WeBuzz
Reader discussion: The Great Gatsby
Public reader discussion about The Great Gatsby in the WeRead Catalog by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
What do you think happened to the characters of “The Great Gatsby” in the years following the novel?
By Lucky_Brush
I’ve gone back to this book a bunch of times, and I always end up wondering what happens to Nick, Tom, Daisy, Jordan, and everyone else after Gatsby dies. It’s one of those “what would you do next” kind of questions, so there’s really no right answer, but I keep thinking about a few things:
Did Daisy ever actually leave Tom?
When she heard what happened to Gatsby, how did she react?
Do Tom or Daisy ever face any real fallout for how reckless they were?
Jordan and Nick kind of end things on a rough note—do they ever cross paths again later?
Since the Great Depression hits in the 1930s, I’m curious how that ends up affecting them all.
And I also wonder what Nick winds up doing with his life after everything.
Thanks for posting your thoughts!
TIL that F. Scott Fitzgerald died believing he was a failure. Two years later 155,000 copies of 'The Great Gatsby' were shipped to WWII soldiers overseas, making it a widespread success. As of 1945 it's believed to be a classic, selling 500,000 copies annually.
By openspepper
Serious question though—how much of those yearly sales is just from being on basically every summer reading list across the country?
I have developed a theory about The Great Gatsby.
By NeedleRusty5
I’ve got this theory about Gatsby. Like, in the book it almost feels like he didn’t really “exist” as a real person—more like a rumor or a myth that people kept repeating. Hear me out though.
At his parties, it’s not like anyone actually sees Gatsby clearly. Only a small handful of people seem to even be around him.
Most folks don’t really know him; they just know the idea of him.
And the people who supposedly “knew” him either died or moved away, and Nick’s basically the only one left who could back anything up.
But since Gatsby is dead, he can’t defend any of it, so it feels like the story had to go that way too.
Even at his funeral, his dad didn’t look upset at all.
And there’s that guy there who’s basically saying everything is fake.
Those are the main things I’m looking at—what do you all think? My English teacher thought it was interesting both this year and last year.
Also I’m not mad about downvotes or anything, I just don’t get why people didn’t like the idea. It’s a new angle and I honestly think it fits the book.
Hot take: the best way to adapt The Great Gatsby into a movie today would be to set it in the present rather than the 1920s.
By ChapterMountain
Watching some of the arguments about Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis made me start side-eyeing his Great Gatsby too, especially the way he picks music/time periods that don’t quite match. And then it hit me: I think his Gatsby kind of misses what Fitzgerald was actually going for.
Like, the movie makes the Jazz Age look *way* too cool. The whole point of the book (to me, anyway) is that the rich lifestyle is hollow and fake as hell, and Fitzgerald’s coming at it from lived experience. But the film feels more focused on the parties, the shiny luxury, and the romance angle. It’s basically the story, but with the message turned into a vibe, which is… not what I wanted.
I keep thinking that if you just took Gatsby’s basic plot and dropped it in the present day, the tone would probably land way closer to what Fitzgerald was trying to say—because modern nostalgia/glamour about the 1920s kind of messes with how people see it. Ironically, this doesn’t seem too different from what Luhrmann did with Romeo & Juliet anyway.
What I’d do is make Jay this messed-up parody of modern influencers—someone like those guys who come from nothing and then act like they’re ballers, throwing huge livestream parties from their “West Egg” mansion. Daisy would be a parody of someone like Addison Rae or Lele Pons: pretty, shallow, always phone-in-hand, dressed for attention, not depth. Swap Teslas for the old cars, swap whatever late-2010s/early-2020s “expert” hot takes for the old 1920s stuff, and yeah, you could even have one of Jay’s parties go “1920s themed” like a wink. But I wouldn’t change the actual skeleton of the plot or the characters at all.
Jay would still be empty inside, still doing the parties out of obligation more than enjoyment, still obsessed with money/status like the American Dream is something you can hack overnight. He’d still come off as an outsider who feels like he has to prove himself (honestly that part probably barely changes—just the flavor of “humble beginnings” and what counts as “flyover” now). Daisy would still be living for the moment, still shallow, and Jay being stuck on her for years would still be that gross, borderline-stalker obsession that screams he’s only chasing image. And Nick would still be the outsider who can see through it all and recognize the whole thing for what it is.
I know this sounds like blasphemy, but I honestly think it could be the best way to adapt Gatsby for screen/TV without getting swallowed by our romanticized version of the Roaring Twenties. What do you all think?
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, explores themes of decadence, idealism, resistance to change, social upheaval, and excess, creating a portrait of the Jazz Age that has been described as a cautionary tale regarding the American Dream. Generations of readers have acclaimed this book.
By HawkBirch2001
I’ll be honest, I liked it way more once I wasn’t being forced to read it. In school, when it was assigned, a lot of parts felt kind of disjointed to me, like there wasn’t much going on or any real structure, and as a teen I just couldn’t get much out of it. I’m guessing it was mostly a focus thing, though.
And to be clear, I do think it earns a lot of the praise. It just took me a while to actually come around to it.
The Great Gatsby discussion.
By Wild-Paperback15
The Great Gatsby is probably my favorite book, and if anyone wants to talk about it, I’d be up for that. To start off, I kinda feel like the guy with the glasses could stand for the devil, while Nick Carraway might be more of a god-like person, and I really think Gatsby is kind of a Christ figure since he “took the blame” for Daisy and then ends up getting killed, so it’s like he died not just for his own sins but for everyone else’s too. Let me know what you think, I’m cool with discussing pretty much anything about the book.
As I read The Great Gatsby, I kept a record of how many times Gatsby says "old sport."
By StampGlad5
He basically drops that phrase like 40 times, and I think once of those is just Nick making it up. It’s wild—there weren’t many pages where Gatsby was actually talking and he didn’t toss it in.
Also, Tom only says “old sport” twice, but it’s pretty clearly to poke fun at him.
[Schedule] The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
By solarislandwhispers
Here’s the reading plan for The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I’ll be leading the chats with u/Less_Tumbleweed_3217.
Goodreads says it’s basically Fitzgerald’s top work—his third book from 1925—and it’s this super classic Jazz Age story about Jay Gatsby and his big feelings for Daisy Buchanan, plus all those fancy parties out on Long Island.
Since it’s pretty short, we’re doing two check-ins and then wrapping with a book vs movie:
- Wed, April 16 — Ch 1–5
- Wed, April 23 — Ch 6–end
- Wed, April 30 — Book vs movie discussion
Hope to see everyone there!
The great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald, and [Historical Fiction](1925)
By lucky-plate5166
I’m not sure what else to say besides that The Great Gatsby really feels like Fitzgerald’s peak. It’s one of those classic books people keep mentioning, and after reading it I get why. You’ve got Jay Gatsby with all that money, his big obsession with Daisy Buchanan, and then those wild parties on Long Island in the 1920s—at least that’s the vibe the back cover gives, with that whole “gin and sex” kind of thing. Overall it just seems like an iconic 20th-century novel.
TIL that F. Scott Fitzgerald wanted to rename "The Great Gatsby" to "Under the Red, White and Blue" but it was too late in the publishing stage that the classic title remained unchanged.
By notebookdeviate9725
Huh, I heard Tolstoy originally wanted to name *War and Peace* something like “War – What is it Good For?”
The Great Gatsby - digital scan of the original manuscript, with F. Scott's annotations and crossouts, via Princeton University Digital Library
By DustyValley
This is really cool, but I hate having to zoom in like crazy to read it.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nick's description of Jordan Baker
By Starlight_Mist
Not sure—like, the description brings up her body and it feels like it’s setting her up through the male gaze, but at the same time it also gives her a lot more control over how she’s standing, presenting herself, and moving around. In this part I feel like I actually know more about her than him.
I don’t think this one works for me.
F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby | Imagine suggesting that this book doesn't iNvItE cOnTeMpLaTiOn
By Heron_Patient2507
I feel like some folks only rip into classics because they want to sound “smarter” than everyone else, even though it just makes them come off more pretentious. Like, “wow, I’m so brilliant that even this famous book is basically trash for people like me.”
Anyone Else Read The Recent Gatsby Article In The New York Times?
By wood-eagle
Lying in bed with the lights out, scrolling on my phone, I opened the New York Times app and went straight to the literature section. There’s a piece about The Great Gatsby, so I clicked it—like, I *have* to know. But then I’m sitting there thinking… what could they possibly add that’s actually new about Gatsby or Fitzgerald?
And then a few paragraphs in, I hit this line comparing him to “Sally Rooney of his time,” and I just couldn’t. My face literally scrunched up like I was trying not to react.
Does anyone else get major cringe from that kind of comparison?
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby [Analysis]
By NeedleRusty5
Why are you bringing up Scott Fitzgerald? Like, what did he even do?
Can someone please explain why "The Great Gatsby" is so wonderful?
By HiddenSwan6
My sister just got back from college and won’t stop going on about how amazing *The Great Gatsby* is. My dad and a bunch of other people keep saying the same thing too. I’ve read it a few times now, but I honestly still don’t get what everyone’s so into. If anyone has any thoughts on what I might be missing, I’d love to hear them.
A frustrated venting post about The Great Gatsby, or Daisy Buchanan.
By hiddencat86
I read this when I was pretty young—around 14—and I was totally the kind of person who got swept up in characters easily. I really liked Daisy back then. She just came off so put-together and classy, like she had all that 1920s polish, the kind of vibe I’d only heard about, not actually seen in something I was reading. I ended up rereading *TGG* like four times, and every time felt a little clearer, like my brain had grown enough to see what was actually going on. Each reread made it more obvious how awful she is.
Gatsby wasn’t exactly a saint either, and sure, he was involved with some pretty sketchy stuff, and he wasn’t some perfect “good guy” in real life. But he was seriously in love with Daisy. Like, he was willing to take the blame for Myrtle’s death, willing to do whatever it took to keep Daisy comfortable and happy—while Daisy had just turned him down right there in front of everyone. I don’t really have “favorite” people in this book, but Nick is the one I end up relating to the most. He’s basically watching from the sidelines and not stepping in to change anything. And the ending still hits hard with that idea that Tom and Daisy just wreck things and then slip back into their money while other people deal with the fallout.
And what gets me is what happens after all that—Gatsby only dies because Wilson thinks he’s Myrtle’s lover, but the whole time it was Tom involved with Myrtle, and Daisy is the one who runs her over. And honestly, those awful moments aren’t even the worst part to me. The absolute worst thing is that Daisy didn’t even show up to Gatsby’s funeral.
Anyway, I’m probably going to start a Daisy Buchanan hate club. Who’s in?
Unpopular opinion of the great gatsby
By coastporch
Just grabbed The Great Gatsby because a friend said it’s his favorite book ever, and I got him one of those deluxe hardcovers for his birthday. I figured I’d grab a used paperback for myself.
Haven’t touched it since high school. Back then I remember thinking it was good, but also I basically understood nothing about anything. This time though… wow. I didn’t expect to feel so grossed out by basically everyone in it.
Gatsby comes off like a total doormat/simp. Like I’ve definitely met dudes like that—Brooklyn loft party energy, “I’m a crypto millionaire” talk, but they can’t look you in the eye unless there’s a mirror handy.
Nick is the worst kind of “I’m just being honest” person. He’s awkwardly all over the place, acting like he’s above everything while somehow always being there. And the women are weird too—Daisy feels like rich-girl aesthetic more than a real person, Jordan is only kind of engaging for like five minutes, and Myrtle’s whole thing gets framed like some big lesson when it’s… just awful what happens. It’s not deep, it’s just tragic.
I’m not trying to say the author had no skill, but the whole thing feels like overpriced artisanal mayonnaise to me—like, somehow it drags even though it’s short, and it has the same vibe as conversations with every guy who owns a Tesla and wears vintage band shirts ironically.
Why is Great Gatsby considered great literature?
By Early_Plate5379
Pretty sure most people in the US had to read *The Great Gatsby* in school since it’s basically treated like a must-read classic and one of the big American novels. I didn’t get into it though. It’s probably one of my least favorites—like the whole plot feels kind of pointless, and the characters don’t feel real at all.
Am I the only one who felt that way? Did anyone actually love it? I’d genuinely like to know what everyone sees in it and why it’s held up as such a classic.
'No one had the slightest idea what the book was about': Why The Great Gatsby is the world's most misunderstood novel
By frozencrownmug2
I thought the article about what happens when *The Great Gatsby*’s copyright finally expired was interesting, but there’s one thing they left out that really threw me—so the whole “world’s most misunderstood novel” take didn’t feel right to me.
That last line, “So we beat on…”—it’s so iconic and kind of brutal in its meaning that I can’t imagine someone not getting what the book is going for. Also, I’ve heard a ton of high school English teachers quote it to me over the years, and once I started reading Fitzgerald I swear I could hear all those voices in my head again, plus Nick, Daisy, Gatsby, all of them. It made the book feel clear, like it’s trying to show one slice of human experience and how culture messes with real people’s lives.
The part I did like a lot was the mention of James Gatz. I didn’t even remember Gatsby’s name change before, so I went looking and ended up reading more about Max Gerlach and how Fitzgerald pulled from that plus his own life stuff.
I’ll also say one big thing that I think drives Gatsby: Fitzgerald seems pretty fixated on how not having money knocks you down culturally. And you can see that kind of theme with Princeton at the time (basically the rich Southern “Ivy” crowd, not exactly diverse), and how money changes his whole romantic life, too—at least that’s how it comes off in the info I read.
My main letdown with Gatsby is the 1974 movie. The visuals and production design were awesome and really matched what I pictured from the novel. But Robert Redford’s Gatsby just didn’t work for me—he felt too goofy, not subtle in that tragic, emotional way the story is. Like, the whole point is that money and romance are tangled together for him, and he’s always feeding illusions because the stuff he’s “achieved” has to mean something. And it’s kind of heartbreaking that he buys into the green light idea that the future will magically come back around, year after year.
So yeah, I’m genuinely curious if there will ever be another Gatsby movie that actually lands and gets praised like it should.
EDIT: Also, it’s been 100 years since Scribner published it in 1925, so I guess it’s not going anywhere. It’s definitely become one of those permanent classics that keeps getting adapted.