F. Scott Fitzgerald brings out the excitement of New York City in this novel. Set in the 1920s, The Great Gatsby follows Nick Carraway and his encounters with his neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby is in love with Nick's cousin, Daisy Buchanan, and desperately wants Nick to get them back together. However, marriages, parties, and infidelity get in the way.

The entangled mess of love triangles makes this book great. Gatsby is in love with Daisy, who is married to Tom, who is having an affair with Myrtle Wilson, who is married to George. Did you follow that? Not knowing who will end up with whom is exciting.

What amazes me about The Great Gatsby is how empty the characters are inside. They are only out for themselves. Gatsby is known for his wild parties that linger into the night and fill the mansion with many uninvited people. Drunks meander aimlessly and couples fight. With all of this, though, Gatsby is not truly happy. He is just trying to fill the emptiness in his life.

Tom is the pompous hypocrite. He expects his wife and friends to meet standards he himself does not live up to. He is having an affair but becomes jealous when he suspects Daisy of cheating with Gatsby. Most of the conflicts revolve around him.

Nick narrates the book, and he feels as though he is better than everyone else and can only trust himself. The imagery is strong and puts the reader right in the heart of New York City.

These relationship triangles lead to a dramatic climax involving fights and rash decisions. I like how New York City then and now are not very different. People are up at all hours of the day and night. The story might have been set more than 80 years ago, but it could have happened today.