I understand now why the 2013 movie got hit by the critics. The Great Gatsby is a sad book. The movie fails to capture the melancholy of Gatsby's dream, and the empathy you feel on moments of pure humanity throughout the book. Tobey Maguire isn't a proper Carraway to me, but as the character himself says:
‘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.”'
The only part of the book that failed to interest me was Nick's description of the people that came to Gatsby's parties. I felt for a moment as if I had picked up War and Peace. It's nothing but a long, very long list of names. Perhaps the author is trying to give you a sense of how extensive was the group of people that “crashed” Gatsby's parties, yet failed to be there he most needed them.
Well, I'm not a proper critic and can't write clever reviews, so I'll state simply: The Great Gatsby is excellent.
I found it somewhat perplexing that Pratchett's best Discworld book would be this one (for me).
The series on Death and the one on Miss Weatherwax were always my favorites. Rincewind is simply boring. But ‘Going Postal' really takes the cake. It's quite clever and touching.
Besides, it made me feel respect for Vetinari, almost wanting to know what our world would be like with a benevolent dictator.
This is, unlike many Discworld books, not just a light read, but rather an inventive book about greed and the pride of a job well done. The way the “clacks” were run mirrors that of many corporations of our own world, which was in itself gripping enough. It's hard not to like a book that pokes so much fun at managers and the rich.
The OG book that made me understand why my brain worked a certain way. It's been now more than 10 years, but the lessons stayed with me. My brain (and possibly yours) sends signals with an intensity that's not the same as an extrovert's. That's fine. There's a reason for it. You'll learn to cope and make your life work for your own needs.
I'll forever be grateful to Susan Cain for helping me discover who I was.
(One day I'll re-read this and write a proper review.)
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