LITERARY MASTERPIECES

1."THE GREAT GATSBY"
BY F. SCOTT FITZGERALD

OF ALL OF AMERICA'S GREAT WRITERS OF THE 20TH CENTURY
{STIENBECK,HEMMINWAY ETC.} F. SCOTT FITZGERALD WAS THE
MOST IDIOSYNCRATIC.IN "THE GREAT GATSBY" FITZGERALD CREATES
A WORLD UNTO ITSELFOF BOTH FACT AND FICTION.ALLTHOUGH
"LONG ISLAND","NEW YORK CITY" AND "THE PLAZA HOTEL" ARE
RECOGNIZABLE AND ARE ALSO THE THREE LOCATIONS WHERE THE
BULK OF THE NOVEL TAKES PLACE-YOU'LL NEVER SEE THEM
DESCRIBED AS FITZGERALD DOES IN "GATSBY".
HIS PROSE IS BOTH ROMANTIC AND REALISTIC-A TRICKY
PROPOSITION.THE STORY SEEMS BOTH FANTASMAGORICAL AND
QUITE POSSIBLY SOMETHING THAT COULD TAKE PLACE IN REAL
LIFE-QUITE A JUXTAPOSITION.HOW DOES HE PULL IT OFF?THE
ANSWER IS WITH STYLE.A STYLE SO SINGULAR TO FITZGERALD
THAT PUTING A NAME ON IT IS-WELL-IMPOSSIBLE.
IMPRESSIONISTIC,FACTUAL,OPTOMISTIC,CYNICAL,FULL OF IM-
POSSIBLE LOVE-BUT IN BREVITY-ACCOMPLISHED LOVE AS A
FLEETING SENSE OF DREAMS COME TRUE-IF ONLY FOR A MOMENT
OR A GLEAM IN THE EYE OF IT'S BEHOLDERS-THAT CAN LAST AS
LONG AS THE DREAMERS REMEMBER IT.
IT'S A NOVEL LIKE NO OTHER IN AMERICAN LETTERS.A
THAT ONLY F. SCOTT FITZGERALD COULD HAVE WRITTEN
AND ONLY IN AMERICA COULD IT'S GREATNESS BE REALIZED
LONG AFTER F. SCOTT FITZGERLD SAID GOODBYE.

WRITTEN BY PETE HOLLY-COPYWRITE-2009-ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

"THE GREAT GATSBY" THOU NOT A GREAT SUCCESS UPON IT'S
FIRST RELEASE IN THE 1920'S HAS NOW BEEN SCRIBNERS PUBLISHING
HOUSE'S BEST SELLING NOVEL FOR MANY YEARS NOW SINCE
A REVIVAL OF INTREST THAT STARTED IN THE 1940'S AND HAS
CONTINUED ON TO THE PRESENT.F. SCOTT FITZGERALD DIED IN
1940 AND DID NOT LIVE TO SEE "GATSBY'S" SUCCESS-HE DID
HOWEVER PREDICT THAT ONE DAY IT WOULD BE SEEN AS
AS HIS FINEST WORK AND WOULD TAKE IT'S PLACE
AS ONE OF AMERICA'S GREATIST NOVELS .-P.H.