Author(s): F. Scott Fitzgerald

Classics

Midwesterner Nick Carraway rents a property on Long Island, where the new moneyed class are given to ostentatious displays of wealth. None more so than the mysterious Jay Gatsby, a man who throws lavish parties for uninvited guests; an elusive figure who remains in the shadows while others speculate about his past. After befriending his enigmatic neighbour, Nick helps reconnect Gatsby with his lost love Daisy Buchanan, now married and living tantalizingly close by. The rekindling of their passion has explosive ramifications, while the secrets of Gatsby's murky past are finally revealed. Jay Gatsby seems to embody the American Dream, having risen from impoverished obscurity to enjoy the trappings of success. Fitzgerald reveals the hollowness at the heart of an unachievable fantasy, where disillusionment and tragedy lie close beneath the surface sheen of wealth and glamour.