The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Genre: Classic
Pages: 165
Published: 5/27/03 by Simon and Schuster
Format: ebook
My rating:
4 out of 5 stars
This was my first time to read The Great Gatsby. I managed to escape my school years without it being assigned reading. Now that I've read it, I'm having a difficult time writing my review. What
can I say about this book that hasn't already been said? I'm going to
skip the usual summary of the plot and just jump straight to my thoughts
on this American classic.
I really did like this book. It was
interesting and easy to read and enjoyable. But at the same time, I
couldn't help but wonder: what is the big deal about this book? It's a
short little novel, and just as I was really getting into it, it was
over. How has it managed to stand the test of time and remain so well
loved?
To answer my own question, this story of a wealthy many
trying to find true happiness and love does have a timeless quality to
it. Though set in the 1920s, it seems that it could also be written
about people today. Especially in America, where living the "American
dream" continues to be an ideal for so many. This story demonstrates
the downfalls of living a life focused on wealth, material possessions,
and social status.
I knew when I started reading that there
were some shallow characters in this story. But wow, they were really
shallow! At one point, Gatsby is giving a tour of his house, and he
begins to pull all of his shirts out of his wardrobe to show off to his
guests. Daisy, seeing his shirts, begins to cry and says something
like, "I just can't help crying. Those shirts are just so beautiful!"
Seriously...who would do that??? Moments like those made it hard for me
to take some of the characters seriously. People that shallow surely
do not exist in real life, do they?
My final stance on The Great
Gatsby: It's a good book that teaches a good lesson on how money and
fame cannot buy happiness. Probably not going to go on my list of all
time favorite books, but I did enjoy it.
Come Back
by Claire and Mia Fontaine
Genre: Memoir
Pages: 336
Published: 10/6/2009 by Harper Collins
Format: ebook
My Rating:
3.5 out of 5 stars
This memoir, written in alternate voices by mother and daughter, tells
the story of Claire and Mia Fontaine. After suffering abuse from her
father as a child, Mia becomes rebellious and troubled during her teen
years. Addicted to drugs, she runs away from home and leads her mother
Claire on a chase around the country in an attempt to bring her home
safely. Ultimately, Claire decides to send Mia to an extreme reform
school in the Czech Republic. The second half of the book chronicles
both Claire and Mia's therapy and recovery.
As a mother to two
daughters, I am always drawn to mother/daughter stories. This one
definitely grabbed my attention from the beginning. As a mother, I
cannot even imagine what this experiences was like for Claire. I don't
even want to think about being in her shoes and experiencing the fear
and helplessness she felt as she watched her daughter go through this. I
also cannot imagine ever having the courage to send my daughter halfway
across the world, then leave her alone there with strangers in a
strange school! In this case, I believe this was the right thing to do
for Mia, but it is just so hard to comprehend what that would have been
like for Claire.
My biggest complaint about this book is Claire's
portion of the writing. I found myself more drawn to Mia's sections.
After a while, I started to get a little bored/annoyed with Claire.
Even though Claire should have been the one that I most identified with,
it was Mia that I wanted to read more about.
And with both
Claire and Mia, by the end, I was just ready for the book to be over. I
know that the road to recovery and self-awareness was not easy, but the
therapy session descriptions started to feel very redundant.
In
the end, this was an eye-opening, interesting and encouraging book about
what mothers and daughters are able to endure together. While things
looked incredibly grim for Mia and Claire's relationship for much of the
book, I loved seeing how they were able to be honest with each and grow
their relationship into something strong, real and lasting.
