As a teenager, I kept the Journals of F. Scott Fitzgerald by my bed. If I couldn’t sleep, I reread and memorized his phrases. So, when my high school sophomore – a passionate reader – flipped out when reading his summer AP Seminar assignment, I was shocked. I mean, what’s not to like about The Great Gatsby?
“Another lame party at the mansion, Jay? No wonder Daisy doesn’t come! They’re boring!”
What?!
“Oooh, you’re Daisy’s cousin? How about you invite her over, and I’ll just happen to stop by, and say remember when we were 17…”
Don’t all teenage readers worship Fitzgerald?
“No one really cares that Tom is cheating on her except Nick, and he’s a loser.”
It’s a commentary on the 1920s.
“A decade of losers then.”
Great American novel torn to pieces at the kitchen counter for two straight days. I may have to reread Gatsby to like it again.