There are several classic books that I always love to revisit, and one that always comes to mind is The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in New York City during the Roaring Twenties, amidst the glittering lives of the wealthy – both old money and new – this timeless masterpiece of lost love has more than earned its place on bookshelves across generations.

I first read The Great Gatsby at sixteen while studying the idea of the American Dream, and I remember being completely drawn into the plot. Nick, as a narrator, feels like a friend relaying the wild story of his brief time living among the elite, a relatable outsider surrounded by extravagance. Gatsby himself is the ideal leading man – enigmatic, idealistic, and shrouded in rumors that make his life feel larger than legend. Daisy, at first, seems charming and sympathetic, but as the story unfolds she reveals herself to be selfish and shallow, driven more by comfort and self-preservation than love.

The novel’s tone of melancholy and Nick’s slowly unraveling alcoholism mirror much of what Fitzgerald experienced in his own life. Having grown up in Rockville, Maryland, I’ve visited his gravesite many times (you can find a post I wrote about it [here]). It’s always struck me as tragic that people leave bottles of alcohol at his grave. The last time I visited, just a few weeks ago, I was relieved to see there weren’t any there. While some see it as paying respects, I can’t help but feel it’s misplaced – after all, alcoholism haunted him until his early death.

Engraved on his tombstone are the final words of The Great Gatsby, which I’ve always believed to be the most haunting and perfect closing line in all of American literature:

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

A must-read for every American, The Great Gatsby is one of those rare novels that stays with you long after you’ve finished it. If you haven’t picked it up yet, make it your next weekend read (and don’t miss the 2013 film adaptation starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire, which brilliantly modernizes the Jazz Age with its bold soundtrack and visual style). Few stories capture beauty and tragedy so perfectly.