The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

[laceyehrlich]

In preparation for the summer film, The Great Gatsby, I re-read the book. Of course, it was just as good as it was the first time I read it, but I was able to pick up on some things that I hadn't noticed (or cared to pay attention to) in high school. I am interested, though, in talking about the differences and similarities between the book and the movie. It's easy to say "the book was better;" we know that, it always is. But what did you think about how the symbolism and the foreshadowing came across in the book vs. in the movie?

[suzy1124]

can't wait to see this!.............. Leonardo hasn't made a bad movie yet...

[Grey]

I watched the movie and read the book. I think the movie was great: amazing acting! Leonardo Di Caprio - need i say more? However, they should have got a better actress to play Daisy: I wasn't feeling the character. Daisy is the most significant aspect of Great Gatsby. She is the symbol of success: Money. Ultimately, she is the American Dream to Gatsby and the reader that the movie could not capture this was disappointing. Moreover, the spirit of the 20s was also dimmed by the movie. Gatsby’s parties were described in detail as fantastic, incredible, a man's last attempt at grasping his dream, yet the movie’s representation of said parties was a little corny. Needless to say the audience was still captivated by the tragic end and the bitter truth: the American Dream is nothing but a lie. It was a great movie but an even better book.

[nehadak87]

saw the movie recently.....havent read the book yet.....the only comforting thought abt the movie was that gatsby died knowing there was a phone call,though not from daisy .
di caprio , as usual , continues to dazzle.

[Kali06]

Saw the movie pretty recently.

Growing up I adored this book for its beauty and subtlety, however in the movie I found this lacking quite a bit. Obviously the picture was entertaining, the parties were spectacular and the crew was glamorous, but they lacked the same vibes that F. Scott brought to the table.
I always felt Gatsby had a cool sense about him, "the man in the cool silk shirts." As described by Daisy. But in the movie he was an obsessed and weak man who seemed to constantly be irritated or worried, fidgeting relentlessly. He is not the magnificent and romantic man he should have been, and who better to play him than Leonardo. Either way I think it just goes to show how much movies miss in the details of things. They can never really capture the emotions, feelings or true essence of a character the way a book can.

(I realize this does not even come close to answering your original question, but I found myself writing and unable to stop.)


Cheers.

[bnormile]

I have seen the movie and read the book. I do believe that with all movies based on the literature the print wins hands down. The book captured the general essence of what the story told but failed in the details. Fitzgerald portrayed Gatsby as a cool and romantic type, which Leonardo pulled off well, but he became frantic and not as put together throughout the movie. understand for the sake of entertainment that we must see a decline in Gatsby as the movie progresses foreshadowing his utmost doom in the end but it is just not in his character. Also, I agree that in the movie the parties were not as eloquent as the book portrayed them to be. They seemed in the movie like a cheesy New Years party instead of a Cool Gatsby Roaring event. Also, the mansion in the movie showed the decline of Gatsby in the movie foreshadowing his doom to the end. In the beginning, Gatsby was shown as a prominent young man with roaring parties and a beautiful bright house with always a light on. When I read the text mentioning the lights I always though it to symbolize the beacon of hope like he is leaving the lights on for Daisy. But as the movie progressed the mansion became dark just like Gatsby's attitude became to turn from his cool and collected nature. In the book I did not see that sort of drastic turn in Gatsby like they portrayed in the movie the mansion gloom was more exaggerated in the movie to provide a symbolism of Gatsby.The movie also shows Nick writing the story in a sanitarium where in the text it is not clear that Nick is the narrator and certainly not writing it in a sanitarium. The movie failed to capture true details of text. The details that gave the story such depth and emotion. I suppose with lack of detail certain aspects like Gatsby's nature, the mansion, and the light at the end of the dock had to be more exaggerated because details were left out that were present in the text. The symbolism had to be pronounced in the movie so that there could be an understanding that in the text would be described in detail.

[WKG_2272]

In preparation for the summer film, The Great Gatsby, I re-read the book. Of course, it was just as good as it was the first time I read it, but I was able to pick up on some things that I hadn't noticed (or cared to pay attention to) in high school. I am interested, though, in talking about the differences and similarities between the book and the movie. It's easy to say "the book was better;" we know that, it always is. But what did you think about how the symbolism and the foreshadowing came across in the book vs. in the movie?

Hey laceyehrlich,
I thought that I would bring up an article that I read about a month ago. I don't remember the authors name but she wrote an article on the book, and how it is overrated and makes women seem petty. Well as you might have already guessed I don't exactly agree with her, as I see Gatsby's struggles in life to be similar to others that I have read about or seen. He is arguably a hopeless romantic who has idealized a certain woman for years, in the hopes that she really was a good woman and that he and her would end up together. But I think that what we see from the woman, Daisy I believe her name was, it's been a while since I read the book, is that she is arguably ignorant and possibly afraid of leaving her current lover, husband. And so since I love A Song of Ice and Fire, I will compare Gatsby to Jaime Lannister. They both love a women who already has a man, and they are willing to jump from a bridge for their loves, despite the women not loving them at all in the same way. And so I see the Great Gatsby as a sort of 20s version of a love story, and a tragedy at that mixed with the modern dilemmas of materialism and what have you. I haven't seen the movie but if Leonardo's Gatsby was a hopeless romantic kind of guy, then I would say that he likely got the part down well. He's at the very least a decent actor after all. Have a good one.

[taryn510]

Hey.

I had to read the book at secondary school and at the time I really didn't like it but reflecting it was actually a really good book.

I recently saw the film but I wasn't too taken with it.I felt there were a few things missed out that were quite important and I felt needed to be put in.

I also felt the film went on for quite a long time...so not only were there bits they could have edited in they could have also edited out lots too.

[dahlianoir]

I also recently re-read this for the first time in about ten years, and I actually enjoyed it more after seeing the movie, which is very rare for me.
I like how all the characters are imperfect in some way; they all have flaws, which makes them seem more real. The problem I find with a lot of novels I read is that a lot of the characters are very one-dimensional.
I'm also surprised he could fit so much detail and description into such a slim book.

[Hope_0615]

In preparation for the summer film, The Great Gatsby, I re-read the book. Of course, it was just as good as it was the first time I read it, but I was able to pick up on some things that I hadn't noticed (or cared to pay attention to) in high school. I am interested, though, in talking about the differences and similarities between the book and the movie. It's easy to say "the book was better;" we know that, it always is. But what did you think about how the symbolism and the foreshadowing came across in the book vs. in the movie?

The recent movie of The Great Gatsby was phenomenal on it's own! But when it's compared to the original story, everything seems highly magnified and a bit over dramatized, as opposed to the book. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely wish I could go to a fantastical party like the ones portrayed in the movie, but let's be realistic.. the original movie with Robert Redford has many more scenes that follow the book at a closer range. I felt the movie adequately revived the symbolic nature of the book. It portrayed the ideas of wealth traveling from old to new, the American dream being nothing more than a wonderful fantasy and the way Gatsby idealizes Daisy to be something she can never be... I enjoyed the film immensely even though my criticism sounds harsh. I definitely recommend it! I just feel that it clashed slightly with the standard ideals of the original story.

[hols1512]

I first read this book a few months ago as I wanted to read it before I saw the film. I was fairly unimpressed when I finished it. Then I realised I was still thinking about it days later! I was wondering what had happened to Daisy? If she was happy? Did she deserve to be happy? Only then I realised how much of an impact the book had had on me!

[Vanoh+]

This novel, although beautifully assembled and craft fully laced with symbolism throughout angered me. How can one man be so blind to the reality of his situation? How can he be so caught up in his dream that he cannot see the implausibility of it? He is either the most naive, immature man i have ever come to know, or the most heartbreakingly romantic man, my heavy burden of logic will not allow for me to love. I do adore the book, it drips of genius from its settings to its symbolism, however I am angered as I cannot place myself in Gatsby's shoes quite completely.

[Sveta]

I've actually enjoyed The Great Gatsby, was dying to see the film, but that's life I guess. I found it a strange book that had the vibe of dreams within, an unreality that doesn't exist.

[AVanderoef]

Of course I read this in High School, like the rest of the American population. I have to say that I do not remember a thing about it. I think I keep confusing it in my head with another book. I remembered hating to have to read it, but that's no different than any other book I forced to read in high school. Funny how things change, now you can't get a book out of my hand. Anyway, long story short, I have not seen the movie, waiting for DVD but meanwhile I will be retrying the book.

[SarahPapesh]

I loved the book, but I actually didn't read it until about a year ago for the first time. I appreciated reading it as an adult, because I think I better understand the nuances that were hidden versus what I may have actually picked up on when I was in high school. However, it is making me feel a bit behind the times. For the most part, I think the movie did a good job representing the book, and the actors were wonderful! (I hope this finally nabs Leo an oscar) DiCaprio was very convincing as Gatsby and I loved Maguire as Nick, but I really think that the actress who played Daisy did a great job of depicting the personality displayed in the book. I have to say, though, I was horribly disappointed with the music choices - for the dreamlike quality (Sveta, you said it best), the music did not represent what was conveyed in the book.