Community votes 'The Great Gatsby' as book of the year

Most of the country might look to Oprah's Book Club to choose their latest leisure read, but the Bloomington community has another option -- One Book, One Bloomington and Beyond.\nFive years ago, Bloomington adopted the program, similar to other cities' programs nationwide, to get its citizens to read. This year, community members were able to vote on six book nominees at Bloomington bookstores and libraries, and they've selected "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald as the community's book of the year.\nNancy Krueger, a member of the One Book, One Bloomington and Beyond committee, said the program is designed as an opportunity for Bloomington residents to read a book each year and discuss it as a group.\n"The Great Gatsby" is a mythological American tale of the lives of the rich and greedy on Long Island in the 1920s. The novel, which takes place in the Jazz Age, is Fitzgerald's third book, and arguably his most famous.\n"It's a quick read; a book that, at a first glance, can seem simplistic," Krueger said. "It is one of the best American novels."\nMost students have read the book in high school or college, but the choice of this year's novel will allow people to revisit old literature.\n"I've found that when I reread things as an adult, it has been such a long time that you see different things than when you were in high school or college," Krueger said.\nMichael Simmons, the chair member of the One Book, One Bloomington and Beyond steering committee, said the community book discussions will allow citizens to have deep and interesting conversations with people whom they usually would not get to talk.\n"I would like for (the community) to engage with the author's dialogue, the issues that he raises -- hope and greed and love and the American dream -- and apply some of the insights that they get from the novel to contemporary American life," Simmons said.\nJoie Canada, the owner of Howard's Bookstore, 111 W. Kirkwood Ave., said she thinks Bloomington's choice of the classic American tale is excellent. \n"It encourages people to discuss books that are not just the latest best seller," she said. "People will talk about 'The DaVinci Code' till hell freezes over. 'The Great Gatsby' is a much better book. It has withstood the test of time."\nThroughout the year there will be different community events for people who want to discuss the book. For more information, visit One Book, One Bloomington and Beyond's Web site, www.artlives.org/obob06.html.