Movie Review: The Great Gatsby

Where I got it: Movie Theater
Rating: 4 stars 
Rating: Rated PG-13
Run Time: 2 hour 22 minutes

I adore Baz Luhrmann and this movie only grew my love for him more. It's funny, I expected this movie to be a lot more fantastical than it was. Usually there is lots of extra silliness in a Luhrmann film(close-ups, sound effects), but this one was toned down. It was more fitting for the novel I guess. A bit disappointing, but still okay.

The reason the movie ranked higher than the book for me is two main reason. First, there was none of that Nick Carraway dithering on bits. Second, When I can see people talking I know who is talking and I don't have to re-read the same chapter ten times to figure out who's talking. Both of those things made me like this movie a lot more.

This seems like an easy book to film adaptation to be able to follow the book. I mean, it only takes a couple of hours to read the book anyways. For the most part the film followed the book nicely. There were a few things that were done differently and some were okay while others I didn't like. When Nick shows up to Gatsby's first party there is a strange guy pulling Jordan away from him the whole time. It seemed to set up a connection between Nick and Jordan that didn't happen again in the film. It was a bit strange but okay.

One thing that drove me a little crazy was the "Old Sport" thing. In the film it sounded like "Old Spore". Why? Why was DiCaprio pronouncing it like that. It's probably the way that it's supposed to be pronounced, but there is a "t" in there! I hate it...I don't care if it's correct I still hate it.

I enjoyed this movie though and if you are looking for a book to film adaptation that works, check this one out.

Review: The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Where I got it: My collection
Rating: 3.5 stars  
Cover Rating: 2 stars (Looks like a boring classic.)
Genre: Adult
Publication Date: 1953/1925
Publisher: Charles Scribner's Sons
Page Count: 182 p.
Buy it: Book Depository | Indie | Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

I don't feel like I need to write a summary for this novel, because you either have read this or are not going to.

Nick Carraway was an interesting character, not a great writer though. His story jumped around a lot and sometimes it was confusing about how these random events fit together. (I suppose this is really Fitzgerald's doing, but I feel they could be one in the same.) Beginning of chapter four lists a bunch of names for quite a few too many pages. I understand that it's supposed to show all the various types that attended Gatsby's parties, but it just seemed dreadfully boring to me. They weren't even really people, so it didn't really seem all that important. I did love picture Gatsby's parties and his huge house. Gatsby and Nick were such real people. Even though Gatsby was very mysterious about his past, his present was endearing. You could hear the emotion in his words, even if he was cool.

There was plenty to like about this novel and I liked all those bits. There were a few slow parts though and a few parts I just didn't understand. Maybe a second read through will make things more coherent. Luckily this is a short novel, so it's one that you can stop and re-read parts of without taking a very long time to finish it. It was an enjoyable read for the most part.

Gatsby. He was a unique fella and so in love. So crazily, stupidly in love. I feel so awful for Gatsby. He tried so hard. He felt so much. In the end things don't always work out for people who may deserve it, even when the ungrateful hordes dance in the sun. That's what I took away from this novel. Is rich people get richer, while the poor get poorer. It doesn't matter if it's money of life. There are always grateful people and ungrateful people. Dreamers and those content to have life always be the same. We need those dreamers though, otherwise we wouldn't have any inventions and still just be cavemen.

I won't say much more; Gatsby is Gatsby. This novel is definitely worth the read, if only so you know that book that people mention now and again when they are trying to sound sophisticated. Who knows, maybe you'll love it...

First Line:
"In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind since."

Favorite Line:
"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

Giveaway: If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin

As some of you may have read yesterday in my review of this book, I loved it. Absolutely and completely. So I bought two extra copies and I want to give them to you my dear readers. I want to spread the story of Autumn and Finn. So simply Enter Here and you will have a chance to win one of 2 copies of this lovely novel. There will also be some swag to go with it...I'll post more about that later. The giveaway is open to anyone on Earth and will run until the last day of May.

For an extra entry please answer below with the title of the last book that made you cry or (for those of you too tough to cry) the last story that you fell in love with completely.