The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen

The Little Match Girl 
by Hans Christian Andersen

3 pages, eBook

Where I Got It: AmericanLiterature.com

Story Rating: 4 Stars

Content Ratings:

Violence: Mild-Moderate-Brutal

Swearing: Clean-Light-Filthy

Sexual Content: White-Pink-Red

Haunting - Poignant - Enchanting

Summary:

A young girl is sent out into the cold to sell matches and ends up lighting some of them in an attempt to keep warm, seeing visions of comfort by their light.

My Thoughts:

Given the inevitability of the ending, this should be a sad story, and it is in many ways, but there is also an optimism about it that is appealing. As if it offers us the comfort of knowing death need not be feared or dwelt upon overly long, because it only marks a new beginning, and perhaps a change of circumstances for the better.

Quotes:

“She drew one out. ‘Rischt!’ how it blazed, how it burnt! It was a warm, bright flame, like a candle, as she held her hands over it: it was a wonderful light.” -Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Match Girl

“The fire burned with such blessed influence; it warmed so delightfully.” -Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Match Girl

“—the match went out and nothing but the thick, cold, damp wall was left behind.” -Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Match Girl

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Publisher: Top Five Books (2014)

375 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $0.99)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Content Ratings:

Violence: Mild-Moderate-Brutal

Swearing: Clean-Light-Filthy

Sexual Content: White-Pink-Red

Summary:

The arrival of a wealthy, young, single man and his friends into the neighborhood brings great excitement and anticipation for all, including the Bennets who have five daughters in need of husbands, but misplaced judgements, inaccurate information and a healthy dose of pride complicate Mrs. Bennet’s efforts to get her daughters married off.

My Thoughts:

Written with a witty, perceptive view of people and their interactions with others, especially between family and friends, Jane Austen weaves a great romance, while poking fun at society in general and, in her own quiet way, challenging the ideals of her time. This story is told largely through narration, a few letters, and only gives way to dialogue when there is something important to say. I found the preference for narration refreshing, the short chapters bite-sized, and enjoyed the all-inclusive viewpoint of being able to see the story from many characters point-of-view, here and there, in the course of the story, though for the most part it centered on Elizabeth’s point-of-view. A great story about the many ways in which first impressions are not always right, and the mixed blessings afforded by a close association with one’s family and residence in a small community.

Edition Notes:

This Top Five Classics Illustrated Edition is the best ebook version of Pride and Prejudice that I’ve found. It is organized for optimum maneuverability, boasts of adhering closely to the original 1813 text, is very readable, and includes 36 illustrations by the Brock brothers combining the illustrations from their 1898 and 1907 editions. For a standalone copy, this is it, but if you are looking for an ebook collection of Jane Austen’s novels, I’d recommend The Complete Illustrated Novels of Jane Austen by MobileReference.

Cover Art Favorites:

Quotes:

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 1

“Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 5

“If a woman conceals her affection with the same skill from the object of it, she may lose the opportunity of fixing him; and it will then be but poor consolation to believe the world equally in the dark.” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 6

“We can all begin freely—a slight preference is natural enough; but there are very few of us who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement.” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 6

“Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other, or ever so similar before-hand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life.” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 6

“But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she had hardly a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying.” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 6

“If my children are silly, I must hope to be always sensible of it.” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 7

“He has always something to say to everybody.—That is my idea of good breeding; and those persons who fancy themselves very important and never open their mouths, quite mistake the matter.” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 9

“I wonder who first discovered the efficacy of poetry in driving away love!” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 9

“‘Nothing is more deceitful,’ said Darcy, ‘than the appearance of humility. It is often only carelessness of opinion, and sometimes an indirect boast.’” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 10

“‘Nay,’ cried Bingley, ‘this is too much, to remember at night all the foolish things that were said in the morning.’” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 10

“—pride—where there is a real superiority of mind, pride will be always under good regulation.” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 11 

“—though he belonged to one of the universities, he had merely kept the necessary terms, without forming at it any useful acquaintance.” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 15

“‘I dare say you will find him very agreeable—Heaven forbid! That would be the greatest misfortune of all! To find a man agreeable whom one is determined to hate! Do not wish me such an evil.’” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 18

“—resignation is never so perfect as when the blessing denied begins to lose somewhat of its value in our estimation.” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 20

“It is very often nothing but our own vanity that deceives us. Women fancy admiration means more than it does.” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 24

“What are men to rocks and mountains?” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 27

“—not a day went by without a solitary walk, in which she might indulge in all the delight of unpleasant recollections.” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 37

“There is but such a quantity of merit between them; just enough to make one good sort of man; and of late it has been shifting about pretty much—One has got all the goodness, and the other all the appearance of it.” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 40

“Upon the whole, therefore, she found, what has been sometimes found before, that an event to which she had looked forward with impatient desire did not, in taking place, bring all the satisfaction she had promised herself.” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 42

“—never had she so honestly felt that she could have loved him, as now, when all love must be vain.” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 46

“—there is nothing so bad as parting with one’s friends. One seems so forlorn without them.” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 53

“For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 57

Movie Adaptations:

Pride and Prejudice (TV Mini-Series 1995)

Colin Firth, Jennifer Ehle, Susannah Harker

My Rating: 5 Stars

Adaption: Verbatim-Tweaked-Veiled

Eye Candy: Plain-Pretty-Sultry

This mini-series comes very close to following the book exactly. There are a few changes in wording with some of the dialogue and some rearranging of the timeline of the story, but overall it is a very faithful adaption with excellent acting. A classic production of a classic work, and a must-see for anyone looking to see a movie adaption of this story.

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Rosamund Pike

Movie Rating: PG

My Rating: 4 Stars

Adaption: Verbatim-Tweaked-Veiled

Eye Candy: Plain-Pretty-Sultry

While this adaption stays close to the spirit of the book, it is fast-paced and a bit like an abridged version compared to the 1995 mini-series, and there are a few invented scenes. This version is visually luscious, but I didn’t care for a few of the casting choices, and the way in which some of the characters were portrayed I didn’t feel matched the representation in the book (in this adaption Bingley was a bit more of an air-head, Darcy more subdued, Jane more self-assured, and Mr. Collins more sympathy-inspiring). While different, this version is enjoyable in its own way, and well worth seeing, particularly if you are short on time and can’t spare the time for the mini-series.

A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Complete Sherlock Holmes (The Heirloom Collection)

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer; Deluxe ed Edition (2012)

1897 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $6.99)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Content Ratings:

Violence: Mild-Moderate-Brutal

Swearing: Clean-Light-Filthy

Sexual Content: White-Pink-Red

Summary:

This is the first tale of Sherlock Holmes, in which he meets Dr. John Watson and they become involved in their first investigation together, that revolves around the murder of a man found in an abandoned house with the word “Rache” scrawled on the wall in blood and they come to find out it is somehow involved with the Mormons of Utah.

My Thoughts:

Through Dr. John Watson’s narration, Sherlock leads us through a very interesting mystery involving a mysterious death, as he attempts to help the befuddled police detectives in their investigation. Part one follows the hunt and eventual capture of the murderer, while part two explains the murder’s reasons for doing what he did, as well as Sherlock’s explanation for how he figured everything out. Highly enjoyable story, with an easy flow and very accessible language (not too antiquated). Some may find the storyline involving the Mormons offensive, but I figure with historical literature you kind of have to expect a certain amount of politically incorrect content, and it didn’t really bother me. Great, relatively short read, and I look forward to reading Sherlock’s further adventures.

Edition Notes:

This is the best edition I’ve found for organization, readability and maneuverability in an ebook version that contains the complete collection of Sherlock Holmes tales in the correct reading order. This edition is divided into four volumes: Volume I (A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of Four, Adventures of Sherlock Holmes), Volume II (Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles), Volume III (The Return of Sherlock Holmes, The Valley of Fear) and Volume IV (His Last Bow, The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes). The overall Table of Contents contains links that lead to a Table of Contents for each Volume, which provided links for each individual chapter to provide maximum maneuverability throughout this collection. The chapter and volume heads are visually appealing and well laid out. My only qualm with this edition is that there are very few illustrations. The ones it does contain are of very good quality, but are few and far between. The best ebook edition I’ve found for Sherlock Holmes illustrations is Classic Mystery Collection by MobileReference (contains 24 beautiful illustrations by Richard Gutschmidt from 1902 for A Study in Scarlet alone, and various Sidney Paget illustrations for other tales in the collection). I read in The Complete Sherlock Holmes (The Heirloom Collection), but followed along in the MobileReference edition so I could view the illustrations as I went along . . . not ideal, but the best I could do. The MobileReference edition is perfectly adequate for reading and contains the complete Sherlock Holmes collection organized in the correct reading order, but doesn’t have the ease of movement or superior organization of the Heirloom edition.

Quotes:

“There’s the scarlet thread of murder running through the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it.” -Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, Part I, Chapter 4

“Do you remember what Darwin says about music? He claims that the power of producing and appreciating it existed among the human race long before the power of speech was arrived at. Perhaps that is why we are so subtly influenced by it. There are vague memories in our souls of those misty centuries when the world was in its childhood.” -Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, Part I, Chapter 5

“ . . . where there is no imagination there is no horror.” -Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, Part I, Chapter 5

“The plot thickens . . .” -Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, Part I, Chapter 5

“To a great mind, nothing is little . . .” -Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, Part I, Chapter 6

“‘Any delay in arresting the assassin,’ I observed, ‘might give him time to perpetrate some fresh atrocity.’” -Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, Part I, Chapter 7

“‘He made the country down in Illinois, and He made the Missouri,’ the little girl continued. ‘I guess somebody else made the country in these parts. It’s not nearly so well done. They forgot the water and the trees.’” -Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, Part II, Chapter 1

“‘What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence,’ returned my companion, bitterly. ‘The question is, what can you make people believe that you have done?’” -Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, Part II, Chapter 7

Movie Adaptations/Modern Retellings/Related Works:

Sherlock (TV Series 2010-)

Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman

My Rating: 5 Stars

Adaption: Verbatim-Tweaked-Veiled

Eye Candy: Plain-Pretty-Sultry

This TV Series version of the Sherlock Holmes tales is a modern day adaption but stays true to the spirit of the characters and the tales themselves. The A Study in Pink episode follows the book very closely in dialogue and the construction of the murders, but differs in the reason for the murders, the murder victims, and the connection between the victims.

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Robert Downey, Jr., Jude Law

Movie Rating: PG-13

My Rating: 4 Stars

Adaption: Verbatim-Tweaked-Veiled

Eye Candy: Plain-Pretty-Sultry

Interesting movie, if you like the characters from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s tales of Sherlock, but this movie is not based particularly on any of his stories.

High Wired On by David Russell

High Wired On by David Russell

Publisher: Searle Publishing (June 2002)

85 pages, eBook (provided by the Author for review)

Book Rating: 3 Stars

Content Note: Includes Swearing

Very Strange! This reminds me of one of those dreams you have that make perfect sense, until you wake up and try to tell someone about it. This starts out with a triple homicide and a young man with relationship problems, then it just takes off from there, with fantastic journeys and electrically-themed imaginings, never sure if it is dreams, hallucinations or actual reality. I'm not entirely sure what it all meant, but parts of it are like what, I would imagine, a drug trip might be like. Unique short read for those with an interest.

Simon Called Peter by Robert Keable

Simon Called Peter by Robert Keable

Publisher: A Public Domain Book (2012)

346 pages, eBook (Available for Free)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Content Ratings:

Violence: Mild-Moderate-Brutal

Swearing: Clean-Light-Filthy

Sexual Content: White-Pink-Red

Summary:

Peter is a naive, idealistic London clergyman who has been sheltered and isolated by his station in life, so when he joins the military as a chaplain in World War I and is stationed in France, he is shocked by what he finds is the real world, and suffers a crisis of faith as a result, helped along by his attraction to a flirtatious and worldly young nurse, named Julie.

My Thoughts:

This book was banned for its connection to an adulterous couple who were murdered in New Jersey in 1922, and F. Scott Fitzgerald referred to this novel in The Great Gatsby as “terrible stuff,” so naturally I had to read it and see if it truly was as bad as everyone thought. I actually found it very enjoyable. There are some parts that are so thick with British slang that it was a bit muddy for a modern American to wade through at times, but the story and the characters were definitely interesting. Peter’s struggles with his faith can get a little academic and long-winded, but his interactions with the other officers and the young women he meets in France, and the impact of those interactions on him were very entertaining. I’m not sure I agree with the answers Peter seems to champion to his questions of faith, nor did I feel his arguments were particularly persuasive, but it did seem realistic for a person who had been so sheltered to overcompensate and swing wide in the opposite direction. I didn’t really care for Julie all that much, but as the novel focused on Peter and his thoughts, it didn’t matter that much that I didn’t warm to her. I’m not sure how I feel about the ending, as it had a ‘to be continued’ feel to it, so I suppose the story will pick up where it left off, with the sequel, Recompence.

Edition Notes:

This is a no-frills, public domain edition available for free. There are no annotations or references, but it is a perfectly readable copy of the book and includes the author’s note to the reader that precedes the main text. Perfectly adequate for anyone wanting to give this book a read to see what all the fuss is about.

Quotes:

“London lay as if washed with water-colour that Sunday morning, light blue sky and pale dancing sunlight wooing the begrimed stones of Westminster like a young girl with an old lover.” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 2

“She had found him admirable and likable; he found her highly respectable and seemingly unapproachable. From which cold elements much more may come than one might suppose.” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 5

“That magic sun shone on the silver of the breakfast-table, and lit up the otherwise heavy room.” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 6

“He thought he had never seen her look more handsome and . . . He could not find the word: thought of ‘solid,’ and then smiled at the thought. It did not fit in with the sunlight on her hair.” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 8

“England looked extraordinarily homely and pleasant. It was the known; he was conscious of rushing at fifty miles an hour into the unknown.” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 26

“He was aware, dimly, that for the past five years situations in which he had been had been dominated by him, and that he, as a clergyman, had been continually the centre of concern. Talk, conduct, and company had been rearranged when he came in, and it had happened so often that he had ceased to be aware of it. But now he was a mere unit, of no particular importance whatever. No one dreamed of modifying himself particularly because a clergyman was present. Peter clung to the belief that it was not altogether so, but he was sufficiently conscious of it. And he was conscious of liking it, of wanting to sink back in it as a man sinks back in an easy-chair. He felt he ought not to do so, and he made a kind of mental effort to pull himself together.” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 33

“It suddenly struck him that he had talked rot in the pulpit, talked of things of which he knew nothing.” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 55

“It was as if she had gradually become complete mistress of a house, and then had suddenly discovered a new room into which she peeped for a minute before it was lost to her again and the door shut.” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 57

“One comes away feelin’ one can stand a bit more for the sake of the decent, clean things of life.” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 60

“I’m like a salesman with a shop full of goods that nobody wants because they don’t fulfill the advertisement. And I never felt more utterly alone in my life.” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 66

“True, there seemed little connection between dinner with a couple of madcap girls in a French restaurant and religion, but there was one.” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 103

“‘You don’t know what love is at all,’ he said. She faced him fairly and unashamed. ‘I do,’ she said, ‘It’s an animal passion for the purpose of populating the earth. And if you ask me, I think it is rather a dirty trick on the part of God.’” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 131

“We can’t help ourselves, and the best thing is to take our pleasures when we can find them.” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 132

“There’s only one real rule left in life for most of us, Peter, and that’s this: ‘Be a good pal, and don’t worry.’” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 132

“He was apparently under the delusion that he must work out his own salvation, whereas, in point of fact, it was being worked out for him scientifically and religiously.” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 146

“He neither condoled nor exhorted; rather he watched with an almost shy interest the other’s inward battle.” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 164

“He was less like an orthodox parson than he had ever been, and yet he had never thought so much about religion.” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 165

“It came, then, to this, that he had not so much changed towards Hilda as changed towards life.” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 165

“He did not serve the devil; it was much more that he had never seen any master to serve. And I could do nothing. I had no master to show him.” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 165

“I want you to realise that I feel as if I had never seen life before. I feel as if I had been shown all my days a certain number of pictures and told that they were the real thing, or given certain descriptions and told that they were true—I have been playing in a fool’s paradise all these years, and I’ve got outside the gate. I am distressed and terrified, I think, but underneath it all I am very glad . . .” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 167

“You take life too strenuously. Why can’t you saunter through it like I do?” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 168

“He takes refuge in the things you throw overboard.” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 177

“I am going to eat and drink with publicans and sinners; maybe I shall find my Master still there.” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 183

“Here he was really safe and remote and master, with a thousand servants and a huge palace at his beck and call, and all for a few pounds! It was absurd, but he thought to himself that he was feeling civilised for the first time, perhaps.” -Robert Keable, Simon Called Peter pg. 259

Careless People by Sarah Churchwell

Careless People by Sarah Churchwell

Publisher: The Penguin Press (January 2014)

405 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $11.99)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Content Note: Includes Light Swearing and Infidelity Themes

Part history, part biography and part literary criticism/theory, this book makes a thorough investigation of the influences surrounding F. Scott Fitzgerald as he wrote The Great Gatsby, as well as its reception after it was published. Fascinating combination of newspaper clippings, Fitzgerald's personal scrapbooks and correspondence, and the correspondence of friends, collected into nine topical areas to explore, that correlate to the nine chapters of the book itself. Interesting parallels are drawn between the book and the tumultuous lives of F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda, as it follows them from their heyday to the end of their lives. A bit dry and long-winded at times, but overall, an interesting read for anyone interested in delving further into The Great Gatsby or the 1920's in America.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Publisher: Wordsworth Editions Limited (2011)

122 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $1.86)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Content Ratings:

Violence: Mild-Moderate-Brutal

Swearing: Clean-Light-Filthy

Sexual Content: White-Pink-Red

Summary:

With their increasing acquaintance, Nick becomes more and more fascinated and curious about his mysterious, wealthy neighbor, Jay Gatsby, who seems to throw endless parties in his mansion across the way. Only when Nick gets to know Gatsby better, does he realize the reason for all that is Gatsby, and the somber reality of the man himself.

My Thoughts:

This story was written with a harsh pessimism about the world and romantic relationships, that was a little depressing. Gatsby was in no way without fault, but I felt myself pulling for him the whole way, all the while knowing this story could not end happily. So many of the characters were so self-absorbed, it was hard to really like any of them. Daisy certainly wasn’t worth all the trouble in the end, and Gatsby’s plan to get what he wanted left something to be desired, but the superficiality of it all, no doubt, reflected his quarry. Nick, alone was appealing, but as narrator, that’s not surprising, people rarely tell a story in a way that reflects badly on themselves. There were many profound and poetic passages that I thought were beautiful, in and of themselves. Fitzgerald seems very fond of descriptions of light and references to the modern mechanized age. And, I admit, there was something appealing about the unapologetic realism of the characters, their indifference, cowardice and single-minded pursuit of self-interest, while disappointing, was also strangely fascinating.  The air of glamour and artifice around much of the story was intriguing, making you wonder what was hidden under it all. Though it seemed unlikely that even the characters themselves knew. New York City (the urban centre) seems to be portrayed as an adult playground, of sorts, while the suburbs appear more sedate and humdrum (with the exception of Gatsby’s house). The joys and burdens of abundant leisure time, seem to perpetuate the pervasive moral collapse that the characters are subject to, helped along by consumerism run rampant. Many of the characters seem given to bursts great enthusiasm that appears infectious to those around them, but it is more likely that it is appealing because they all want so desperately to be enthusiastic about something. The book also carries a pervasive disparagement of the poor, to the point of having them covered in ash so as to be nearly invisible, but retaining enough visibility to be inconvenient to the wealthy passerby. I found it interesting that Mrs. Wilson seemed to be made visible simply by her association with Tom, as though he’d removed her taint of poverty by noticing her. Upon first read, I was a bit confused about the ending, though Gatsby’s fate was clear, I was unsure what had caused it. But, a second more careful reading of the event cleared it up, though what happened is more implied and not really laid out in detail for the reader. An interesting story, to be sure, and a quick read.

Edition Notes:

This Wordsworth edition included many fine footnotes, more interesting trivia than necessary explanation in many cases, but I found them difficult to reference in the ebook version and ended up printing them out, wishing they could have popped up in a window like the definitions. It also includes a General Introduction that warns the reader to save the following Introduction until after consuming the main text, and I would have to agree for those who are approaching as a first-time reader, because it contains spoilers.

Quotes:

“Then wear the golden hat, if that will move her;

If you can bounce high, bounce for her too,

Till she cry, ‘Lover, gold-hatted, high-bouncing lover,

I must have you!’” -Thomas Parke D’Invilliers (The Great Gatsby Prefacing Quotation)

“I’m inclined to reserve all judgements, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me and also made me the victim of not a few veteran bores. The abnormal mind is quick to detect and attach itself to this quality when it appears in a normal person, and so it came about that in college I was unjustly accused of being a politician, because I was privy to the secret griefs of wild, unknown men.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby pg. 3

“—a sense of the fundamental decencies is parcelled out unequally at birth.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby pg. 3

“Conduct may be founded on the hard rock or the wet marshes, but after a certain point I don’t care what it’s founded on.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby pg. 3

“—life is much more successfully looked at from a single window, after all.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby pg. 5

“‘—I hope she’ll be a fool — that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.’” -F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby pg. 13

“—each time I tried to go I became entangled in some wild, strident argument which pulled me back, as if with ropes, into my chair.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby pg. 24

“‘And I like large parties. They’re so intimate. At small parties there isn’t any privacy.’” -F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby pg. 33

“—like skimming hastily through a dozen magazines.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby pg. 43

“—or for how many hours he ‘glanced into rooms’ while his house blazed gaudily on.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby pg. 53

“Americans, while willing, even eager, to be serfs, have always been obstinate about being peasantry.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby pg. 57

“No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man can store up in his ghostly heart.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby pg. 62

“‘Can’t repeat the past?’ he cried incredulously. ‘Why of course you can!’” -F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby pg. 70

“There is no confusion like the confusion of a simple mind—“-F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby pg. 79

“Flushed with his impassioned gibberish, he saw himself standing alone on the last barrier of civilization.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby pg. 83

“Angry, and half in love with her, and tremendously sorry, I turned away.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby pg. 113

“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter — tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther . . . And one fine morning — So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby pg. 116

Movie Adaptations:

The Great Gatsby (1974)

Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Bruce Dern

Movie Rating: PG

My Rating: 4 Stars

Adaption: Verbatim-Tweaked-Veiled

Eye Candy: Plain-Pretty-Sultry

For the most part, this movie was true to the book, with a little reorganization of the way in which conversations took place, but the dialogue and flow of events was essentially intact. Some of the characters weren’t quite how I’d imagined them, but that’s kind of how it goes when a book is made into a movie. I believe it captured the spirit of the book, as I saw it, and if I had liked the casting a bit more, where some of the characters were concerned, I would be very happy with this adaption, though the acting was a bit dated at times. Visually it was lovely, and definitely a must see for those looking to see a movie version of the book.

The Great Gatsby (2013)

Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Joel edgerton

Movie Rating: PG-13

My Rating: 4 Stars

Adaption: Verbatim-Tweaked-Veiled

Eye Candy: Plain-Pretty-Sultry

I believe this movie was true to the spirit of the book, perhaps even more so than the 1974 adaption, but there were a few more deviations in dialogue and the way in which things happened. I loved the casting for this movie, and thought most all of the people they picked fit with what I had envisioned when I read the book, with an exception perhaps for Nick (Tobey Maguire), who wasn’t bad but I preferred Sam Waterson from the 1974 version. Visually this movie was brash, spastic and breathtaking, as would be expected of any Baz Luhrmann film, but the modern music that made up the soundtrack (hip-hop, R&B) detracted from my enjoyment of the film, because it was jarring and seemed out of place with the 1920’s sets. This film is in your face most of the time, and I kind of preferred the subdued atmosphere of the 1974 adaption, but that’s just my preference.

Related Works:

Careless People: Murder, Mayhem and the Invention of The Great Gatsby

by Sarah Churchwell