by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Prior to it actually being assigned in 11th grade English class, my first real exposure to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby was receiving a hand-me-down copy of the book from my father.
The 1960s-era front cover — and my dad’s name stamped across the edges of its yellowing pages — gave away its origin as an item acquired for school, and its back cover description was vague by today’s standards:
“A novel of romantic love, infidelity, and inevitable violence creating a now classical portrait of the era of the Twenties.”
Neither prepared me for the lifelong relationship I would have with the book, as a reader. But the fact my father still had his copy of it — nearly 30 years later — should have been a clue. Gatsby would become one of a small list of favorites I continue to reread on a fairly regular basis.
As a teenager, although I could spout off its symbolism to the satisfaction of the AP English exam, I was more infatuated with how Fitzgerald used words and language than I was with the story itself. It served as a starting point to explore his other works, especially his short stories (“Bernice Bobs Her Hair,” The Basil and Josephine Stories) and his debut novel, This Side of Paradise.
I revisited Gatsby multiple times, in my twenties and thirties, with slightly more experience on my side. With each reread, different and more personal messages — beyond the obvious, grand-scale social commentary — jumped out at me and fueled the desire to return to it again.
Remain true to yourself. You can reinvent others’ impressions of you, but you’re still you. Don’t lose your humanity as you pursue your dream. Be sure your dream isn’t an illusion. Love the individual, not the potential that person represents. Make sure your dreams are worth what you will inevitably sacrifice for them. Know what you are willing to sacrifice. Don’t dwell on the past and/or what might have been. Keep moving forward. There may be some hope for you if you learn from your mistakes and get up, again, to live another day.
Over the years, The Great Gatsby has aged with me, turning into a springboard to think about my reach, my limits and my principles.
And I have many decades of rereads to go. ★