Gatsby is my favorite novel. I re-read it two or three times a year. I own at least ten different editions. Were I a much richer man, I'd buy a first edition copy—but not one in mint condition. No edition of Gatsby should be in mint condition.
I love that you own so many editions of it — that seems to be a thing among those of us who love literature, to own as many editions of favourite books as we can find. And having now re-read Gatsby as an adult (at last!) I can see how it easily rewards those two or three reads a year. Thanks so much for reading, I really appreciate it.
You make a great case for revisiting old classics that we read in our youth because we "must." I remember struggling through The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Idiot but still pondering their concepts years later. Will have to add The Great Gatsby so my list!
Please do let me know what you think of Gatsby when you get around to re-reading it. I had such a great time with it that I can't get enough of talking it out with others and hearing their thoughts on the book.
I enjoyed your essay on this and feel that I'd like to reread The Great Gatsby. Vivian Gornick in Unfinished Business also celebrates the joy of returning to and rereading books that have shaped us.
That's a great book; I'm a big fan of Gornick, especially her wonderful collection of essays called "Approaching Eye Level". Thanks for reading, and I do hope you get a chance to revisit Gatsby!
It's very good, but digressive and honestly a bit heavy in places, which, if you're in the mood, is fine. But he has some short stories that are really great, and might give you a sort of distilled Hawthorne to try out, as it were. The Minister's Black Veil is often anthologized, but I prefer Artist of the Beautiful or The Birthmark. He has a collection called Twice Told Tales.
Thanks so much, Mark! I'd love to take full credit for the second line, but I borrowed the idea from Italo Calvino's "If On a Winter's Night a Traveller". That's a hell of a fun book.
Super article. Gatsby is the best. It deserves all the acclaim. I would rank it in the top of American novels. Also worth revisiting is Scarlet Letter, or anything by Hawthorne. Scarlet Letter definitely rewards reading as an adult. 💖📚
Thanks for the recommendation — Scarlett Letter is definitely one I need to check out. I did most of my schooling in the UK, so I didn't read it as a kid like most of my US friends did. I appreciate your reading and commenting on the article.
Gatsby is my favorite novel. I re-read it two or three times a year. I own at least ten different editions. Were I a much richer man, I'd buy a first edition copy—but not one in mint condition. No edition of Gatsby should be in mint condition.
I love that you own so many editions of it — that seems to be a thing among those of us who love literature, to own as many editions of favourite books as we can find. And having now re-read Gatsby as an adult (at last!) I can see how it easily rewards those two or three reads a year. Thanks so much for reading, I really appreciate it.
You make a great case for revisiting old classics that we read in our youth because we "must." I remember struggling through The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Idiot but still pondering their concepts years later. Will have to add The Great Gatsby so my list!
Please do let me know what you think of Gatsby when you get around to re-reading it. I had such a great time with it that I can't get enough of talking it out with others and hearing their thoughts on the book.
I enjoyed your essay on this and feel that I'd like to reread The Great Gatsby. Vivian Gornick in Unfinished Business also celebrates the joy of returning to and rereading books that have shaped us.
That's a great book; I'm a big fan of Gornick, especially her wonderful collection of essays called "Approaching Eye Level". Thanks for reading, and I do hope you get a chance to revisit Gatsby!
It's very good, but digressive and honestly a bit heavy in places, which, if you're in the mood, is fine. But he has some short stories that are really great, and might give you a sort of distilled Hawthorne to try out, as it were. The Minister's Black Veil is often anthologized, but I prefer Artist of the Beautiful or The Birthmark. He has a collection called Twice Told Tales.
Thanks so much, I'll keep an eye out when I'm next in a bookshop!
"I kept noticing how cosmetic change acts as a wallpaper over failures to meaningfully grow."-- great line!
And I had to laugh about "Books You Ought To Read Whether You Want To Or Not"-- I think we've all got a big long shelf like that! 😅
Thanks so much, Mark! I'd love to take full credit for the second line, but I borrowed the idea from Italo Calvino's "If On a Winter's Night a Traveller". That's a hell of a fun book.
Sounds like fun just from the title!— cheers! 😅
Super article. Gatsby is the best. It deserves all the acclaim. I would rank it in the top of American novels. Also worth revisiting is Scarlet Letter, or anything by Hawthorne. Scarlet Letter definitely rewards reading as an adult. 💖📚
Thanks for the recommendation — Scarlett Letter is definitely one I need to check out. I did most of my schooling in the UK, so I didn't read it as a kid like most of my US friends did. I appreciate your reading and commenting on the article.
Oh, sorry, didn't catch that. Yes, I suppose Hawthorne is much bigger on this side of the pond. 🙂
Would you recommend Scarlett Letter as my entry point to reading Hawthorne, or is there another of his books I ought to read first?