The Great Gatsby Book vs Movie: Difference and Comparison

F. Scott Fitzgerald is the author of The Great Gatsby. Charles Scribner’s Sons published it in 1925. Nick Carraway, the narrator of the story, limned incidents according to his experience. The plot depicts the tale of an optimistic young mind, Jay Gatsby.

Key Takeaways

  1. The book provides greater detail and insight into the character’s thoughts and motivations, while the movie focuses on visuals and action.
  2. The movie adaptation alters some plot points and characterizations, potentially changing the original story’s meaning.
  3. Readers can imagine the setting and characters in the book, whereas the movie presents a specific visual interpretation.

The Great Gatsby Book vs Movie 

The difference between The Great Gatsby book and the movie is the perspective of the author and the director. The novel consists of vital phrasings and sentences that are overwhelming to bring to life. The book has enough characters and characteristics that the director finds challenging to portray. 

The Great Gatsby Book vs Movie

The Great Gatsby book was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1925. It was his third novel. The novel is one of his notable works. The story unfolds the journey of a young boy, Jay Gatsby, and his young love, Daisy Fay Buchanan.

J. Gatsby believed in the mystery of the universe. The screenplay was exhibited by Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce. On 17 May 2013, the movie was released.

The movie starts with the monologue of the narrator. He rewinds his memories and shares them with his doctor. He is in denial after departing from his soul friend, Gatsby.  

Comparison Table

Parameters of ComparisonThe Great Gatsby BookThe Great Gatsby Movie
The frameworkThe author depicts the jazz age, the trend in the 1920s.The movie portrays it as a dress-up party and modern rap.
Jordan Baker She is in a romantic relationship with Nick until late summer. The movie portrays her as a mere character without any obvious significance.
Daisy Fay BuchananShe is a carefree rich woman (narrow-minded).The intensity of the character is lacking.
Tom Buchanan His character has few negative sights. He is portrayed as an absolute villain.
Nick Carraway He is non – alcoholic, got drunk twice.He is shown as an alcoholic.
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What Is The Great Gatsby Book?

The Great Gatsby Book was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald in the 1920s. It was published by  Charles Scribner’s Sons. It is romantic fiction. Scott plotted a love story in the framework of American society.

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The poor and the privileged group of people and a bridge connecting them.

Gatsby, a young boy born into a poor family, refers to himself as the ‘son of god’. He believed in the manifestation of the universe. He fell in love with a rich girl. The dream he was chasing fell apart when he faced his reality.

He parted from his love and returned after a prolonged period. He earned enough money to please Daisy. Daisy was married to Tom, a rich and respectable polo player. Later, they faced each other with the help of her cousin, Nick.

Nick is the narrator of the story. He unfolds each event with his perspective and declares the unique nature of each of the characters. Nick finds Gatsby interesting and admires him. He finds him different from the rest. He was his true companion. 

The story elaborates on the significance of different emotional stages and relates them to society. The book clarifies the gap between real and surreal thoughts through relationships, money, and profile.

the great gatsby book

What is The Great Gatsby Movie?

The Great Gatsby movie was crafted by  Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce. The movie is inspired by the book (The Great Gatsby). Though the storyline remains constant, few variations are noticed.

Leonardo DiCaprio brilliantly executed Gatsby. Luhrmann crafted his character with intensity and values. Luhrmann’s Gatsby was portrayed as omniscient. Later, he became vulnerable and denied accepting the reality.

He was chasing a mirage, a fantasy world that he dreamt of in his imagination. Nick, played by Tobey Maguire, signifies the balance between the upper and lower classes.

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East Egg and West Egg, New York City and the deserted land in between them are crafted with the director’s imagination. Carey Mulligan, who played the role of Daisy Fay Buchanan, lacks the intense to justify the character as depicted in the novel.

Moreover, gave faces to the characters of The Great Gatsby. He used extreme emotions to defy them, incorporating special effects and a surreal environment.

He composed the era of the 1920s with the modern era as impacted through the songs and the parties in the movie. The green light was wisely used and justified in the appropriate sense.

Each scene unfolds a story to the viewer with proper clarification and clarity. The Great Gatsby Movie earned an IMDb score of 7.2. The box office collection was $353.6. The movie received prestigious awards.

the great gatsby movie

Main Differences Between The Great Gatsby Book and Movie

  1. The framework of the book is different from that of the movie. The book showcases an era, while the movie seems like a fancy party.
  2. Jordan Baker, the golf player, has a dishonest face in the novel, the movie sheds out the necessary details of her character.
  3. Daisy Fay Buchanan, the wife of Tom Buchanan, has an intensity in her presence; the movie portrays her as weak, and the actor fails to justify the role (according to reviews).
  4. Tom Buchanan has unlikable roles in the book, but the movie depicts him as a villain.
  5. Nick Carraway is portrayed as a self-conscious person in the novel. The movie exaggerates the darker phase in his life.
References
  1. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26475309
  2. https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA166433351&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=00267457&p=AONE&sw=w

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Piyush Yadav
Piyush Yadav

Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.

16 Comments

  1. I appreciate the detailed descriptions of the characters’ appearance and portrayal in the book versus the movie.

    • I second that, it adds depth to the understanding of the characters’ evolution from book to movie.

  2. The insight into the characters’ personalities and traits is quite enlightening; the comparative analysis adds an extra layer of understanding to this classic tale.

  3. The way the author’s words and the director’s vision are compared is very interesting. I’ve never really thought about how the characters of a book can be brought to life.

  4. I found the breakdown of the differences between the book and the movie quite insightful; it’s intriguing to see the various interpretations of the characters.

  5. The director seems to have taken liberties in changing the portrayal of the characters to suit the movie plot, that’s unfortunate.

  6. The comparisons made are thought-provoking, I never realized the extent of the differences between the written and visual depiction of the characters.

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