This new recording is a pure delight. The different voices he made for the different characters are so unique and identifiable not only of the characters themselves, but of the whole atmosphere! I’m so glad I had a chance to experience this recording!

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing – Audiobooks for the opportunity to listen and review this audiobook. The views expressed are my personal and honest opinion.