--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think 'Gatsby' is hobbled, in part, by…" description: "\"I think 'Gatsby' is hobbled, in part, by its status as a Great American Novel. People kind of roll their eyes before they've even opened it, treat it w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09d/susan-choi-21843_american_i-think-gatsby-is-hobbled-in-part-by-its_3058932.jpg" --- # I think 'Gatsby' is hobbled, in part, by its status as a… ![“I think 'Gatsby' is hobbled, in part, by its status as a Great American Novel. People kind of roll their eyes before they've even opened it, treat it with a 'been there, done that' attitude. I know I did. It took me years to re-open the novel and see how much I'd missed.” quote by Susan Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09d/susan-choi-21843_american_i-think-gatsby-is-hobbled-in-part-by-its_3058932.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09d/susan-choi-21843_american_i-think-gatsby-is-hobbled-in-part-by-its_3058932.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09d/susan-choi-21843_american_i-think-gatsby-is-hobbled-in-part-by-its_3058932.jpg) > “I think 'Gatsby' is hobbled, in part, by its status as a Great American Novel. People kind of roll their eyes before they've even opened it, treat it with a 'been there, done that' attitude. I know I did. It took me years to re-open the novel and see how much I'd missed.” [Susan Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-choi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The novel 'Gatsby' feels overfamiliar, causing readers to dismiss it before truly engaging. **In simple terms:** Preconceptions hinder appreciation. Key Takeaway Approach classics with fresh eyes. Themes literature prejudice revaluation Mood curious critical Type literary educational When to use this quote - book clubs - academic courses Key Concepts cultural criticism reading habits Questions to Reflect On - How does bias shape reading? - What strategies renew interest? A Different Perspective May ignore the novel’s intrinsic value. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attitude/) [Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eyes/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Status](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/status/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [I think that when you're writing plays, and I think it's also true with novels, it helps to have an ear for the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kushner/i-think-that-when-you-re-writing-plays-and-i-think-it-s-also-true/) [Tony Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kushner/) > [This is, if not a lifetime process, it's awfully close to it. 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I think he wanted to write the great American novel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-waldman/my-father-was-a-frustrated-writer-i-think-he-wanted-to-write-the/) [Anne Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-waldman/) > [People think that they will sit down and produce the great American novel in one sitting. It doesn't work that way. This is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/people-think-that-they-will-sit-down-and-produce-the-great-american/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) ## More by Susan Choi > [Innocence as we understand it in our culture is very theatrical. The flip side is, if you're charming enough, you can get away with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-choi/innocence-as-we-understand-it-in-our-culture-is-very-theatrical-the/) [Susan Choi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-choi/) > [“Coup de foudre; perhaps it was real. 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