“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
I’ve long admired fiction authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald who weave some wisdom into their work. A great story is important, too, of course, but since I write poetry and nonfiction, I appreciate those passages in a novel that jump out at me because they say something in a way I’ve never thought of before. Or maybe the sentence is almost musical, poetic, and I’m compelled to read it aloud, or even underline it for future reference.
“I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
Do you notice such lines in a novel? Hope I’m not the only one. I actually have a difficult time sticking with fiction when I don’t find something that adds depth and a touch of wisdom to the plot line. Intriguing lines, passages, and insights elevate the conversation, help characters come to life in memorable ways. They also keep me fully engaged in the book.
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
“Great bursts of leaves.” I like that description. It’s unique, dynamic. So many ways to describe a summer day, but Fitzgerald manages to come up with something new–something I haven’t read a million times before in other books.
more specifically?
“Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
When you read a novel do you pause after reading a great line, one that resonates in surprising ways? I like to take a minute to simply appreciate an exceptional passage. Sometimes I write a sentence down or share it with someone. If it’s a truly wonderful insight, I might even meditate on it. Authors really deserve a great deal of credit for delivering more than just another good story. Often they enhance our lives with the beauty of the written word, and the ability to share significant ideas and thoughts albeit as fiction. ~
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― F. Scott Fitzgerald
