I'm not really sure why The Great Gatsby is considered one of the best books of all time, it's an ok book, but I don't really see what's so spectacular about it. It reminded me a lot of Breakfast at Tiffany's (although of course it was written before that) in that it's a study of an odd character reported on by someone who's close to them, but they are always out of reach. The characters of The Great Gatsby all subtley and carefully fulfil their roles. The prose is spectacularly easy to read and descriptions jump off the page. It's an enjoyable book to read (although the ending left me feeling a bit cheated) and has some interesting comment on society of the time, but I'm not sure I see why it's considered so great.

The Diamond As Big as the Ritz is a short story which makes a nice contrast in style with the accompanying Great Gatsby, while maintaining the themes. Fitzgerald is still talking about money and love and how the two can be blind to each other, but this story is far more of a fairytale. The characters all have a single focus and the world they live in is fantastical. It's a charming little story with some very dark aspects. ( )