Week #23 – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Last year on Mondays we had fun with books. This year, we'll look at most of the same books but also some new ones, and see if the first line [or first paragraph] met the goal of a first line which is ==> to hook the reader's attention.

Here are some tips on writing a first line

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/tips-for-writing-the-opening-line-of-your-novel

Week #23 –   The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Gatsby

First published: April 10, 1925

Here's what the story is about: Set in the Jazz Age [1920s] on Long Island near New York City, the novel describes narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with millionaire Jay Gatsby, and Gatsby's obsession with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan.

First line/paragraph:
In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since.

"Whenever you feel like criticizing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had."

Here we have first person POV. Not sure about the main character but s/he appears to be an adult. No setting or plot yet, but the hint of the story is something about a person who does, or does not, have advantages in life. I must be a more modern reader, because this opening doesn't hook me.

Does this first line/paragraph hook your attention? If you had never heard of this story, would you buy this book in 2024? Knowing the story, would you change the first line? Tell us in the comments!