The Summer of GATSBY-- No. 8 ---The best Great Gatsby Book Covers from Complex Art and Design

Welcome to all things Great Gatsby: chances to explore, chances to learn, and chances to win.

What's all this about? Read the intro to Summer of Gatsby here...

Whether you've read TGG in high school and are revisiting it or rediscovering it for the first time, enjoy our discussion. And warning--HEREIN BE SPOILERS!

And check my last post for a chance to WIN free Gatsby-inspired bookmarks.

So pull up a chair, and get a glass of bootleg hooch (we're still mixing some in the bathtub) and we'll get going:


Reminder: Prize drawing is June 30!!!! for Gatsby-inspired homemade bookmarks. Check the link above for details.

The Best Great Gatsby Book Covers

I'll confess, I'm not one who was overtaken by the complexity, blah, blah, blah of the iconic blue Great Gatsby cover (I'll bet dollars to donuts that's the cover of the one you read in high school.) But maybe it was because it took me a while to see the face in it. Still even longer to see the reclining nudes in the pupils (I'll also bet dollars to donuts the Buncombe County School Board didn't know those were there).

But I came across this article. My vote for the top covers? Well, my faves didn't make the list. (Though I do like numbers 11 and 12--but only because you can't see Gatsby's face. Let the reader fill in with their imaginations.)
Look at the faves for Complex Art and Design and my faves found on the net.

http://www.complex.com/art-design/2013/05/the-15-best-great-gatsby-book-covers/

My three faves:

(as you can see, I come from the school of thought that less is more. Note how the black and white make the green really pop.)

From hfour. We don't talk a lot about
the car, and I don't think that there's
really even a good description of the car
in the book. But I love this. Understated.
Also remember: this is the last thing
Myrtle sees....

From wallppaer.com Not a
typo, that's the name. Why?
Understated. Classic. Emphasizes
the green.

From Neil commonplace book
I like this one, too. Esp. the title
type face. I can still see
Robert Redford in that, though.

SUMMER of Gatsby-- No. 7 -- The Great Gatsby video game: We may never leave the house again.

Welcome old sport!

Welcome to all things Great Gatsby: chances to explore, chances to learn, and chances to win.

What's all this about? Read the intro to Summer of Gatsby here...

Whether you've read TGG in high school and are revisiting it or rediscovering it for the first time, enjoy our discussion. And warning--HEREIN BE SPOILERS!

And check my last post for a chance to WIN free Gatsby-inspired bookmarks.

So pull up a chair, and get a glass of bootleg hooch (we're still mixing some in the bathtub) and we'll get going:

Retro 80s style Great Gatsby Video Game

Sure, there are ones with more sophisticated graphics, more detailed storylines, but do they feature Nick Carraway with ninja moves busting flappers and drunks with his cap? 

http://www.complex.com/video-games/2013/05/is-this-8-bit-the-great-gatsby-game-better-than-the-movie-video

I bleepin' love this video game....

Here's a link to the game

http://greatgatsbygame.com/

The Summer of GATSBY No. 6. -- My FAVORITE Gatsby cartoons by Kate Beaton

Welcome old sport!

Welcome to all things Great Gatsby: chances to explore, chances to learn, and chances to win.

What's all this about? Read the intro to Summer of Gatsby here...

Whether you've read TGG in high school and are revisiting it or rediscovering it for the first time, enjoy our discussion. And warning--HEREIN BE SPOILERS!

And check my last post for a chance to WIN free Gatsby-inspired bookmarks.

So pull up a chair, and get a glass of bootleg hooch (we're still mixing some in the bathtub) and we'll get going:

AWESOME Gatsby Cartoons by Kate Beaton

If you're not reading Kate Beaton Comics, you're missing one real talented gal.

I highly recommend her book (warning to the easily offended, some of them are R rated).
She is witty and clever and has a great take on classic literature that is funny and understated at the same time. You can check her out here.
All images copyright by Kate Beaton (you HAVE to check out her Anne of Cleves stuff. Hysterical! Please click on the link above to her stuff.)

These are some of my favorite Gatsby cartoons she did--- click on them if the sidebar gets in the way...

STill, the link to these and other AWESOME literary comics (One of my faves is "Dude Watchin' with the Brontes") can be found above. Her book is "Hark! A Vagrant!"

Thank you Kate for a big SMILE.

You can buy her book here:

 http://www.amazon.com/Hark-A-Vagrant-Kate-Beaton/dp/1770460608/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368989891&sr=8-1&keywords=kate+beaton

Summer of Gatsby No. 5--- Five Reasons Daisy is a B--

Welcome old sport!

Welcome to all things Great Gatsby: chances to explore, chances to learn, and chances to win.

What's all this about? Read the intro to Summer of Gatsby here...

Whether you've read TGG in high school and are revisiting it or rediscovering it for the first time, enjoy our discussion. And warning--HEREIN BE SPOILERS!

And check my last post for a chance to WIN free Gatsby-inspired bookmarks.

So pull up a chair, and get a glass of bootleg hooch (we're still mixing some in the bathtub) and we'll get going:

Five Reasons Daisy is a B---

Maybe it was because I was so crushing on Robert Redford in the 1974 film version. Maybe it was because I was going through some unrequited love of my own. Maybe it was because adolescent hormones made me so incredibly stupid. Maybe I was PMS-ing (if that's not verb, it should be).

But regardless, I have to be frank. After reading the book and watching the movie, Daisy. Pissed. Me. Off.

Feel free to disagree (hey, I love a literary discussion) but here are the facts IMHO.

1-- Spoiled, spoiled, spoiled.

Rich family. And not just a rich family, but "old money." Not just any rich kid would do. As Tom said to Gatsby later, "You're not like us. You can be rich but you'll never be like us." (I'm paraphrasing.)

Really girl? Personally, I'd rather be shopping at K-Mart with my true love than sipping champagne with Tom (who, btw, is a brute and racist. Not the top qualities for guys in my book.)

2-- She led Gatsby on.

Okay, so he finds you and he's rich and all that is awesome so you are all "yes, yes, yes!!! Let's continue the affair! Dance with me in your uniform! Mother of GOD what beautiful shirts!!! Kiss me!! (and btw, since my husband is having an affair, I guess I will too) ."

But when it comes down to the wire, are you going to leave Tom? Really? Are you?

Don't start something you aren't going to finish. Gatsby isn't just looking for a roll in the hay for auld lang syne ("roll in the hay" --do other people say that? I'm from the South, curious if it is elsewhere. RJ-- do they say that in England? Michael, how does my resident Aussie add in to this?) This leads to......

3-- "But I love you NOW, Gastby. Isn't that enough?"

Um, nope.
Read: I love you now that I have my courage up and I don't care what my family thinks and now you have money and it's more socially acceptable and oh wait, despite that, I'm still going home to Tom.

Daisy: I don't want to go home.
Gatsby: Then don't.

Not that I'm advocating adultery, but I AM advocating not marrying a racist brute because you sort of love him and his family has money.

Daisy says, "OMG, Gastby! I just looooooove those shirts. Can you wear your uniform for me?"
(and while you're at it, I scuffed up your car a bit, can you take care of that for me, too?)

4-- You weren't at Gatsby's funeral.

Grrrr. You'd think Tom would let her go if for no other reason just for him to get the chance to dance on Gastby's grave. Okay Tom. You won. We hope you feel good about yourself.

5-- The crappy way you acted when you ran into Nick later.

This wasn't in the 1974 version of the film. Nick basically runs into Tom and Daisy and is like "oh

BONUS: Number 6--

6-- You let him take the fall for you which led to his death.

I don't know why the bleep Gatsby let you drive on the way home, but he just can't say no to you, can he?  Even then he's willing to take the fall for manslaughter for you when you rammed into your hubby's mistress.  This all leads to Gatsby's death. I mean, it was like by pretending it never happened meant it never happened.

Denial ain't a river in Egypt, sister. And after all of that, you STILL did #4 and #5.

[insert string of expletives here]

You and the horse you rode in on, Daisy.

Summer of GATSBY No. 4 - How to win Gatsby-inspired bookmarks!

Welcome old sport!

Welcome to all things Great Gatsby: chances to explore, chances to learn, and chances to win.

What's all this about? Read the intro to Summer of Gatsby here...

Whether you've read TGG in high school and are revisiting it or rediscovering it for the first time, enjoy our discussion. And warning--HEREIN BE SPOILERS!

So pull up a chair with some bootleg hooch and we'll get going.

Crushing on Gatsby

I have to admit that part of my fascination with Gatsby was that when we saw the 1974 movie in my high school, I was totally schoolgirl crushing on Robert Redford (can you blame me?)  That made everything in the book even more haunting. Yes, I'm not going to get into that whole book vs. movie thing (book. Almost always.) but for a kid in high school, you got to admit that if you're going to be watching a movie for English class, having some gorgeous actors certainly doesn't hurt.

As I've said about Robert Redford, to use a phrase my British friends find amusing: You can't slap the handsome off that man.

(I still feel a tinge when Robert Redford shouts "Because she doesn't love you!!" to Tom. )
So in honor of that and the new release:

How to win ORIGINAL, Gatsby-inspired bookmarks! (Done by a local North Carolina artist! i.e. me :) Yes, I also have a small art studio.)

Want to win a set of six original bookmarks inspired by characters in TGG?

Here's all you have to do:

-- Leave a comment mentioning the name of your first movie crush (well, one that you knew was a crush. Sorry, but characters like Mickey Mouse don't count. Has to be a real, flesh-and-blood, actor/ actress)
--Leave an e-mail where I can reach you. (I don't spam or sell your e-mail. That would be in poor taste, old sport!)
--If you'd like to leave a reason why this person was a crush (other than that they were just plain hot) that would be cool. But I'm trying to keep this blog PG-13. Just FYI.
---I will contact the winner via e-mail (and film the drawing).
--- YOU CAN LEAVE A COMMENT THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF JUNE.
--DRAWING WILL BE JUNE 30.
--No purchase necessary, all legal disclaimers Gatsby's lawyers wanted us to put in there.
--NOTE: these are not OF the characters, but INSPIRED by the characters. We are not superseding any copyrights on Gatsby. Who do you think we are? Jordan Baker?

Your name does NOT go on some newsletter list. But FYI I sometimes give out free copies of my books, so if you want to follow my blog, I almost always announce free days here first.

D