First Line Friday #34: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Thanks to Carrie at
Reading is My Superpower
for the Link-up

 

 

Title:  The Great Gatsby
Author:  F. Scott Fitzgerald
Genre:  Classic Fiction
Category:  School Dayz Needed Rereads

 

  〰First Line〰

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In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since."Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."

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Synopsis:  (From Amazon.com) 

Set on Long Island during the Roaring Twenties, The Great Gatsby is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s enduring exploration of wealth, desire, and the disillusionment of the American Dream. Narrated by Nick Carraway, the novel unveils the tragic pursuit of lost love by the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby, set against the backdrop of Jazz Age excess and East Coast elite society.

Recognized as a cornerstone of American literature and regional commentary, this classic novel captures the social divides, moral decay, and cultural shifts of post–World War I America. With its richly drawn characters and lyrical prose, The Great Gatsby remains a powerful critique of class, identity, and ambition in 1920s America — making it essential reading for fans of literary fiction, American classics, and modern literary criticism.

〰First Thoughts〰

I know that some literature leaves a lasting impression on some and not others.  I also know that as children, some of us loathed required literature that our not-fully-developed frontal lobes convinced us was outdated, irrelevant drivel.  In other words, our goofy selves would rather read Sweet Valley High novels and Tiger Beat magazine than books by old (or dead) people.  

As an adult who just turned 53, I see how stupid that sounds.  The older I get and the more books I read, the more I understand the value of good stories from the perspective of another class, culture, or epoch.  However, my 15- (or 16--I don't quite remember) year old eyes read the book for Dr. Rhodes' English class at Jacksonville High School and took a test on it that I assume I passed since I didn't have to take the class again, but I do not remember a word of the story, its plot, or its characters.  It's not age, since I remember other literary works from my primary, secondary, and post-secondary education (all the way from Curious George to The Tregedie of Macbeth.  No, for some reason, this story didn't make an impression on me.  Hopefully rereading the novel will my way of rectifying the situation.  If I like it well enough, I may watch the movie adaptation later.

So, what's the first line of the book you're currently reading?

Comic Relief: The Weekly Digest

Looking out the window....

He (or she) was enjoying a snack in the tree outside my big window.

 
A cool experience (or two)...

Though I'm busy all the time, spring and summer are my busiest seasons at work.  Part of this season includes CCU's commencement exercises.  This year's ceremonies were in Loveland, Colorado, which is not far from Johnstown, Colorado, which houses the state's only Buc-ee's.

 

Ah, Buc-ee's, that mysterious truck stop that isn't.  That bastion of travel rarities: clean bathrooms, beef brisket sandwiches made on site, and displays of various wares that makes the local Circle K look like a bad yard sale.  It is the butt of jokes, but the awe of those who visit.

 

Our team went there to shop and pick up some lunch.  This was my first time to visit and it was everything people said it was and more.  I bought merchandise and took pictures just in case I don't get to came back and enjoyed every minute of it. 

The Monday after commencement, I took the day off and my friend Jennifer and I went to the Denver Botanic Gardens.  I hadn't been there since the "thing," and I'd missed it dreadfully.  The sunshine, fresh air, and all the gorgeous flora were the respite I needed from all the previous weeks' busyness. I'd go back more often on my own, but the parking situation isn't the best in the world and the bus drop off is more than half a mile from the venue.  How does the Botanic Gardens not have its own bus stop? 

 

Anyway.  We had a great time.

 

Favorite quote(s) of the week...

 

To serve some masters is to watch over a crabapple tree and eat the crabapples as one’s wages, but to serve the Lord Jesus is to keep a fig tree of the sweetest figs. His service is in itself delight, continuance in it is promotion, success in it is blessedness below, and the reward for it is glory above. - Charles H. Spurgeon, Faith's Checkbook, p. 141.

 

But literary people are always looking for leisure and silence in which to read and do so with their whole attention. When they are denied such attentive and undisturbed reading even for a few days they feel impoverished. - C. S. Lewis, An Experiment in Criticism, p. 2.

 

Fellowship, especially in its Greek translation, has a powerful meaning.  It speaks of an intimate sharing of ourselves with one another and with God at all levels of our lives, ranging from the spiritual to the material. - Trevor Hudson, Pauses for Pentecost, "Fellowship" section.

 

I'd rather be jolly Saint Francis hymning his canticle to the sun than a dour old sobersides Quaker whose diet would appear to be spiritual persimmons. - Thomas R. Kelly, qtd. by Richard Foster in Learning Humility. 

I'm thinking about...

 

Comic books.  Yes, I know I talked about poetry last digest and now I'm going comic book, but hear me out.  My dad and I shared the enjoyment of many things:  Braves baseball, pro wrestling, various comedy programs from the 70s and 80s, fried chicken, and Gilbey's London Dry Gin.  I stopped drinking in 1996, eat fried chicken on rare occasions, and the rest of this list either doesn't appeal to me anymore, or the activities are only fun with other people.  However, I remember that Big Daddy liked comic books.  My eyesight was a lot worse when I was a kid, so I couldn't read the small print of a comic book.  Now, even with much better eyesight, I don't know how to read a comic book.  Yes, I know how to read, but I don't know which direction to read comics.  Also, I don't know what kind of comic books exist right now.  Manga doesn't seem to be my style.  Do they still make superhero comics that I would recognize?  Are graphic novels and comic books the same thing?  (Those who know, don't get mad; I really don't know).

A friend helped me better understand poetry.  Maybe I can find someone to help me learn about comic books and enjoy a little something that's a good reminder of my dad.

What I read since my last digest...

• The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron* ✮✮✮✮ (a glorious reread) 
• Hollowed Out by Jeremy S. Adams*  Please see my review here.  (recommended read)
• Pauses for Lent by Trevor Hudson* ✮✮✮✮ (a glorious reread) 
• Word in the Wilderness by Malcolm Guite* ✮✮✮✮ (a glorious reread) 
• Following Christ by Charles Spurgeon * ✮✮✮1/2
• After Prayer by Malcolm Guite ✮✮✮1/2 
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling ✮✮✮1/2  (Category:  kiddie lit)
• The Pilgrim's Regress by C. S. Lewis ✮✮1/2 
• The Loveliness of Christ by Samuel Rutherford ✮✮
• An Experiment in Criticism by C. S. Lewis  ✮✮✮1/2 (a glorious reread) 
• According to Promise by Charles Spurgeon ✮✮✮

I'm currently reading...

• Pauses for Pentecost by Trevor Hudson
• Faith's Checkbook by Charles Spurgeon
  
• The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
• Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster
  
• On Reading Well by Karen Swallow Prior 
• The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling by Henry Fielding
• The New American Standard Bible

Recent blog posts...

I Can Only Blame MyShelf review of Hollowed Out by Jeremy S. Adams is here.

My previous digest:  Poetic Speed Run is here.

I am thankful for...

• Commencement 2025 is in the books.  Despite a kid pulling the fire alarm at the venue and the power going out for about 15 minutes, the ceremony went very well.
• Sunscreen.  Yes, I sometimes need it too.
• Warm sunny days that boost my mood.
• Being able to go back to using standard laundry detergent because of the new washer in our laundry room.
• Having one more month of sermons from our lead pastor before he goes on sabbatical for the summer.
• Friends who are happy to see me instead of sorry that I showed up.
• Prunes.
• Continued progress in many areas of my life.  That almost makes up for the areas where I seem to be marking time.
• God's blessings and favor.
  
• The music courses I took at JSU.  They gave me such an appreciation for various types of music.  My new "song on repeat" is this Liszt piece