Pride and Prejudice vs The Great Gatsby

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PepperedPenelope
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Re: Pride and Prejudice vs The Great Gatsby

Post by PepperedPenelope »

tvonbrachel wrote: 04 Sep 2018, 22:29 These novels are very difficult to compare/contrast. The category of classic books is very, very broad, and we see it here with Pride and Prejudice and The Great Gatsby. They, obviously, are romantic novels, but to claim that one is better than the other is simply a matter of opinion, and what someone may be looking for in a book. Personally, I would always choose The Great Gatsby, but that's simply because I love Fitzgerald's writing flow, and I can't get enough of the overall story. This may only be because it was one of the first classics I've ever read, so it holds a special place in my heart. As for other people, they may be looking for something a little deeper in a novel. It all just depends, really.
I agree with this! While I liked Pride and Prejudice better, I think Gatsby is a great glimpse into that time period and Fitzgerald is a really great writer!
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spencermack
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Post by spencermack »

Currently reading the Great Gatsby and I am entranced. It has taken me a while to get around the classic books. Many of them I avoided because I was forced to read some in school. But now I can appreciate their genius.
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Post by coffeeteal »

I have only watched The Great Gatsby movie and haven't read it. I liked the movie. I have read and re-read and re-lived Pride and Prejudice :angelic-cyan: . So it is Pride and Prejudice for me.
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Corina Elena
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Post by Corina Elena »

I don’t think we should compare them. They are completely different books, witten in completely different times. Jane Austen is a very romatic writer, while Fitzgerald loves to make reference to the society of his time.
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Post by BarelyHuman »

Ahh... The Great Gatsby

I think both Pride and Prejudice and the Great Gatsby are very amazing books but for some reason, I've always preferred the Great Gatsby. I don't know why, maybe it's because I was really young when I read Pride and Prejudice and I wasn't just ready for it. The book to me was boring and it dragged on and on and on but the Great Gatsby is different. There is just something appealing the American dream, bootlegging and the light at the end of the lawn where Tom Buchanan's property joined with Jay Gatsby's. :doh:

There is a melancholic tone to the parties, the strings that connected the characters, the death of Myrtle, the lies told by Tom Buchanan, the history between Daisy and Jay which led to most of the events in the book and finally the death of Jay Gatsby is the symbol of the typical American man in the 20s chasing the American. The blue light at the end of the lawn.

The only thing I can remember about Pride and Prejudice is a lady playing the piano so forgive me if I prefer Fitzgerald to Austen.
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Post by paulkinyuao+ »

I always knew this day would come. When I was asked to choose between two love affairs.

Whilst taking on the task of going off-topic, I will say this.

I married and loved Pride and Prejudice because she inspired me.

The Great Gatsby, will always, remain close to my heart..As the read that got away.
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Jade1692
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Post by Jade1692 »

I agree that Pride and Prejudice was, for me, a better read than The Great Gatsby. Most of that has to do with the ending though, as I really enjoyed TGG through most of the book. But you really can't beat the witticisms in PaP, and Lizzy was a role model for me in high school, defying her parents who want to set her up with a man she can't actually stand, and then coming to find that a man she thought was terrible was actually very kind. It's in some ways a Beauty and the Beast tale, but the Beast strictly being a paradigm in Lizzy's mind.
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Mrunal Tikekar
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Post by Mrunal Tikekar »

Between the two books, definitely Pride and Prejudice. The great gatsby is a good book, but not worth the hype around it. Nothing extraordinary.
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Post by drwcroaker »

One comparison between the two is that the lovers are held apart by their class differences. Darcy initially looks down on Elizabeth because of her family's lower class position. In Gatsby, Daisy is drawn to Jay but she never seriously considers him a match, because he has no money and no family. When he returns after having made his fortune, he still isn't good enough. His money is tainted and he still has no family connections. She is happy to have an affair with him, but she will never leave Tom. Daisy is willing to endure a loveless marriage where Elizabeth Bennett will only marry for love. Tom and Daisy share the same class and wealth, and it is not a world they are willing to give up. The difference, of course is that Gatsby is a tragedy, while P&P is a romance. Austen's Regency period characters aren't able to give in to their passions the way they do in Fitzgerald's jazz age. Austen's women must be careful not to do anything that will tarnish their reputation or it will ruin any chance they have of marrying well. Jay Gatsby discovers that all his wealth can't buy him the reputation he needs to win Daisy. All Jay can do is stare longingly at Daisy's green light across the water. Once Elizabeth and Darcy can overcome their own pride they are then able to fall in love. They are both honorable people, where as, there is little honor to be found in Gatsby, which is why the narrator, Nick Carraway, first so enamored with Daisy and Jay, leaves New York and returns to his family home in the midwest.
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Che Sparrowbosa
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Post by Che Sparrowbosa »

Oh my word these two are quite honestly an almost impossible task for me ha ha. I love them both quite so much but I am honestly a sucker for the way Jay Gatsby's story was told. Many think that Elizabeth Bennett went against the status quo in Austen's era of writing when quite honestly she conformed exactly how you would have expected a woman too. She ended up with a "single man in possession of a good fortune." So I'll have to go with my man Gatsby.
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Post by HanElizabeth397 »

I actually really love both of these books and I think both definitely belong in the 'must read before you die' category but my favourite between the two would have to be 'pride and prejudice'. It's just an incredible classic
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Post by confused_dandelion »

As someone who has read both books and watched the movies in each, I would probably prefer The Great Gatsby. Whilst I do like the idea of a strong, independent woman carving out her own way in the world and have loved Pride and Prejudice from start to finish, there is something about the glittering glamour of the Great Gatsby that I find superior to the former book. I believe the Great Gatsby played a povital role in society and showed to multiple generations that money isn't all there is to life. It is apparent that Daisy loves Gatsby for his money and at his death, does not show up for the funeral. The ending serves to remind the audience of the true values in life.
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Post by Zainabreadsnow »

It is very interesting to see these two being compared because in my mind they are very different genres and are written for a very different audience. Pride and Prejudice is the most beautiful romance story ever but The Great Gatsby is essential to the American Dream conversation.
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Post by streetsolo »

I love both of them. I think that Pride and Prejudice has a better love story for sure, but I think Gatsby does a better job of portraying the failings of the human condition, through Nick. I think that some of the quotes in Gatsby are better, but as for character growth and just overall connection to the characters, Pride and Prejudice wins by a wide margin.
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Fliesie01
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Post by Fliesie01 »

Pride and Prejudice are by far my favorite if we have to choose between these two books.
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