In the novel, Nick is the narrator and participant in the story. The novel explores several themes, including the tainting of the American Dream, erotic love, homosexuality, and the moral and social decline of a culture obsessed with conspicuous consumption, luxury, and excess.

In nine brief chapters, a touching story develops: people, issues, society, morality, and a fascinating, fast-changing time. A scant number of readers will remain unmoved by the final chapters, or by the exquisite wording of Scott Fitzgerald in this American literary gift. Thus, to this day, scholars, critics, and everyday readers regard The Great Gatsby as a masterpiece of 20th Century Literature. So, inevitably, a plethora of films, plays, and other forms of artistic expression continues to spawn around this much-loved and respected staple of the American literary canon.