Shoutout to the book club member who said 'The Great Gatsby' was just about rich people being sad

Last month at our library meeting, that comment sparked a two-hour debate where half of us argued the book is a deep critique of the American Dream, while the other half said it's just a tragic love story, so what's your take on what the core theme really is?

3 comments

3 Comments

mark72326d ago

That book club member must have read the CliffsNotes. The core theme is the American Dream rotting from the inside, shown through all that hollow luxury. Calling it a sad rich people story misses the whole point.

adams.vera26d ago

Exactly, @mark723 (it's about the rot).

jesse_craig2611d ago

Totally agree about the "hollow luxury" thing. I had a friend who finished it and just said "wow they were all terrible people." Like YES, that's the point. The fancy parties and nice shirts are just a shiny cover for how empty everything is. It's not a character flaw, it's the whole system. Reducing it to a rich people soap opera is such a surface level read.