
Member Reviews

.As an English teacher, The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite books to discuss with my students: It's not just the wealth disparities between the characters, but the gender dynamics, racism and xenophobia as well. Overall this was a good version of the book that would still allow me to discuss most of these issues with my students. I am definitely adding this to my classroom for my English language learners!

Lovely art, but stiff and static. The whole thing was flatter than I hoped for, as the characters have no sense of motion and the art too often isn't necessary, making the question of "why a graphic novel?" arise. The book is text-driven, as it obviously must be. An illustrated novel might have been a better choice.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. It's the Great Gatsby but in a graphic novel form which may make it an easier read for kids who struggle to read.

I loved the original Great Gatsby when I read it in high school and I really loved this graphic novel adaptation. I thought it really brought the book to life.

I've been enjoying this trend of making classics into graphic novels. I think it can make them a little more engaging for those who are wary of the old-fashioned language and all the fluff of older days. Fitzgerald's original writing is still in play here, so you do still get to experience it. I thought the art style was well suited for this, very reminiscent of the Art Deco/Nouveau of the time. Thanks to the publisher for the eARC.

It was...choppy. If I hadn't already read the book/knew the story well, I don't think I could have followed the storyline. And Daisy's role felt less significant and as if she were more a victim than the horrid person she actually was.
This is one of my favorite books & authors of all time... I had such high hopes for this graphic novel and I was sorely disappointed, and annoyed, to be completely honest.

4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy The Great Gatsby and graphic novels.
When I saw that The Great Gatsby was becoming a graphic novel, I was very excited. This final product did not disappoint me. The classic novel translates very well to an illustrated page, and will likely connect with a whole new generation of readers. The vintage-style illustrations really helped put the reader into the time period, and the subtle facial expressions and details within the art made the story come alive. I have not read The Great Gatsby in many years, I appreciated this new format of the classic story as a refresher. Overall I think that both the text chosen and illustrations were just right for a 2020 release.

the illustrations were quite beautiful and I love the story of the great Gatsby so it was great for me.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and authors F. Scott Fitzgerald & Fred Fordham for providing me with an ARC of this novel!
Book Review!!
The Great Gatsby adapted by Fred Fordham, F.Scott Fitzgerald, illustrated by Aya Morton
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
The Great Gatsby is and forever will be my favorite novel ever written. So to see that it was being made into a graphic novel, I was beyond thrilled.
This version was not a disappointment at all. I’ve seen a lot of hate about the artwork, but I honestly thought it was perfect. It fit the time period and the characters perfectly, and it didn’t distract from the most important aspect - the story. Getting to see this cast of characters come to life was such a gift. I really think something like this would make this novel more accessible to a lot of people. It helps to bring the words to life, all while staying true to the heart of it.
I loved the ending.. Being able to see Gatsby’s *spoiler alert* funeral brought to life through these illustrations gave me some closure that I didn’t know I needed.
Whether you’re a long time fan of Fitzgerald, or you’re new to the world of classics and want an easier route to reading, this is the pick for you. I read this in one night; Fitzgerald is never a disappointment.
(Thank you to NetGalley & Edelweiss for the ARC).
(@fyebooks on Instagram!)

'The Great Gatsby: The Graphic Novel' by F. Scott Fitzgerald with adaptation by Fred Fordham and art by Aya Morton is based on the classic novel.
Nick Carraway moves to a new house, near his cousin, Daisy Buchanan, and becomes involved in intrigue surrounding his wealthy new neighbor, Jay Gatsby. There are lots of sparkling parties, and even a few tragedies, but it all hides some secrets that go back years.
I've not read an adaptation of this novel before, but I know there is at least one. This one seems to distill the novel pretty well. The art wasn't my favorite at first, but I realized the author was doing a jazz age kind of style and I liked it better.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Scribner and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

This was such a lovely and faithful adaptation to the source material. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the original story!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc for review.
It was nice to see this classic adapted into a graphic novel. It is not a substitute for the original, but rather a good addition for those who are looking for a fresh take on a story that they love and appreciate.
Although the art style is not my favorite or my personal preference, I think it captured the style and essence of the time period well. I think this would be a very useful tool in the classroom as supplemental material for students who are learning The Great Gatsby or for long-time fans of the story.

The idea of this book sounded amazing and the illustrations are truly stunning. I think for a shorter classic like Gatsby, putting it in graphic novel form is an amazing way to get younger readers engaged and reimagine older works. The formatting was difficult in this eARC copy, however, because it wasn't finalized, but I'd be willing to pick up a copy when it's finished.

There’s something about this graphic rendition that achieves the underlying pathos of the original classic. The balance of illustrations to text is incredibly effective, drawing the reader further and further into the story and leaving haunting impressions along the way. Newcomers to Fitzgerald’s account of Nick, Daisy, Tom, and Gatsby as well as veteran readers will find a rich interpretation here to consider alongside their own. Ultimately, it is a unique and beautiful work of art.
Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

As I've mentioned in previous reviews, I teach "The Great Gatsby" every year I teach juniors. I find the language rich, the story and setting engaging, and the themes/social commentary particularly useful in the classroom. The text can be challenging for a small group of students, so I've been dying to get my hands on a decent graphic novel version.
Where this graphic novel differs from others is its inclusion of a decent chunk of the text from the original novel. I was surprised to see what made the cut, and shocked to see not much didn't. This is particularly helpful in a classroom setting when teaching graphic novels; too often I find myself having to sacrifice too much of the original text to make it worthwhile teaching it in this format. I think this version balances what teachers (and lovers of the original text) need and want with the genre format well.
Where this book didn't work for me was the art. With exception of a few beautiful splash pages, I found the art didn't intrigue me or enhance the story in any way. There were a lot of missed opportunities from the textual imagery to the visual imagery, and some missteps (eyes of T.J. Eckleberg were pretty bizarre). The character faces were flat (perhaps reflecting their characters, but I'm guessing not), and I couldn't stop seeing Daisy's character as an exact replica of Princess Di.
I think this would work well for students who struggle with understanding the text of the novel form in a clear way. I can foresee many English teachers being happy with this compromise and willing to adapt it for their curriculum.

Like some other reviewers pointed out, turning a classic into a graphic novel isn't something new, but it is a useful teaching tool for the classroom. I like that Fordham stays true to Fitzgerald's original text. Naturally, not all themes carry over, but if you're looking for a way to integrate this classic into your classroom, Fordham's adaptation is a helpful one.
Personally, I wasn't blown away by the art. I believe that some students may also lose interest since strong artwork can help them bridge the gap to loving and understanding the text. But overall, I still think this is a useful venture into Gatsby's world.
Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy for an honest review.

This one was good. I thought the illustrations were beautiful and perfect for the time period for the setting of The Great Gatsby. The formatting of the eARC made it a little difficult to follow the dialogue but I’m sure the finished copy will be much easier.

Beautiful illustrations help create this gorgeous graphic novel edition of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. This is my favorite novel and the graphic edition helped me see it in a new way, despite rereading it many times. The graphic edition includes most of the meat of the book. I thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

I have to be honest, I am here for these classic books being turned into graphic novels. As with other novels that have been adapted into graphic novel format (To Kill a Mockingbird: A Graphic Novel or The City of Ember: The Graphic Novel), it can be challenging to capture the magic of the original story with less text. However, I think The Great Gatsby was left in good hands. Fred Fordham also adapted To Kill a Mockingbird and it was done beautifully. So was this one.
I really liked how illustrator Aya Morton showed some of the scenes: the eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg were brilliantly included and I particularly liked the scenes that showed scenery like across the way to East or West Egg, for example. I can't imagine the difficulty and complexity in taking a classic novel like The Great Gatsby and adapting it for a graphic novel, but Fordham proved his excellence, once again.
The graphic novel will never replace the full-length classic, but this is a great companion to that story.
**Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

I have always loved The Great Gatsby and have taught the novel for many years. I am thrilled to be able to share this version with my students!
The story is intact and the illustrations are simply wonderful. Having this graphic novel version available is long overdue. As a purist, I worried that a graphic novel might lose the magic of Fitzgerald’s words, but that is not the case. This is a beautiful and true version of Gatsby and I loved it.