The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel written by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald that follows a cast of characters living in the fictional town of West Egg on prosperous Long Island in the summer of 1922. The story primarily concerns the young and mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and his quixotic (quijotesca) passion for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan. Considered to be Fitzgerald's magnum opus, The Great Gatsby explores themes of decadence, idealism resistance to change, social upheaval,(agitación) and excess, creating a portrait (retrato) of the Jazz Age that has been described as a tale regarding the American Dream.

The main events of the novel take place in the summer of 1922, narrated by Nick Carraway, a Yale graduate and World War I veteran from the Midwest who takes a job in New York as a salesman. He rents a small house on Long Island, next door to the lavish (espléndida) mansion of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire who holds extravagant parties. Nick drives across the bay to East Egg for dinner at the home of his cousin, Daisy Buchanan, and her husband, Tom, a college acquaintance of Nick's. They introduce Nick to Jordan Baker, an attractive, cynical young golfer with whom Nick begins a romantic relationship. She reveals to Nick that Tom has a mistress (amante), Myrtle Wilson, who lives in the "valley of ashes" between West Egg and New York City. Not long after this revelation, Nick travels to New York City with Tom and Myrtle to an apartment they keep for their affair. At the apartment, a vulgar and bizarre party ends with Tom breaking Myrtle's nose.

As the summer progresses, Nick eventually receives an invitation to one of Gatsby's parties. Nick encounters (se encuentra) Jordan Baker at the party, and they meet Gatsby himself, Through Jordan, Nick later learns that Gatsby knew Daisy from a romantic encounter in 1917 and is deeply in love (perdidamente enamorado) with her. He spends many nights staring at the green light at the end of her dock (muelle), across the bay from his mansion. Gatsby's extravagant lifestyle and wild parties are an attempt (intento) to impress Daisy in the hopes that she will one day appear again at Gatsby's doorstep. Gatsby now wants Nick to arrange a reunion between himself and Daisy. Nick invites Daisy to have tea at his house, without telling her that Gatsby will also be there. After an initially awkward (incómoda) reunion, Gatsby and Daisy reestablish their connection. They begin an affair (relación) and, after a short time, Tom grows increasingly suspicious of his wife's relationship with Gatsby. At a luncheon (merienda)  at the Buchanans' house, Gatsby stares at Daisy with such undisguised passion that Tom realizes Gatsby is in love with her. He forces the group to drive into New York City, where he confronts Gatsby in a suite at the Plaza Hotel. Tom asserts (asegura) that he and Daisy have a history that Gatsby could never understand, and he announces to his wife that Gatsby is a criminal whose fortune comes from illegal activities. Daisy realizes that her allegiance (lealtad) is to Tom, and Tom contemptuously (despectivamente) sends her back to East Egg with Gatsby, attempting to prove that Gatsby cannot hurt him.

And, because we don't want to spoil the end of the story, from Home English we encourage you to see the new version by film maker Baz Luhrmann, who also directed Moulin Rouge and starred by Leonardo Di Caprio, Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan in a thrilling interpretation of  F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel.

What are you waiting for?