Great Gatsby

Read it, didn't understand why it's supposedly the best book of all time.
Do I have to read it in English to get it?

Don't know.  Never read it in any other language.  You didn't think it was sad?
I've never heard it described as the best book of all time, and though it's certainly near the top of the list for American novels, I don't think it can touch Moby Dick.

It's certainly much more readable in English.

It was well written, but everything else was either convoluted metaphor or pretentious dickery.

It was well written, but everything else was either convoluted metaphor or pretentious dickery.

>>1
I've never heard it referred to as the greatest book of all time. The book was average; Hemmingway's novels capture the era better, in my opinion.

I think the people who say it's great mostly refer to the writing style. So that would mean you'd indeed have to read it in English.

I've never read Gatsby, but I would highly recommend This Side of Paradise.

>>7
Shit, so I should strive to read all books I can in their original language? Doesn't that lower the value of books I'm forced to read translated because of not knowing the language?

>>9
Pretty much, yeah.  Translating is quite an art.  That's why you see so many different translations of the same book.  Literature's not just writin', it's prose.  Still, better to read a translation of a great book than not to read it at all.

http://hl1729.mybrute.com

I hate this book with a passion.
PArt of that hatred does stem from the act this was my AS literature book, but I just found it so appaulingly boring.

The Great Gastby is my favorite book that I read in highschool. I wouldn't dare call it the greatest book of all time, however. I enjoyed the way Fitzgerald wrote probably more than I did the actual story. Maybe that's why it didn't writing didn't sparkle the way you liked?
I thought his imagery was fantastic. I think he does a good job of lining the story with metaphors, for example, Gatsby and his conception of time. 
Although, I do understand why people thought it was boring. It was a slow moving story. The writing is what kept me pushing though it.
Fitzgerald's other writing is worth looking into. His short stories are pretty good.

Whoever is calling it the greatest book of all time must read a lot of bad books. I'm reading it for school and unless it has an amazing ending it's alright but I can think of plenty books I think are better.

it has an amazing ending

>>15

Same person as >>14, I finished it last night and the ending was nothing special.

The Great Gatsby is bullshit. I am not commenting on the writing style though.

He was like Toad who lived in Toad Hall, except his adventures were dinner parties with other gentry.

>>17
Agreed. Every character is a terrible individual, including the narrator who watches his friends destroy themselves and does nothing to stop them. Asshole.

I like thinking that all women are fantastically turned on by my arm hair because of this book.

I had to read it in 10th grade I believe.  It's crap.  The movie based off of it?  Crap.  In English? Crap.  I put it up there with the all time most hated books I ever had to read.  Right between Silas Marner and Great Expectations. 

Avoid at all costs.  Seriously.

>>21
Haha, you are such a child.

I just reread this while substituting for an English class for a week and it is a decent book.  I don't believe I read it when I was in high school (my junior year Eng/Lit teacher had already checked out and we didn't read anything).  Most of the students didn't like it but then again most of them weren't actually reading the book, which is a shame.  It isn't a challenging read or anything... but so it goes.

Best book of all time though? Nah.

I hated this book in high school. I can deal with reading most anything, but this one was just frustrating to me. I feel like despite the good writing he overused symbols and metaphors to a point that they ceased to matter nor be interesting.

Oh man, high school junior year all over again. English masterpiece my ass.