Review: Classic?
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 06 30, 2013
I've read The Great Gatsby twice and saw the movie so I got interested in what else Fitzgerald wrote. If you can believe it, it's sort of a coming of age book but instead of it being a pre-teen turning into a teenager it's a college age young man who still acts like a pre-teen turning into a teenager. I wanted to shout, "GROW UP, ALREADY!". This selfish, spoiled young man is sure he's going to make it rich by doing absolutely nothing for it but complain that someone else's wealth hasn't been given to him. For those who work hard, put in the time, take advantage of free education, work their way through college, do their best, always honest and dependable, there is a good chance of making a living. But for those who are lackadaisical in free public schools and party through college, never work a day, live off of someone else... how can they have the gall to demand that workers share their wages/salaries/wealth with them? But they do! Then and now! So, in that way, it may be "timeless". For this Ivy League educated young man who never worked a day, to sit in bars drinking and smoking and waiting for money to fall into his hands was aggravating to say the least. But a lot of young people today do the same thing. When Amory Blaine gets a starting position writing ad copy for $25/week he's offended. Even after a $2/week pay raise in a short period of time, he's still offended. One day he just decides not to show up. No notice or anything. Three days later he goes by to tell his boss he won't be back. The rest of the book is his moaning about how the rich won't share the wealth. This is a healthy, well educated young man with no other means of support.  After we know what we know of history today, some of his socialistic theories were almost comical. At the very end he's picked up on the street by a wealthy man who gives him a ride. The older man is kind and even offers him a job but Amory declares "I shall want a lot of money" and then turns the offer down. The End. His dalliances with young ladies was childish. He would "fall in love" but neither one were in love enough to actually do anything about it like get a job, get married, take on responsibilities. When it got down to where the rubber meets the road, Amory and/or the girls would back out hastily. Unlike teenagers today, who don't mind bringing illegitimate children into the world and letting others take the responsibilities that come with it, Blaine and his girlfriends didn't go that far. Of course, in those days, if a girl got pregnant it was virtually automatic that you got married and you were on your own. It would have meant the end of his lazy, philosophizing days. It did give a good snapshot of life in those days and in that social strata. For that, I'm glad I read it. A book is worth reading as long as I learn something or enjoy it.There were a few editorial mistakes but not enough to be irritating.