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Journal Some Woman's Journal: [Guthrie] The Great Gatsby 9

Journal by Some Woman

I hated this book when I was made to read it in high school. I found it to be whiny and banal.

I decided to give it another shot when we learned that it would be the first production at the new Guthrie Theater. First, let me just say that this novel was incredibly well adapted to the stage.

Second: Ten years later, I have to admit that Mr. Fitzgerald makes more sense. It's a play written by a mid-20s guy about mid-20s people. Forcing people with 10 years too little experience to read the book does it a great disservice, in my opinion. It makes me think that revisiting Last Tango in Paris might not be a bad idea.

Third: There's a subtle barb in there that I don't think people not from here would necessarily get. I can't even remember if it was in the book. Anyway, the first time that Nick tells people where he's from (St. Paul), he receives quizzical looks. The second time, he says he's from Minneapolis. There was an audible theater-wide "oooooooo." The car ride home involved a very terse discussion of the merits of St. Paul versus That Other City.

This discussion was created by Some Woman (250267) for Friends only, but now has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

[Guthrie] The Great Gatsby More

[Guthrie] The Great Gatsby

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  • I also reread it recently and had the same reaction you did.

    That line about Arthur Miller being a staple of eighth grade English teachers "imparting the obvious to the oblivious" explains why The Great Gatsby, with its ambivalence (Is Gatsby the villain? Tom?) doesn't do as well in that audience.

  • Forcing people with 10 years too little experience to read the book does it a great disservice, in my opinion

    I've reread so many classics and realize why they are classics instead of the boredom I got in highschool. The Time Machine, the Count of Monte Cristo (I always suggest it to anyone that hasn't read it), The Metamorphesis, etc...
    They teach the wrong books in high school. They should mention them, give you the cliff notes,t hen require you to read them in your 20s.

    • I've reread so many classics and realize why they are classics instead of the boredom I got in highschool. The Time Machine, the Count of Monte Cristo (I always suggest it to anyone that hasn't read it), The Metamorphesis, etc...

      Oddly, I felt the same about "Death of a Salesman". Reading it as a kid, I don't think I quite caught on to the mindset of Willie Loman, but as an adult, I can fully understand the depression that he felt. I don't agree with Willie's "solution", though.

      They teach the wrong books i

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Com2Kid ( 142006 )
      Aside from "The Count of Monte Cristo", I read all of those in High School and thoroughly enjoyed them.

      So short though... bleck.

      Then again, I loved reading The Chronicles of Narnia in 2nd grade so... :) Originally considered kids books, the Seattle School District banned them awhile back for religious content, I don't know if the ban has since been lifted. I hope so, they were the first series of books that I encountered that I really wanted to read on my own!

      Unfortunately, like most other stuff C.S. Lew

    • Maybe I should reread "The Scarlett Letter". (Or maybe not, I've always thought Hawthorne sucked as a writer.)

      I LOVED LOVED LOVED The Great Gatsby when I read it in High School. I read it for fun after someone in my family mentioned it. Then in Junior English our "teacher" (by title only, she was more of a living joke than a teacher) made us watch the movie. (No wonder most of the people from my HS are working in factories and gas station and fast food. But I digress...) I liked it so much I did my Ju

      • Well, I promise that this is the first time I've used the word "banal" in over a year. I broke it out just for this occasion. Act now before it goes back in the vault!

        The Scarlet Pimpernel is a way better book with the word 'scarlet' in the title. It's what "A Tale of Two Cities" would be if Dickens had an editor. I read all three within a 12 month time period in high school, but maybe I liked The Scarlet Pimpernel best because I read it of my own choosing.

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