Has anyone read or seen the movie version of The Great Gatsby? I read the book and saw the movie while I was in high school. While I honestly don't remember much of what I read, I do remember the awesome book cover (pictured below). It's beautiful and kind of weird, and I remember staring at the cover of this book more than I remember reading it!
For those who aren't familiar with The Great Gatsby, the story involves a wealthy man (Gatsby) who lives in a fancy mansion and throws lots of parties. I learned today (on the CBS Sunday Morning show) that the mansion that inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald in writing The Great Gatsby was demolished. It had been left to the elements and was dilapidated. It's so sad to me that something this historic and at one time beautiful was torn down, so more houses could be built on the property.
I know there are some haunted house fans out there, who will probably feel some inspiration from the photos of the mansion during it's last days:
In happier times...
In its heyday, this house did host grand parties. People like Winston Churchill, The Marx Brothers, and The Duke and Duchess of Windsor were attending these parties! I wonder if these famous spirits still show up for the parties, even if the house is gone...
"I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby's house I was one of the few guests who had actually been invited. People were not invited--they went there."
- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Ch. 3 p.41
For those who aren't familiar with The Great Gatsby, the story involves a wealthy man (Gatsby) who lives in a fancy mansion and throws lots of parties. I learned today (on the CBS Sunday Morning show) that the mansion that inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald in writing The Great Gatsby was demolished. It had been left to the elements and was dilapidated. It's so sad to me that something this historic and at one time beautiful was torn down, so more houses could be built on the property.
I know there are some haunted house fans out there, who will probably feel some inspiration from the photos of the mansion during it's last days:
In happier times...
In its heyday, this house did host grand parties. People like Winston Churchill, The Marx Brothers, and The Duke and Duchess of Windsor were attending these parties! I wonder if these famous spirits still show up for the parties, even if the house is gone...
"I believe that on the first night I went to Gatsby's house I was one of the few guests who had actually been invited. People were not invited--they went there."
- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Ch. 3 p.41
It would have been so cool to have a wander through before they tore it down!
ReplyDeleteYeah, although I don't think you would have seen much. From what I saw of the interior on TV today, almost everything was gone. Even the walls! I would imagine a lot of the parts of the house were sold in antique shops. I've been to some antique shops that sell some awesome architectural elements from torn down buildings.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be even cooler to wander through this place during the 1920s!
Well that sucks.
ReplyDeleteIt sure does, Biff! Sometimes I don't like "progress" very much.
ReplyDeleteaw, that's so sad:( you think someone would have wanted to purchase a piece of history and restore it...
ReplyDeleteYeah, I would have thought that! The house could have even been made into a museum. I guess there was just too much temptation to make more money from the new houses being built there.
ReplyDeleteGet this: The plan is to build five new houses on this land, and charge $10 million for each of them! The Gatsby house was valued at $30 million as it was.