The Great Gatsby ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925)

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby has often been called the “supreme American novel” and through my reading and re-reading of this masterpiece, I agree. Although it is difficult for any book-lover to decide, Gatsby is my favourite novel and this is due to a wide array of factors, namely the characters. While perhaps lacking in quantity, this criticism is certainly misplaced in analysing the value and development of each character as despite there being around 7 significant figures, all have individual and memorable personas with a truly human level of depth as Daisy Buchanan is not the “golden girl” she is presented to be and the ‘greatness’ of Gatsby is very often challenged. Weakness and inconsistency in the characters and their motivations is the key to the novel’s reality and through this, we are immersed in a vibrant and hedonistic inter-war world with its lavish settings and lifestyles. The vehicle which makes this glamorous life accessible is the well-formed characters, therefore owing much respect to Nick Carraway and ensemble for allowing this experience. Nick assumes the role of narrator for the story and has been seen as problematic as he is an unreliable narrator. Like Dickens’ young male protagonists, things simply happen TO them and must therefore report all that they witness. As this is what THEY experience, the expanse of viewpoint is limited and therefore misleads the reader and while frustrating, the effect is of key importance: the reader, like Nick, is vulnerable in this world and while we try to find the goodness in characters we meet, reiterating his father’s warning to “remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had”, we cannot escape the darkness and tragedy. Despite this, Fitzgerald’s style has been read as dream-like and Keatsian through listing and an over-descriptive tendency yet the juxtaposition works as an allegory of early 20^th century public consciousness where aestheticism could shroud darker themes. Through similar works such as ‘La Belle Dame Sans Merci’ and ‘Lamia’, Fitzgerald’s style is highly Keatsian, indeed, but this does not detract from its enjoyment or individuality. Through re-reading this work several times, I identify new features which increase my affection for the novel, whether this is a different perspective on a character or subtle readings into speech, the value of the narrative extends after the initial reading and this is why I return to it so often. One of my latest realisations is the epitome of the American Dream, which should be familiar to any who used the phrase to death during GCSEs, where Gatsby is a pioneer who rises from his origins, becoming a ‘true’ American of the 20^th century and for his independence, initiative and pursuit of his dreams, Jay Gatsby stands rightfully alongside Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer as an American Hero with the novel as an essential entry to the literary canon. 

The Woman in Black ~ Susan Hill (1983)

I wanted to start this series of reviews with a very important book: The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. Why is this 1983 ghost story so important? It was the first ‘proper’ book that I read at 15 years old and has acted like a catalyst, throwing me into the wider world of literature. Arguably without this book, I would not have followed this subject, would be doing a different course at university (if I would even go in this parallel world) and would not be sitting on my bed writing my praise for Hill’s novel. The real mastery of this ghost story is its ability to create a genuine sense of seclusion and isolation and in my research over numerous ghost stories I have identified genuine, and specifically fearful, responses to be archetypal of the genre. The story ‘feels’ like a ghost story as nature has betrayed protagonist Arthur Kipps and the reader, trapping us at Eel Marsh House, divided from mainland civilisation and safety only to face the terror of the mysterious Woman in Black. Kipps and the reader become one in the novel as both seem to be trapped by the constricting intimidation of this supernatural force and approach the entity with the same conviction: “I did not believe in ghosts” only to have this dismantled piece by piece as the story progresses so that by the end of the novel, our denials are folly. The Woman’s fear factor seems to leap from the pages as she is also made more human: with great villains comes an equally great backstory and the exposition provided as the story unfolds creates an immensely tragic narrative in itself which would qualify as its own ghost story. The horror which The Woman faces in her own life makes her more human and unlike the mainstream monsters we are used to, Hill’s ghost uses humanity to become a real threat as the monstrosity of man is presented. The invasion of the reader’s security makes the story both gripping and memorable and through my further readings of Victorian texts, I have understood Hill’s intention to frame her novel alongside the great ghost stories including Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw through its Christmas settings and identifying the secret terror of children. The adoption of these genre conventions as well as other factors is a success as Hill not only places herself within the ghost story literary canon but stands proudly with a unique supernatural entity as her vehicle to terrify for generations to come.