Between the Pages

Welcome back to Virtual Book Club! Thank you for reading this post. While I had actual Zoom meetings with some of the students and faculty from my school, this is an overview of the novel ( The Great Gatsby ) and the topics we enjoyed discussing in depth. If you are a physical member of the club, and you missed a meeting or two, this is the perfect place to catch up on some of the topics we talked about that you may have missed. Please know, if I continue the book club, I will make sure to post the meeting links on this blog so that I can involve more people through this outlet. First, an introduction to the novel and its author, F. Scott Fitzgerald. Nick Carraway As a Narrator Nick Carraway establishes his accepting and non-judging personality on page one. He 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 al...

About a week and a half ago, I visited Bound Booksellers in Franklin, TN. A quaint shop, the store was bursting of vibrancy and life even during a difficult time for brick and mortar shops. While it was the end of the day when I went in and there were not many customers, my sister had been in the store earlier and said there were more people visiting. (Whew!) Children, adult, teen, tween, senior, Bound Booksellers has something for everyone! During the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of independent booksellers have shut their doors because of the severe drop in patronage. Order books from local bookstores instead of Amazon! Support independents! Independent booksellers provide services Amazon does not like virtual events, qualified salespeople, and in-person recommendations and contact.  Here are some pictures of Bound Booksellers and links to their website and social medias. If you live in the Franklin area, consider supporting this shop! Bound Booksellers Official Website:  https:/...

The Strand Book Store in New York City, New York hosted a virtual event (on both Zoom and Facebook Live) to celebrate Hannah Orenstein's new novel: Head over Heels . Becca Freeman asked Hannah Orenstein questions about her writing process, the new novel, and her previous experience with writing. After Freeman finished her questions, virtual audience members were able to send in questions. Freeman asked and Orenstien answered beautifully. If you were able to attend the event, please comment about your experience. If you were unable to come, please read the summary of questions and responses, but first, a little about the women and book of the event.  The People Hannah Orenstein is the author of three novels: Head over Heels, Love at First Like, and Playing with Matches . By day, Orenstein is the senior dating editor at Elite Daily magazine. By night, her experience editing aids her in writing novels about romance, sports, comedy, and even jewelry...? She has written for a number of...

I know, I am going CrAzY with The Great Gatsby ! It is because I am currently doing a book club with this novel, writing my own review, and now studying architecture's narrating position. It's just on the brain a lot because of these posts all going at once. I hope you are enjoying reading my posts about F. Scott Fitzgerald's work as much as I am writing them. I'm not sure what order the previously mentioned posts will go live in, but just know they are all coming at some point!  Architecture is the greatest characterization of the main characters in The Great Gatsby. Each person's dwelling reveals their personality, marital struggles, hopes, and romantic interests through architectural style, era, and interior design.  Gatsby Mansion The Gatsby Mansion, home of Jay Gatsby (the man's name that this book received), is Chateauesque and truly a Gilded Age mansion. The mansion is a "factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy". The house is design...

    The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is regarded as one of the "great American novels" and one of the best pieces of literature to embody the 1920s, post-war society, and aristocratic hypocrisy.  Summary 29 year old, Nick Carraway is a WWI veteran moving from a midwestern childhood to an east-coast adulthood. He moves to Long Island's up-and-coming neighborhood for the young and rich. His bungalow is smashed between West Egg, the new money neighborhood on the Sound, mansions. One of his neighbors is the glamorous Jay Gatsby who has loved Nick's married cousin, Daisy Buchanan, for five years. Daisy is married to Nick's Yale classmate, Tom Buchanan, who is a physically large man with a macho personality that entertains a love affair with Myrtle Wilson in New York. The Buchanans marriage is not necessarily a happy one, but neither East Egg resident will spring for divorce.  Carraway starts attending Jay's frequent parties and befriends Gatsby. Throughout t...