The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgeraldby F. Scott Fitzgerald
Hacker ApprovedRanked 4 of 122 novels by recommenders
Praised for beautiful prose, a tight plot and layered commentary on 1920s America; short enough for class. Critics find the characters shallow and the story dull.
Praised for beautiful prose, a tight plot and layered commentary on 1920s America; short enough for class. Critics find the characters shallow and the story dull.
33 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 24
- criticize it
- 9
- approval share
- 73%
Recommended in 6 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 24 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 2.7 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 6 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Engages with American society and identity
“he's a superlative writer who (like every high schooler in the country knows) explicitly and directly engaged with the meaning of America”
Comment from 15 Jul 2026 in “Who Is America's Homer?” “showed us that the 1920s in America was a highly divided society that was corrupted by materialism”
Comment from 20 Jul 2026 in “Who Is America's Homer?” “showed us that the 1920s in America was a highly divided society”
Comment from 20 Jul 2026 in “Who Is America's Homer?” - Comment from 4 Jan 2026 in “The Great Gatsby is the most misunderstood novel”
Beautiful, layered prose
“It's a great and quick read. A really tight plot and good prose.”
Comment from 4 Jan 2026 in “The Great Gatsby is the most misunderstood novel” “the book was beautifully written. It was a joy to read”
Comment from 4 Jan 2026 in “The Great Gatsby is the most misunderstood novel” “The prose is beautiful and satisfyingly layered.”
Comment from 4 Jan 2026 in “The Great Gatsby is the most misunderstood novel” Rich meanings that reward rereading
“what this novel expresses: what happens after success? Money and career cannot solve all problems”
Comment from 4 Jan 2026 in “The Great Gatsby is the most misunderstood novel” “it's the metaphors and deeper meanings which add great depth”
Comment from 4 Jan 2026 in “The Great Gatsby is the most misunderstood novel” “it's a great piece of fiction that invites a lot of readings”
Comment from 4 Jan 2026 in “The Great Gatsby is the most misunderstood novel” Seen as an American masterpiece
“It's now viewed as an American masterpiece that captures the 1920s like few other works.”
Comment from 9 Sep 2026 in “Do people prefer stories written by AI?” “I think The Great Gatsby is the most logical equivalent to the Iliad and Odyssey.”
Comment from 20 Jul 2026 in “Who Is America's Homer?” “It compares to Woolf and McCarthy just fine.”
Comment from 5 Jan 2026 in “The Great Gatsby is the most misunderstood novel”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Dull, unlikable, shallow characters
“It's a dreary book about miserable, unlikable people when read from the perspective of a 15 year old student.”
Comment from 20 Aug 2026 in “I like 'em thick OR: an apology to my English teachers” “Gatsby was predictable and dull for me with cardboard characters living dull lives.”
Comment from 21 Aug 2026 in “I like 'em thick OR: an apology to my English teachers” “a terrible book filled with shallow characters living boring lives”
Comment from 21 Aug 2026 in “I like 'em thick OR: an apology to my English teachers” Tedious and boring to read
“it was all so tedious and utterly, utterly boring”
Comment from 25 Jun 2026 in “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult” “I just don't think it's that good a novel.”
Comment from 4 Jan 2026 in “The Great Gatsby is the most misunderstood novel” “I also like D'Annunzio's Il piacere much more than The Great Gatsby”
Comment from 4 Jan 2026 in “The Great Gatsby is the most misunderstood novel” Hard to appreciate as a teen
“I remember hating The Great Gatsby when I was 14 and having to read it critically in school”
Comment from 20 Aug 2026 in “I like 'em thick OR: an apology to my English teachers” “How on earth is a 16-year-old in 2025 going to understand what's happening in Gatsby?”
Comment from 18 Nov 2025 in “Short Little Difficult Books”
Other novels people recommend
The four most recommended other novels, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime and Punishmentby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 39 | 9 | 81% | 6 | — | Approved |
| The Brothers Karamazovby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 28 | 8 | 78% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Infinite Jestby David Foster Wallace | 26 | 5 | 84% | 9 | 10 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| The Great Gatsbyby F. Scott FitzgeraldThis page | 24 | 9 | 73% | 6 | — | Approved |
| Atlas Shruggedby Ayn Rand | 23 | 31 | 43% | 7 | — | — |
What people said
35 of the 37 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“which I have loved reading”
“It's now viewed as an American masterpiece that captures the 1920s like few other works.”
“I found Gatsby less appealing”
“it's short, with relatively simple language and simple characters, which makes it a practical book for students”
“Gatsby was predictable and dull for me with cardboard characters living dull lives.”
“the vapidity of the characters in Gatsby is entirely the point”
“a terrible book filled with shallow characters living boring lives”
“It's a dreary book about miserable, unlikable people when read from the perspective of a 15 year old student.”
“I remember hating The Great Gatsby when I was 14 and having to read it critically in school”
“Gatsby is a great novel, but what has it given to our collective unconscious?”
“showed us that the 1920s in America was a highly divided society that was corrupted by materialism”
“I think The Great Gatsby is the most logical equivalent to the Iliad and Odyssey.”
“showed us that the 1920s in America was a highly divided society”
“he's a superlative writer who (like every high schooler in the country knows) explicitly and directly engaged with the meaning of America”
“it was all so tedious and utterly, utterly boring”
“if it's really as bad as your example then I'll make sure to avoid it”
“I have mixed feelings about the book, but I have mixed feelings about most things.”
“It compares to Woolf and McCarthy just fine.”
“the book was beautifully written. It was a joy to read”
“it's a great piece of fiction that invites a lot of readings”
“It's a great and quick read. A really tight plot and good prose.”
“in my experience that tends to alienate a lot of people”
“I also like D'Annunzio's Il piacere much more than The Great Gatsby”
“the impression they left on me is unforgettable”
“I just don't think it's that good a novel.”
“what this novel expresses: what happens after success? Money and career cannot solve all problems”
“it’s more of a fable on American identity”
“missing the book's subtler commentary”
“making the parties look incredible, while missing the book's subtler commentary”
“The prose is beautiful and satisfyingly layered.”
“it's the metaphors and deeper meanings which add great depth”
“we all read it in high school, when we haven't yet enough life experiences to truly be moved by it”
“Really enjoyed it and seemed fitting with the current times.”
“How on earth is a 16-year-old in 2025 going to understand what's happening in Gatsby?”
“And the Great Gatsby (though I get people not liking this one).”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.