Mad About Gatsby

I first read The Great Gatsby as a college freshman, deciding I should be prepared for when an English professor inevitably assigned it. Honestly, I don't remember exactly what drew me in, but I've become smitten with those fast tragic jazz age books.

So imagine my delight this week over two major Gatsby developments.

PART ONE: Computer game.


That's right. It's found at www.greatgatsbygame.com.

You are Nick Carraway, searching mansions and gardens for the Great Gatsby:

Power up! After finding a ritzy yellow hat, Nick becomes a classy man with a mission: destroy the martini-toting butlers. He does this by chucking a boomerang (not pictured) at them. Because we all know that social-climbers don't fight with their hands.

To provide some storyline, we get a lonely glance at Jay Gatsby, always looking for that green light.


Fortunately, I don't spend more than five minutes on the site because it's not terribly interesting. Plus, the third level is just a pair of floating eyes that shoot laser beams. My boomerang is useless against it, so I just run around until boredom sets in.

Or until I die.
PART TWO: Movie.

Oh yes. Oh yes. There are so many reasons to be excited about the 2012 feature. Most importantly, Baz Luhrmann is directing. If you're not familiar with the gentleman, he wrote and directed Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge, and Australia. I haven't seen the last film, but Luhrmann's overall style is fantastically vivid.

Plus, Leonardo DiCaprio will star as Jay Gatsby, Tobey Maguire is Nick Carraway, and Carrie Mulligan won the coveted role of Daisy Buchanan.

I'm so excited.

Possible downside: 3-D. I'm not a fan.