Reader's Choice

Set in the swinging Twenties in Long Island, New York, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (Penguin, £4.99 in the UK) paints a vivid picture of people striving to achieve "the American dream". The main theme of The Great Gatsby is corruption, and the author clearly shows how this taints one's character and only leads to further distortion. Part of the enjoyment of this book is reading the descriptive passages of the luxury and opulence readily provided by Gatsby, the generous host of parties held at his mansion. An enjoyable read; it is very easy to see why this novel became one of the great classics of the 20th century.