Some questions to answer or ponder before you are writing a book review:
1. Where did you hear about this book? Or who recommended you to read the book?
2. Who is the author of the book?
3. Who is the main character? Or who are the main characters?
4. Try to describe the setting of the story in the book, like when and where the story happens?
5. Write a brief summary of this book in no more than three sentences.
6. What does/do the main character/characters mainly do in the story?
7. Does the main character run into any specific problems, challenges or adventures in the story? If so, describe the biggest problem.
8. What is the climax of the story? What was your feeling when you read the climax?
9. What is your favorite part of the book?
10. Do you have any favorite quotes in the book? Who says the quotes? Why do you like the quotes?
11. Does any part of the story remind you of something about yourself? Have you ever done or felt anything that is similar to anything the characters do in the story?
12. If you could ask the main character one question, what question would you like to ask? Why?
13. If you could change one thing in the book, what would you like to change? Why?
14. If the story comes to an open end, what do you think would happen next?
15. Does the story remind you of another book (such as the main character has similar experiences in the story of another book)? Is there any difference between the two books or the main characters?
16. What do you learn from reading the book?
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" has sold over 25 million copies since its publication in 1925. It has been adapted into movies, computer games, opera and other literature.
弗朗西斯·斯科特·菲茨杰拉德所著《了不起的盖茨比》自1925年出版以来，已售出逾2500万册。小说还被改编成电影、电脑游戏、歌剧以及其他文学作品。
弗朗西斯·斯科特·基·菲茨杰拉德（Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald，1896年9月24日－1940年12月21日），20世纪美国作家、编剧。
菲茨杰拉德1896年9月24日生于明尼苏达州圣保罗市。父亲是家具商。他年轻时试写过剧本。读完高中后考入普林斯顿大学。在校时曾自组剧团，并为校内文学刊物写稿。后因身体欠佳，中途辍学。1917年入伍，终日忙于军训，未曾出国打仗。退伍后坚持业余写作。1920年出版了长篇小说《人间天堂》，从此出了名，小说出版后他与吉姗尔达结婚。婚后携妻寄居巴黎，结识了安德逊、海明威等多位美国作家。1925年《了不起的盖茨比》问世，奠定了他在现代美国文学史上的地位，成了20年代“爵士时代”的发言人和“迷惘的一代”的代表作家之一。菲兹杰拉德成名后继续勤奋笔耕，但婚后妻子讲究排场，后来又精神失常，挥霍无度，给他带来极大痛苦。他经济上入不敷出，一度去好莱坞写剧本挣钱维持生计。1936年不幸染上肺病，妻子又一病不起，使他几乎无法创作，精神濒于崩溃，终日酗酒。1940年12月21日并发心脏病，死于洛杉矶，年仅44岁。
菲兹杰拉德不仅写长篇小说，短篇小说也颇有特色。除上述两部作品外，主要作品还有《夜色温柔》（1934）和《末代大亨的情缘》（1941）。他的小说生动地反映了20年代“美国梦”的破灭，展示了大萧条时期美国上层社会“荒原时代”的精神面。
The novel takes place following the First World War. American society enjoyed prosperity during the "roaring" 1920s as the economy soared. At the same time, Prohibition, the ban on the sale and manufacture of alcohol as mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment, made millionaires out of bootleggers. After its republishing in 1945 and 1953, it quickly found a wide readership and is today widely regarded as a paragon of the Great American Novel, and a literary classic. The Great Gatsby has become a standard text in high school and university courses on American literature in countries around the world and is ranked second in the Modern Library's lists of the 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century.
主人公詹姆斯·卡兹本是北达科他州的一个贫穷的农家子弟，自幼梦想做个出人头地的大人物。经过一番努力，他终于步步高升，并更名为杰伊·盖茨比。他在一个军训营里任中尉时，爱上了南方的大家闺秀黛茜·费。可是当他戴着军功勋章在战争结束后从海外归来时，黛茜已嫁给了一位来自芝加哥的、体格健壮、极为富有但举止粗鲁的纨绔子弟汤姆·布坎农，沉醉于爱情梦幻中的盖茨比艰苦创业，由一个贫穷的军官奋斗成为百万富翁。他在长岛西端买下了一幢豪华别墅，与住在东端的布坎农夫妇隔海湾相望。他的府第每晚灯火通明，成群的宾客饮酒纵乐。他唯一的愿望是希望看到分别了五年的情人黛茜，当他们重逢时，盖茨比以为时光可以倒流，重温旧梦，但久而久之，他发现黛茜远不像他梦想的人，可是这种醒悟还没多久，黛茜开车碾死了丈夫的情妇，汤姆嫁祸于盖茨比，盖茨比终于被害，黛茜居然没来送葬：叙述者尼克由此看透了上层社会有钱人的冷酷残忍和居心险恶，离开纽约，回到了中西部的故乡。
《了不起的盖茨比》的问世，奠定了弗·司各特·菲茨杰拉德在现代美国文学史上的地位，成了20年代“爵士时代”的发言人和“迷惘的一代”的代表作家之一。20世纪末，美国学术界权威在百年英语文学长河中选出一百部最优秀的小说，《了不起的盖茨比》高居第二位，并被多次搬上银幕和舞台。
The novel follows Nick and his friendship with Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire with an opulent lifestyle full of lavish parties. It has been described as a cautionary tale of the American Dream. Here are some famous passages from the novel:
小说讲述了尼克的故事以及他与杰·盖茨比的友谊。盖茨比是一位神秘的百万富翁，生活奢华，终日出入豪华派对。小说被描述为是有关美国梦的警世故事。以下是小说中的一些著名片段:
"Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."
“每当你想批评别人的时候，请记住，不是世上所有人都拥有像你一样的优越条件。”
"Tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."
“明天，我们会跑得更快，手臂会伸得更远。我们会奋力向前，逆流而上，而浪潮奔流不歇，将我们推向过去。”
"He had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it. It faced the whole external world for an instant and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor."
“他露出一种少有的笑容，给人无比安心的感觉。有那么一瞬间，这种微笑面对的是全部永恒的世界，然而又有那么一瞬间，它凝聚到你身上，表现出对你不可抗拒的偏爱。”
文书：
The American classic by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The Great Gatsby,” a book about the main character, Jay Gatsby, has to be the most meticulously crafted, yet most soul-crushing piece of American literature because it makes the point that, however desirable, the American Dream may ultimately be unattainable. Regardless, l enjoyed it because, like history, we can learn about the past by reading it.
Apart from pure entertainment, “The Great Gatsby” especially satiated my thirst for history knowledge. Learning about incidents in the past and how we can apply these lessons to the future is what makes history fascinating. This book’s storyline brings the Roaring 20’s back to life. I could vividly see the society in which the American Dream, a passionate pursuit of individualism and happiness, disintegrated into the mere pursuit of money, with rampant moral decay of life amongst the wealthy. I am determined to learn from the mistakes in history, and not commit them again.
Indeed, I have my own American Dream – I wish to work hard in a great high school, graduate from university and then chase my passion of being a great engineer and make contributions in the field of science. However, cautioned by Jay Gatsby’s story, the journey I take following my American Dream will be founded upon a pursuit of self-discovery and happiness for others along with myself. （224）