Book Review | The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgeralds third book, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. This exemplary novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when The New York Times noted gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession, it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s. The Great Gatsby is one of the great classics of twentieth-century literature.

-Amazon

The infamous Gatsby has to be the most popular classic of this year because of the super glossed Baz Luhrmann film adaptation. It's one of those novels that, especially after reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's beautiful writing, I really wanted to fangirl over, but I have a bit of a mixed view of the novel.

There are several things that I adored about The Great Gatsby. I loved that it is set within the gorgeous roaring 20s era, with a glitzy, cinematic quality that was pretty enjoyable. Who doesn't like to feel as if you are privvy to an exclusive person who seems to throw the worlds greatest soirees in town? Scott puts you right smack dab in the middle of all of the action with Nick Carraway, of whom the story is told through. I also loved the premise of discovering such an enigmatic figure as Gatsby, his secrets and reasoning for being who he is.

Nick Carraway is a character that was the hardest for me to take in at first, but as the story moves forward, I grew to sympathize with him. He's an observer, just as we as readers are observers to these figures who seem to dwell in a completely different dimension. He seems to have both a wonder of such people, and also a wary suspicion that I carried with me throughout the entire novel. The things that I couldn't quite get with in the beginning, were many of the introductory paragraphs. They were overwhelming, at times, as they seemed to jump from the glory of the grandios parties, to every single uninvited guest and the familes they're attached to, to his own history. He jumped around so much that it became a bit distracting, and I found myself saying, please get back to Gatsby!

Daisy. There really are no words. She seems a bit of a cameleon, in that, she takes on the opinion of whomever is around, or she wants so badly to appear the woman who's ready for anything that she often plays the mindless coquette, ever ready to party, but never ready to deal with what's right in front of her. Gatsby's reappearance into her life may have been a bit too intense for her, I gather, but she never seems to gain a handle on her own opinions of him, her husband, or her rich lifestyle which she seems to hate and also be too entangled with to let go.

I found Jordan intriguing in a way that I can't quite put my finger on. Perhaps it's because, unlike Daisy, she seems her own woman. She seems to have keen insight into the characters in a way that others don't. She doesn't seem as taken in by the glitter of Gatsby as everyone else is. Tom, well, he's something else, that's all I'll say of him.

The great Jay Gatsby is every bit of the enigma that Scott portrays him to be. He has the most peculiar allure that made me both suspicious and also euphoric about him. It seems that right off of the bat, I knew that Gatsby's pursuit of the past, and his constant surveyal of the distance will not satisfy him in the way he believes it will, but I still admired his spirit. He has the ability to make anyone believe in dreaming, and is also a great symbol of the American Dreamer, though one must decide whether that is positive or negative.

Bare in mind: The Great Gatsby contains adult themes and violence.

The Great Gatsby is one of those classics that even with its ups and downs, everyone should experience for themselves. It's entertaining, beautifully written, and readers will be taken in by Gatsby's allure. But what I love most is that it also seems to allude that this speed, debauchery driven society has no choice but to grind to a screeching hault.

                          

I give The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 3 out of 5 cups of sparkling tonic and cranberry.

A short word on the film:

I actually thought the film was a pretty awesome adaptation of the book. It carried the same overwhelming beginning that slows until everyone's flaws are glaring. Leo is Gatsby, that's all that can be said. I also thought that Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire were pretty excellent in executing their roles. Most seem to complain about Baz Luhrmann's use of modern music, but I actually felt it fit like a missing puzzle piece. It carried on the mood of Gatsby really seamlessly, and in a way, bridges the gap between the present and the 20s. Can I also say how relieved I am that Luhrmann didn't decide to turn this into a musical. That would have been a nightmare. It certainly goes without saying that the sets and costumes were out of this world lovely. The film did feel a bit long as it moves towards its end, but I would recommend it.

Bare in mind: This film contains adult themes and violence.

                

I give The Great Gatsby (2013) 4 out of 5 cups of Sparkling Cider.

My Summer TBR List a.k.a. The Original Scroll...

Hey Ladies and Gents! I pray that your summer has started off with a literary bang! This summer, unlike summers past, I've set a hefty goal for myself, and I realized how kind of ridiculous it was when I began piling all 20 of my 'to be read' choices up against a wall. I looked at it, whispering a dubious, "May the odds be ever in your favor." Nevertheless, I'm primed and ready to jump in. Here are my Summer picks:

Fun fact: I gave this New York Giants troll to my father when I was a child.
Not only has he named it 'Homie' but he actually wishes on him every
football season.

An Extraordinary Theory of Objects: by Stephanie Lacava (Memoir)

My Antonia by Willa Cather (Classic)

The House of Mirth by Edith Warton (Classic)

Sea Change by Jeremy Page (Literary)

The Sharp Time by Mary O'Connell (Young Adult)

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (Young Adult/Modern Classic)

The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty (Biographical Fiction)

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (Young Adult/Horror)

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (Young Adult/Realistic)

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma (Young Adult)

The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick (Literary)

The Seas by Samantha Hunt (Literary)

Call Me Zelda by Erika Robuck

Mermaid in Chelsea Creek by Michelle Tea (Young Adult/Fantasy)

Cameron and The Girls by Edward Averett (Young Adult/Psychological)

Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (Literary)

Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt (Young Adult)

The Elementals by Francesca Lia Block (Young Adult/New Adult)

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (Literary/Unidentifiable)

You Against Me by Jenny Downham (Young Adult/Realistic)

There it is. A whopping 20 books to be read (probably not so whopping for those of you taking on the 30 Day Challenge), hopefully, by the end of the summer, though 1Q84 might take me into the Fall! This summer I hoped to continue on reading a plethora of books on a variety of things: classics, nonfiction, and literary fiction. I have, in the past, stayed mainly within the Young Adult genre, and I really wanted to challenge myself with some others. 

I've tried for the past two years to read at least five classics, and this year, I'm finally on the way with two down (The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte), and one in progress (My Antonia). Next I'm hoping to move on to The House of Mirth after reading my good friend Casee's fabulous review! I'm hardly one for horror, but after you hear one too many positive reviews for Peculiar Children, you have no choice but to bite. I've been on a roaring 20s kick so The Chaperone and Call Me Zelda (I'm on a Z kick as well) seemed the perfect choices to stay cinematic and bright. I hardly read nonfiction, but An Extraordinary Theory of Objects caught my eye whilst perusing Anthropologie--plus it's an adorable keepsake hardcover edition. The Seas and Sea Change were chosen merely out of my desire to read a novel set near the sea (don't ask :-). Of course, I couldn't leave young adult behind completely. I wanted to finally read Thirteen Reasons Why (which has developed into a modern classic), Going Vintage (which seems a fun way to indulge my vintage self), Mermaid in Chelsea Creek (an unconventional take on mermaids), and You Against Me (which not only promises realistic grit, but is set in England, and will really help me with the Brits I'm writing in my novel). Oh and did I mention that Mr. Penumbra's cover glows in the dark?

I've already gone on for too long, but I can't wait to start experiencing and crossing off each novel from a list that's been building for a long long time!

What novels are on your Summer TBR list?

Spotted #4 | Strand Bookstore- Union Square

Spotted is a Feature on Novel Days where I spotlight books which I discover whilst about town.

Let's Bring Back: Lost Language Edition by Leslie M.M. Blume: This little number is one of my favorite discoveries! I literally fangirled over it when I saw it in Urban Outfitters. It's beautifully hardcover, and feels like a treasure to keep in your bookcase. Dastardly, Coxy-Loxy, Cockamamie, Dear...so many cool phrases that I'm going to make my personal mission to bring back, because lets face it, our slang just isn't romantic enough.

City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare: You all know how much I adore The Infernal Devices series, but for some reason I found myself a bit hesitant to read The Mortal Instruments, even before I started TID. One moment someone will passionately recommend it, and the next, some one will say that it isn't up to the hype. Who should I believe, TMI fans? No matter what the opinion, the film sure looks great.

Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor: When I first started college I experienced "A Good Man is Hard To Find", and I remember being a little more than disturbed. Especially since we were studying about the grace of God within the text. I couldn't really see it then. But I've always wanted to revisit her work. I feel like I need, at least, one short story collection in my book case.

Persuasion by Jane Austen: In a section where Strand booksellers offer their personal recommendations, one associate said that this is Jane Austen's best, raw, and most thoughtful novel. I tried to read this novel as a young teenager, but found it really hard to get into. Perhaps, I'm ready for it now. I also find it very intriguing that it doesn't seem as popular as her other novels. What do you Austentatious fans think of Persuasion?

To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf: I've never read Virginia Woolf, though A Room of One's Own has intrigued me in the last few years. I think, too, that I've been a bit reluctant to read her work, for her tragic end. I have the same reluctance for Sylvia Plath. Have any of you read Woolf?

The Essential Hemingway by Ernest Hemingway: Oh this man. It's so hard for me when it comes to him. So many people talk of how genius he is, and also how much of a jerk he seemed to be. I also think that reading Z and The Paris Wife has poisoned my mind to him. But I want to look past the latter and just take in the beauty of his words. Any recommendations?

My Antonia by Willa Cather: I literally saw this sitting on a table as I passed by, remembered I had the novel on Kippa, and then decided on the spot I had to have it. I haven't heard very much about this book, save for a short paragraph excerpted in a writers workbook. But then I read the inscribed quote on the cover by H.L. Mencken: "No romantic novel ever written in America, by man or woman, is one half so beautiful as My Antonia." How could I possibly pass this up after that wallop of a quote? I've since started reading it, and it's a dream, ladies and gents.

Lunch In Paris by Elizabeth Bard: I've had this memoir/cookbook for a while on Kippa. Of course anything recounting experiences in Paris is pretty awesome, but what I loved most about Elizabeth Bard's personal recollections is that towards the ending of every memory, she includes a recipe to accompany it. I think I may spend this summer reading through the recipes, and trying my hand at each one as Julia Powell did with Julia Child's recipes. Have any of you read this one?

American God's by Neil Gaiman: I must be the only person on the planet to have never read anything by Neil Gaiman. He has be the modern day mythological writer genius. I've thought often of reading Coraline, after watching the film, and then I chanced on this one. Sounds like a graphic novel. Are any of you Gaiman fans? What do you think of this one? Any more recommendations?

That's been this weeks SPOTTED. I hope you're all having a truly blessed week, and I would love to know what you've spotted.

Book Review | Flowers In The Sky by Lynn Joseph

 Just about everyone from my country, República Dominicana, dreams of moving to New York City, except for me. On the flight to New York, my first time on a plane, my first time away from Mami, I was finally free to cry. But nothing came out. I watched as the green mountains of my beloved island slipped away far below.

Fifteen-year-old Nina Perez is faced with a future she never expected. She must leave her Garden of Eden, her lush island home in Samana, Dominican Republic, when she's sent by her mother to live with her brother, Darrio, in New York, to seek out a better life. As Nina searches for some glimpse of familiarity amid the urban and jarring world of Washington Heights, she learns to uncover her own strength and independence. She finds a way to grow, just like the orchids that blossom on her fire escape. And as she is confronted by ugly secrets about her brother's business, she comes to understand the realities of life in this new place. But then she meets him—that tall, green-eyed boy—one that she can't erase from her thoughts, who just might help her learn to see beauty in spite of tragedy. From the acclaimed author of the color of my words comes a powerful story of a girl who must make her way in a new world and find her place within it.

- Amazon

I passed by this beautiful cover so many times that I just couldn't help delving into this classic coming of age story. Flowers In The Sky by Lynn Joseph is a novel about a fifteen year old girl named Nina who immigrates from the beautiful Dominican Republic, to the bustling and harsh Washington Heights neighborhood in New York City to live with her older brother, Darrio. There, Nina's life becomes awash with new people, and secrets which cause her burgeon in her new environment, and seize this new opportunity she gains.

Firstly, I loved Nina's voice. Lynn Joseph's writing has such a purity and simplicity within it. It felt like drinking a cold glass of water on a sweltering day: refreshing. Nina has childlike wonder about the world around her, and an insightful voice that at once feels fifteen, and I appreciated that she is not trying to appear older than her age. Nina's great passion is gardening, and I loved the wonderful descriptions of her garden back in the Dominican Republic as well, as those she hopes to create in her new home. Flowers seem to personify Nina's own journey, and the dreams she has for her future. Of course, there's only a matter of time before Nina meets a mysterious green eyed guy named Luis, who intrigues her to no end. But even as she is finding her way in this new place, secrets that Darrio keeps locked, literally behind closed doors, threaten their stability.

I loved that Lynn Joseph, through Nina and Darrio, gives life to the experience that many immigrants may have as they embark upon new lives in the United States. To those in their countries, New York is a glittering light gleaming with possibility, but whether they ever actually experience New York as the land of promise is a different story. Darrio's secrets, once revealed, are heartbreaking, and I sympathized with him, and his responsibility towards his sister and mother.

I also thoroughly enjoyed Nina's interactions with Luis. They are both such sweethearts together, and the adventures that they take are so inspiringly New York City. Lynn Joseph does a fabulous job of describing the cityscape. It's wonderful to experience them in written form, through the eyes of a dreamy teenagers. Nina and Luis' relationship is well paced and believable. Luis is nothing that he seems, and a good lesson in how not to stereotype.

Although, I loved this story a great deal, the only challenges I had with this novel were its size and pacing at some points. I simply wanted more (as the little girl in the AT&T commercial would say). I wanted more of Nina's story, her interactions at school with her new friends Carlos and Bunny, with Luis. After the secrets are revealed, I wanted to see how Nina and Darrio dealt with those issues, but the novel seems to rush these moments a bit. On the other side, I also love how the short novel/story seems to offer a vignette of one specific moment in someone's life, elevating it to an almost mythic scale. 

Bare In Mind: This novel contains slight profanity and allusions to violence.

Flowers In The Sky is a wonderful summery coming of age story that even with my challenges I recommend because it is very well written, and inspires me to burgeon even in places that give the illusion of barrenness.

I give Flowers In The Sky by Lynn Joseph 3 1/2 out of 5 cups of Cafe con Leche.

P.S.- Here's me trying my own hand at gardening. It should grow up to become Lavender, and I've named her Hermyownee. Read more of my adventures with growing my new baby this summer on my inspiration blog Forelsket Spark, if you'd like :-).

Bookish Creations: The Book Jar

At this point, I feel late in everything involving the book world, but why not jump in with something as adorable as this? I first discovered The Book Jar whilst watching some of my favorite BookVloggers talk about the creation of their book jars, and I thought it yet another practical reason to fangirl over books! For those who have not discovered The Book Jar yet, it is a place to store all of those books that you want read but haven't gotten a chance to, so that when you find yourself in a reading lag, you have a host of choices at your fingertips.



To make your own book jar, all you need are:

• strips of paper 
• a pair of scissors 
• a pen 
• a library and/or GoodReads shelf (as I forgot almost every single book title when put in position to remember them)
• and an adorable jar of which to fill your fantastic books with!

Instead of regular strips of paper, I used strips of decorative scrap-booking paper to make it more festive. My father, knowing my love for mason jars, bought me this one a while back, and I'm happy to have a purpose for it now! I'm not sure if everyone does this, but I've decided to only place books in my jar that I own, but for some reason or another neglected. I'm one of those impulse book buyers that can find something I think is totally extraordinary one minute, and then see another novel that eclipses that one in the next. I haven't put up my bookcase yet, so all of these books are piling up all around my bed (fire hazard, hello!). Plus it forces me to stop making excuses like, hmm, I don't have anything to read (complete understatement).

Have any of you created your own book jar? If so, how are you decorating yours? what titles are you placing in it?

Book Review | The Paris Wife by Paula Mclain

 “A beautiful portrait of being in Paris in the glittering 1920s—as a wife and as one’s own woman.”—Entertainment Weekly A deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wife captures the love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley. Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Though deeply in love, the Hemingway's are ill prepared for the hard-drinking, fast-living, and free-loving life of Jazz Age Paris. As Ernest struggles to find the voice that will earn him a place in history and pours himself into the novel that will become The Sun Also Rises, Hadley strives to hold on to her sense of self as her roles as wife, friend, and muse become more challenging. Eventually they find themselves facing the ultimate crisis of their marriage—a deception that will lead to the unraveling of everything they’ve fought so hard for. A heartbreaking portrayal of love and torn loyalty, The Paris Wife is all the more poignant because we know that, in the end, Hemingway wrote that he would rather have died than fallen in love with anyone but Hadley.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER WINNER—BEST HISTORICAL FICTION—

GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY People • Chicago Tribune • NPR • The Philadelphia Inquirer • Kirkus Reviews • The Toronto Sun • BookPage Look for special features inside. Join the Circle for author chats and more. 

-Amazon

I walked past The Paris Wife by Paula Mclain in Posman Bookshop sometime ago remembering the tremendous praise that this novel has been receiving, and I have to affirm that praise. I absolutely adored this novel. It's filled with a bibliophile's/romantics treasure trove of locations, writing wisdom, and heartbreaking intrigue. This is also the first novel I've read that attempts to capture the lives of classic people in fiction. It's a pretty cool way to catch a glimpse of such legendary artists.

Hadley is a wonderful character to experience, and I found I could really relate to her journey. She is immediately beguiled by the young Ernest Hemingway, whom I must say is so easy to become infatuated with. He is, at first, charismatic and full of life with his overconfidence, and sympathetically bashful attitude towards his writing. But Hadley's seeming simplistic dream of growing old with Hemingway, watching their child grow, and living a happy life is no match for Hemingway's explosive vision for his life. I couldn't help but sympathize for Hemingway's desire to become a brilliant writer, but it seems this becomes gnarled by an obsession of risk-taking and death, along with his need to out-best every person around him.

Paula Mclain is a beautiful writer who pens the semi-biographical life of Hadley and Hemingway thoughtfully and realistically. Hadley's voice is soft and poetic, and sucked me in from the first sentence. I loved that Hadley is slightly out of step with this new set of players that flock towards them in Paris, and the questions that arise such as the pros and cons of being content vs. ambition, and the parts of oneself that are often lost in pursuit of fame. Even as Hadley falls head over heels for Hemingway, she also questions her own purpose in the world outside of him...I admired this, and it's showcasing of the treatment of women who had their own dreams in the 20s. Regarding Hemingway's portrayal, I wasn't very fond of him. Before reading The Paris Wife, I didn't really know how to perceive him, as his reputation precedes him, but after reading the novel (as well as Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald), I honestly can't stomach reading his work. I know a lot of Hemingway enthusiasts will frown upon this, and I'm not discrediting his writing, but as a person he seems a bit abominable. I'm sure that Hadley wasn't entirely perfect on her own, but in any account of her that I've read she seemed sweet, and believably naive. His treatment of her is horrible! There were moments where I literally wanted to face-palm him, and ask him why he bothered to get married. That said, I admire Mclain's ability to paint him both abhorrently and also show the internal conflict he seems to face in lieu of his changing perception.

Along with this heartbreaking set, I also enjoyed getting to experience other writers and artists that Hadley and Hemingway associate with in the novel. It's so surreal, but wonderful to experience Paris in the twenties, with all of its excitement and intrigue.

Bare in Mind: The Paris Wife contains slight adult content, profanity, and disturbing scenarios.

The Paris Wife is a beautifully executed novel of Hadley and Hemingway's love and inevitable loss.

I give The Paris Wife by Paula Mclain 5 out of 5 cups of Irish Breakfast.

P.S. I would love to experience this novel as a film!