Have you seen the trailers for the new version of The Great Gatsby?
I know it’s been a lot of years, but I really don’t remember the book version of The Great Gatsby being nearly this eye-popping-ly exciting. The music, the cars, the mansions, the parties — this looks big and glamorous, candy-coated and full of adrenaline. I’m pretty much dying to see this now, and I can’t get the music out of my head.
On the other hand, I barely remember the plot details from the book, so I can’t tell at all if this is a faithful adaptation.
So, should I re-read the book? Or just wait and enjoy the glitz of the movie?
Bookshelf Fantasies 
I have not seen the trailer for this latest version of The Great Gatsby… I did, however, have a flashback to the Robert Redford/Mia Farrow version. It came out when I was in high school, Robert Redford was supremely swoon-worthy, and my boyfriend and I went to see the movie. It was the most excrutiatingly awful 12 years I ever spent in a movie theater (but I avoided The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo so maybe it’s only the 2nd worst movie ever). By the end of the movie, I was fervently hoping that they WOULD throw the genuine plot out the window and KILL MIA FARROW!!!! KILL HER TWICE!!! JUST SHUT HER UP!!!! AAAAGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!! On the other hand, all I really remember about the book is that darn green light. I hope I’ve been helpful 🙂
LOL. That green light is about all I remember too. Maybe we snoozed through the same English class? I never saw the Robert Redford version, but from your description, I’m guessing this new one would just have to be an improvement! (And BTW, I managed to avoid The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo also, although I did read the book — and hated it).
I re-read (or listened, rather) after I saw the Leonardo trailers. It was only about five hours long and I had forgotten so much of the plot and details that it was worth a revisit. I know it’s considered The Great American Novel, but it isn’t my favourite. Still, I like it, and I think it will translate well, especially with Leonardo starring as Gatsby. 🙂
I read a whole bunch of F. Scott Fitzgerald back in high school, and Gatsby wasn’t my favorite either… but I’m usually such a stickler for reading books before seeing movies that I feel like I should give it another try.
I met up with some friends the other night and someone mentioned that this was his “favourite book of all time.” That’s when I started to wonder what I had missed…
Since you’re a stickler for reading the book first, did you read Anna Karenina or Les Mis? I was thinking about it, but they are sooooo long!