The Little Things Book & Movie Club Presents: The Great Gatsby!
Pull out your finest 1920s threads and get ready to trade pages for the silver screen!
For this meetup, we’ll be focusing our screen discussion on Baz Luhrmann’s dazzling 2013 film adaptation starring Leonardo DiCaprio, exploring how its modern soundtrack and over-the-top visual spectacle bring Fitzgerald’s Jazz Age masterwork to life. Together, the tragic classic novel and its cinematic retelling offer the ultimate setup for a book-to-film showdown on wealth, obsession, and nostalgia.
Set during the roaring summer of 1922, the story follows Nick Carraway, a young salesman who moves to Long Island’s West Egg. His next-door neighbor is Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire who throws extravagant weekend parties open to all of New York high society. Yet despite the endless champagne and grandeur, Gatsby has only one goal: reconnecting with Daisy Buchanan, the golden girl of his past. What begins as a story of romantic longing quickly unravels into a tragic examination of secrets, ambition, and the illusion of starting over.
Discussion topics:
How does Baz Luhrmann’s flashy, hip-hop-infused film adaptation compare to Fitzgerald’s lyrical prose? Does the cinematic excess enhance or obscure the book's heart?
Can we fully trust Nick Carraway’s lens as our storyteller in both the text and on camera, or does his bias soften Gatsby's shadowy dealings?
How do iconic motifs—like the green light at the end of the dock and the haunting eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg—translate from literature to Luhrmann's bold camera frames?
Is Gatsby’s reinvention a romantic victory of hope, or a cautionary indictment of 1920s excess?
Whether you’ve read the book a dozen times, just rewatched the 2013 movie, or are stepping into West Egg for the very first time, your perspective belongs at our table.
Come for the rich debate, stay for the great company.
See you there!
