The Great Gatsby is one of the most celebrated novels of all time. The book has also been adapted twice into popular movies starring Robert Redford and Leonardo DiCaprio, two of the biggest film stars ever. Whether you’re a fan of the book or either one of the movies, you are looking for something more.
Although F. Scott Fitzgerald did not write a sequel, here are five books that can help make up for the lack of one:
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
When it comes to American classics, one author seems to have written quite a number of them. Besides the acclaim, Ernest Hemingway’s works also explore America and its lifestyle as introspectively as The Great Gatsby.
The Sun Also Rises is perhaps the closest to The Great Gatsby as you can get with Hemingway’s books. It’s also set in the roaring 1920s and explores the hedonistic lifestyle of the era’s elite. While Hemingway’s writing style may be wildly different from that of Fitzgerald’s, the two writers are similar in their assessment of the Jazz Age.
The Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald was a prolific novelist with a slew of great books. The Great Gatsby just happens to be his most famous one. If you’re looking for something similar to Gatsby from him, The Side of Paradise is a solid option.
The Side of Paradise is the story of Amory Blaine, who, just like Jay Gatsby, tries to fit in with the elites of his time but becomes disillusioned with the lifestyle. Unlike Gatsby, Blaine tries to take the more difficult road of throwing away the lifestyle and becoming used to the changing world.
Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf is one of the greatest writers in English literature and her prowess is fully on display in Mrs. Dalloway. The novel’s setting is upper-class England rather than America, but it follows the same theme of exploring the emptiness and selfishness of the elite.
However, Mrs. Dalloway takes a far more personal approach to the topic. It is a story about Claire Dalloway, who is ironing out some last-minute details for a party, wondering whether she is the perfect host she thinks she is. Written in a stream-of-consciousness style, it may be a challenging read, but it is a rewarding one.
Jazz by Toni Morrison
Jazz by Toni Morrison does not explore the elites of the Jazz Age like Gatsby. Instead, it takes a look at the struggles of urban African-Americans during the Harlem Renaissance. More importantly, the book focuses on the injustices faced by a black woman in America.
It’s not as rosy as Gatsby can be at times, but it is just as harrowing. Jazz shows another side to the Roaring ‘20s, one that we don’t hear about as much as we should.
An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
Published in the same year as The Great Gatsby, An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser is eerily similar in the story it tells. It’s the tale of Clyde Griffiths, a boy born poor but given an opportunity when he is taken in and raised by wealthy relatives.
An American Tragedy also explores the corruption wealth can lead to, but it goes in a much darker place than The Great Gatsby. If you’re looking for a story that’s dark and grueling, An American Tragedy is the book for you.
Vincent Salera
Founder @ World's Best Story™ amplifier of creativity & fun!
