How “The Great Gatsby” took over high school

Varied personal reactions to Gatsby

• Many recall skimming or Cliffs Notes in school and retaining almost nothing; some found it boring, “unreadable,” or populated with shallow, unlikeable characters.
• Others describe it as a favorite book, especially on reread: prose called “near perfect,” compact, and unusually beautiful sentence-by-sentence.
• Several say it did not land at all in high school but resonated deeply after heartbreak, work, class mobility, or time abroad.

Competing interpretations of the novel

• Common readings: an outsider sacrificing everything to join the “in crowd”; the emptiness of status; critique of the American Dream; class division between new money and entrenched wealth.
• Clarifications about the triangle Nick–Gatsby–Daisy–Tom, bootlegging/drugstores, bonds, and period-specific racism.
• Some see a deeper, possibly racial dimension and question whether Gatsby is simply “white,” especially given Tom’s racism.

Is it a good high‑school book?

• Strong view that many themes (middle‑age malaise, regret, class ennui) are inaccessible to teens with little life experience. This can turn them off reading entirely.
• Others argue the point is to stretch imagination and critical skills beyond direct relatability; not everything should mirror a teenager’s life.

Teaching methods and student engagement

• Criticism of approaches that implicitly demand students “love” the book and parrot approved themes, leading to sterile dissection and heavy use of guides/AI.
• Suggestions: fewer works but deeper context (e.g., Greek myth ➝ epics ➝ Shakespeare), more choice of texts, comparative essays across multiple books.
• Debate over “student‑centered” pedagogy: some fear it reduces literature to self-mirroring; defenders say resonance with personal experience is what enables imaginative transport.

Canon vs contemporary choices

• Some advocate modern, relatable books (YA, cyberpunk, even Harry Potter/Game of Thrones) as more engaging entry points.
• Others defend an agreed canon for common cultural references and historical context, arguing we already lose shared touchstones as classics are dropped.

Rereading with age

• Multiple commenters urge revisiting high‑school “classics” later; many report rediscovering Gatsby, Hemingway, Melville, etc., as adults, though some still find them mediocre, proving taste and value remain highly individual.