As mentioned a few posts ago, I have recently had a literary mid-life crisis. I have again taken up goal of attempting to read the Modern Library Association’s Top 100 novels. And I’ve just finished my second one in as many weeks. This one, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, was actually a re-read. Kinda. Let me explain.Â
Anyone who knows much about me would recognize the following two statements to be true:Â
Rob does not have the strongest long-term memory for plot-lines.
Rob can be rather obsessive about his “to-do list.”
The first statement comes in handy at times….as there is never a Law & Order episode that is a rerun for me, no matter how many times I’ve actually seen it. The second statement is a characteristic that allows me to get lots of things accomplished and I’ve luckily been able to toned down so as not to drive my family/friends too crazy.
But, in the 9th grade both of these traits came to a head around this great classic novel. It was given as an assignment in my Language Arts class. And, beyond that, the assignment was to read the whole book in ONE WEEK! One week! That seemed so unreasonable. I mean…it was Monday night…and I had a test in Health Class on Wednesday…and that other reading to do Social Studies  {the details, of course are only based on truth…as they are lost in the weird space that things go when I cross them off “my list.”} I just NEEDED to get the book out of the way.
So, I read it…in one loooooonnnnnnnggggg night. Forcing myself to skim past Fitzgerald’s fabulous narrative skill….because I would be able to get it done…cross it off the list….
My memory now is that around 1am I was heading into the final quarter of the book. The point where the mysteries that Tom and Daisy and Gatsby and Nick and Jordan were all hiding from one another were about to come out. Press on…press on…finish the bullet point on the list….
So, needless to say, I was pretty much comatose when I read through the final pages. (And, as a key to how lame my skimming was, I remember being confused why they lived in towns named after eggs anyway). So…last night, when I (re)read the end of the book I was enchanted. Fantastic. As life-changing as #1 on the Top 100 list (Ulysses)? Nope. But one I’ve enjoyed at least 1.5 times.
BTW…I DO remember that forcing myself to “read” it the first time didn’t even get me ahead in my list…staying up that late without being used to it caught me a horrible cold that made me fill like dirt the rest of the week…and not interested in working on anything else on the list.Â
Certainly didn’t learn from Gatsby himself the perils of obsessing over one thing in life….
