Day 11- The Book that made you fall in love with reading

I'm not sure how to answer this one, because I can't think of the book I read as a child that set the wheels in motion for my future as a bibliophile. Honestly I don't think there was one, I think it was in my genes. My mum is a bookworm, my grandparents are bookworms, I never met my great-grandparents but I'm pretty confident that they were bookworms too. When you live in a house where reading is encouraged and your parents supply you with the most creative, imaginative, interesting and peculiar books they can find it is hard to not follow in their shoes. Every now and then I will read a book that reminds me why I do read and why I love it so much, The Book Thief was definitely one such book, as was The Great Gatsby. Since I've already spoken about The Book Thief it looks like todays selection will be Fitzgerald's masterpiece!

The Great Gatsby

by F.Scott Fitzgerald

I have a bit of a thing with American literature, it truly is like nothing else. Considering my early love affair with authors like Kerouac, HST and Burroughs I was actually late to discovering Fitzgerald, but I made up for that by devouring his work super quick after that! The Great Gatsby was my first Fitzgerald, and I think it's fair to say that your first Fitzgerald is always the one you remember with the fondest memories!

I'm not going to recount the plot for you since I'm sure you've all read it before (if not then hop to it!) instead I'm going to tell you why I love this book. What I love about this book is how it so beautifully paints the extravagant 1920s for all of us poor things who'll never truly now how extraordinary it was. I love that the characters beautifully embody all of the characteristics of this era, both good and bad the extravagance,  mystery,  shallowness,  richness and complexity. Their lives are as dizzying as the parties Jay throws. I love how much Jay loves Daisy. I love that the prose is so beautiful it makes my heart ache. I love that this novel is only 180 pages so that I can read it over and over and over, all in the one sitting. I love that this was made into a film with the stunning Mia Farrow and then adapted into a graphic novel. I love that this novel introduced me to Fitzgerald and the writing that so wonderfully demonstrates how amazing he was for having written it. And I love this quote...

"She’s got an indiscreet voice,” I remarked. “It’s full of-“
I hesitated.
“Her voice is full of money,” he said suddenly.
That was it. I’d never understood before. It was full of money-that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals’ song of it."