Reading The Great Gatsby
The internet has a great number of resources to introduce and explore The Great Gatsby, as well as innumerable commentaries, satires, and adaptations. Here are a few places to get started, as well as a few more quirky resources to consider.
Guides and Introductions The Big Read: The Great Gatsby This site from the National Endowment for the Arts includes guides for readers and teaachers, as well as an audio introduction that you can play online. Understanding The Great Gatsby From A Research guide for Students, this site has links to various Gatsby resources around the web. Explore: The Great Gatsby From Cornell University's New Student Reading Project, this site links to web resources about the book as well as information on Fitzgerald and the Jazz Age. Crash Course: The Great Gatsby (Part 1/Part 2) Fast-talking Hoosier author John Green introduces The Great Gatsby and discusses its themes. Other Resources The Great Gatsby Story Map This Google map overlay allows you to visit the locations of all the scenes in the book. Click on the Satellite layer at the lower left to see the modern versions of Gatsby's and Daisy's mansions. In Gatsby's Tracks This post from Literary Kicks tracks down the original Valley of Ashes using a 1924 photographic map of New York.You can almost see the looming eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleberg. Why I Despise The Great Gatsby In this column from New York Magazine, Kathryn Schulz argues that The Great Gatsby is "less involved with human emotion" than other famous books. It's a strong point of view. Do you agree with it? Are your teachers wrong to make you read it? Why I Sort of Liked The Great Gatsby This time the reference is to the 2013 Baz Luhrmann film of the novel. New York Magazine film critic David Edelstein says that the movie is far from perfect, but that it's "unmistakably F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby." Is he right? Great Gatsby Rap There are a lot of student-produced Great Gatsby rap videos on YouTube. This one is actually kind of fun. "Great Gatsbys" Comic from Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton Warning: Contains some salty language. A humorous take on the shenanigans of our East Egg and West Egg friends. |