Nick

Nick

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  • Create Date：2021-01-07 22:36:30
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Michael Farris Smith
  • ISBN：9780316529761
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Summary

Notes From Your Bookseller

A tumultuous origin story of one of the most famous and unforgettable literary narrators， Nick is a true cross-continental bildungsroman。 This emotional novel successfully puts The Great Gatsby into an entirely new perspective and era: from the battlefields of World War I to the drunken streets of Paris and New Orleans。 Dive back into the world of an unparalleled classic。

Critically acclaimed novelist Michael Farris Smith pulls Nick Carraway out of the shadows and into the spotlight in this "masterful" look into his life before Gatsby （Richard Russo， Pulitzer Prize-winning author of EMPIRE FALLS and CHANCES ARE…）   Before Nick Carraway moved to West Egg and into Gatsby's periphery， he was at the center of a very different story-one taking place along the trenches and deep within the tunnels of World War I。 Floundering in the wake of the destruction he witnessed firsthand， Nick delays his return home， hoping to escape the questions he cannot answer about the horrors of war。 Instead， he embarks on a transcontinental redemptive journey that takes him from a whirlwind Paris romance-doomed from the very beginning-to the dizzying frenzy of New Orleans， rife with its own flavor of debauchery and violence。 An epic portrait of a truly singular era and a sweeping， romantic story of self-discovery， this rich and imaginative novel breathes new life into a character that many know but few have pondered deeply。 Charged with enough alcohol， heartbreak， and profound yearning to paralyze even the heartiest of golden age scribes， Nick reveals the man behind the narrator who has captivated readers for decades。   

Editor Reviews

"An evocative glimpse into life amidst World War I。。。with scenes on wartime battlefields and in New Orleans speakeasies creating more captivating backdrops throughout。"—Perri Ormont Blumberg， Southern Living


“A dark and often gripping story that imagines the narrator of The Great Gatsby in the years before that book began…Smith is a talented writer known mainly for his gritty evocations of violence， struggle， and loss…The new Nick is a man fully realized， with a mind tormented by the war and by a first love that waned too fast to a fingernail moon of bitter memory…A compelling character study and a thoroughly unconventional prequel。”—Kirkus


"Noir is as adaptable as a writer dares to make it， which Smith shows in this compelling prequel to The Great Gatsby。"—Bill Ott， Booklist


“It is a brave and ambitious project to write the backstory of Nick Carraway， the narrator of F。 Scott Fitzgerald’s American classic， The Great Gatsby， but that is what Michael Farris Smith does in his sixth novel， Nick…Smith’s descriptions of warfare are cinematic， chilling and unforgettable…In style and theme， this Nick will remind readers of another Nick: the character Nick Adams of Ernest Hemingway’s best short stories。”  —Alden Mudge， BookPage


“Anybody who believes that the war is over when the enemy surrenders and the troops come home needs to read Michael Farris Smith’s masterful new novel NICK。 Its stark， unvarnished truth will haunt you。”—Richard Russo， Pulitzer Prize-winning author of EMPIRE FALLS and CHANCES ARE。。。


"With precise yet lyrically striking prose， Michael Farris Smith weaves a tale of love， loss， the lasting trauma of war， that deeply inhabits the damaged psyches of an array of people。 The title figure of Nick offers a soul for the ages， one that finally and deftly slips into the canon。"  —Jeffrey Lent， author of the bestselling In the Fall and Before We Sleep


 “Nick is， sentence by sentence， scene by scene， an atmospheric masterpiece of imagination and prose。 With scenes that take your breath away and forget to give it back， Smith takes us on an immersive and redemptive journey that travels from the trenches of the Great War， to Paris， to New Orleans and beyond。”  —Patti Callahan， New York Times bestselling author of Becoming Mrs。 Lewis


“Stylish， evocative， haunting and wholly original， Michael Farris Smith has paid tribute to a classic and made it his own。 A remarkable achievement that should sit at the very top of everyone’s must-read list。”  —Chris Whitaker， author of We Begin at the End


"Every once in a while an author comes along who's in love with art and the written language and image and literary experiment and the complexity of his characters and the great mysteries that lie just on the other side of the physical world， writers like William Faulkner and Cormac McCarthy and Annie Proulx。 You can add Michael Farris Smith's name to the list。"—James Lee Burke， New York Times bestselling author and two-time Edgar Award winner

Praise for Blackwood

"Mr。 Smith is a gifted writer whose lean， mean， prose underscores an extraordinary talent for creating atmospheric， vividly described scenes and characters。。。。atmospheric and riveting。" —Susan Pearlstein， Pittsburg Post Gazette

"Miraculously beautiful。。。Smith's prose is both raw and poetic， like opera sung at a honky-tonk。 His books are tinged with reverence， an intangible and nearly religious grace that watches over the often brutal events he describes， hinting at the possibility for redemption even in the most debased。" —Ivy Pochoda， LA Review of Books

"Smith's eye lingers on those elements of the Southern experience most people look right past。。。In the South of Smith's fiction， no portion of our landscape is too humble or hardscrabble to warrant study。" —Matthew Guinn， Mississippi Clarion Ledger—-


Praise for The Fighter


"One of those wonderful and rare books that's both a page-turner and a novel of great depth and emotion。 The Fighter is Southern noir at its finest。"— Ace Atkins， New York Times bestselling author of The Fallen and The Sinners

"Michael Farris Smith is so good， I might actually hate him a little bit。 The Fighter is a book I wish I'd written but am deeply grateful I got to read。 It is a masterful portrait of place and character and how one influences the other， with language that is both brutal and tender at once。 Smith loves Jack Boucher and the Mississippi Delta to the bone。"— Attica Locke， author of Bluebird， Bluebird


"I loved The Fighter。 Michael Farris Smith is one of the most exciting new voices in American fiction。 Just as I couldn't put down Desperation Road till I finished， I tore through this novel as well。 I'm hooked。" — Brad Watson， author of Miss Jane—-

Praise for Desperation Road



"Desperation Road is an elegantly written， perfectly paced novel about a man and woman indelibly marked by violence。 Characters who would be mere stereotypes in a lesser writer's hands are fully realized， and we come to care deeply as they attempt to create a better life for themselves。 An outstanding performance。" — Ron Rash


"Michael Farris Smith is one of the best writers of his generation， and this very well may be his best work—taut， tense， and impossible to put down。"— Tom Franklin， author of Crooked Letter

"Michael Farris Smith's Desperation Road reads as if it were forged in a fire stoked by the ghosts of Carson McCullers， Larry Brown， and William Gay。 The result is a novel rife with violent beauty and incredible grace。 Smith's terse， muscular prose encapsulates a heart that renders this novel as rich and alive and wounded as any you'll find in contemporary fiction。" — Wiley Cash， New York Times bestselling author of A Land More Kind Than Home and This Dark Road to Mercy—-

From the Publisher

About the Author

Michael Farris Smith is the author of Blackwood，The Fighter，Desperation Road， Rivers， and The Hands of Strangers。 His novels have appeared on Best of the Year lists in Esquire，Southern Living，Book Riot， and numerous other outlets， and have been named Indie Next， Barnes & Noble Discover， and Amazon Best of the Month selections。 He has been a finalist for the Southern Book Prize， the Gold Dagger Awardin the UK， and the Grand Prix des Lectricesin France， and his essays have appeared in the New York Times， the Bitter Southerner， Garden & Gun， and more。 He lives in Oxford， Mississippi， with his wife and two daughters。

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Reviews

candidtheartist ，

Who is this author and why are they trying to write a book about Nick Carroway？ Fitzgerald is rolling in his grave。 Let classics be as such， what connection does this author have to the the original book。 Feels like some Hollywood garbage to put out such a book。

Josh ，

The Great Gatsby belongs to our culture， and it has for decades。 Between those who read it for pleasure and those who read it for a Junior English credit and those who merely take it in through its virtual ubiquity in American popular culture， we are all at least conversant in Gatsby。 Now， because of the expiration of the original copyright， the text of Fitzgerald’s classic belongs to the people as well。 So we should prepare for a flood of all things Gatsby。 Thankfully， the first project to resu The Great Gatsby belongs to our culture， and it has for decades。 Between those who read it for pleasure and those who read it for a Junior English credit and those who merely take it in through its virtual ubiquity in American popular culture， we are all at least conversant in Gatsby。 Now， because of the expiration of the original copyright， the text of Fitzgerald’s classic belongs to the people as well。 So we should prepare for a flood of all things Gatsby。 Thankfully， the first project to result from the newly freed tale is a prequel introducing us to the pre-Gatsby life of Fitzgerald’s famously unreliable narrator。 And if the premise is not intriguing enough， this new novel is penned by one of the best authors with whom far too many readers are unfamiliar， Michael Farris Smith。Farris Smith is known for his tales from the American South， so I was incredibly interested in how he would move to a world beyond the South。 Thankfully， he brings us to the South relatively quickly， but even more thankfully， his writing about a world beyond marshes， bayous， and kudzu entrenched landscapes is as engaging as his Southern tales。 Nick is a prequel in a number of ways。 First， it is obviously about Nick before he met Jay Gatz and before he entered the bond market。 But Gatsby is about more than Gatsby， it is about the world of the Roaring 20s， and Nick serves as a prequel to that as well。 Before the decadence of the 20s was the desperation of WW1， and Farris Smith is superb at making the reader viscerally experience the desperation of his characters。 This volume is no different。 When I have read stories set in the WWI era， I have thought of them in black and white。 The stories have always seemed distant， and that distance has provided a bit of relief as a reader。 But Farris Smith presents the story， the events， the characters in a way that it is in “living color，” removing much of the distance and thus much of the safety。 Farris Smith’s presentation of Nick’s time in Europe is thoroughly unsettling。 He humanizes Nick and the men and women around him in a way that is best described as heartbreaking。 The section focused on Nick’s time in Europe， with Parisian flashbacks interspersed in gritty war scenes， would translate beautifully to the screen， as well as radio theatre。 But it is when the novel shifts when Nick returns stateside that this tale takes off。 Whereas the first section of the novel had a war novel feel， the later sections felt like a classic noir novel。 The depravity of pre-prohibition New Orleans， the grit of certain scenes， and the whodunnit mystery set in bars， brothels， and back alleys had me sensing the presence of Raymond Chandler， William Faulkner， Cormac McCarthy， and others。 Farris Smith makes an interesting choice that I think was quite wise。 Unlike Gatsby， Nick utilizes a third-person omniscient narrator。 That choice opens up some story areas that would not be available otherwise， but it also alleviates Farris Smith of the burden on Fitzgerald’s prose。 If he had chosen to utilize Nick as a narrator， the comparisons to Fitzgerald would be warranted， but since he writes his tale about Nick rather than through him， Farris Smith is able to write with his own style， a style that is super fun to read。 Also， as opposed to letting Nick tell his own story， and have the reader question the validity of his story because of how Fitzgerald originally presented Nick， Farris Smith’s presentation makes the story feel genuine。 This allows for a superb novel， but it also allows for a fresh reading of Gatsby。 But， we are not bound by Nick。 It is misleading to call this fan fiction， but that is what it is to a degree。 In as such， we should recognize that this is not the Nick story; it is a Nick story。 And it is a very good one。 Farris Smith gives us plenty of reasons to feel free to take this tale as a take on Nick but to hang on to enough skepticism about pre-Gatsby Nick to ensure that Fitzgerald’s unreliable narrator remains a virtual enigma， maintaining that aspect of pleasure when reading the original。 People are going to have strong opinions about this novel。 Taking a story that is so universally known and adding your own voice to it is a risky proposition， but Farris Smith more than delivers。 Sure， some Gatsby connections feel heavy-handed。 And plenty of people are going to take issue with what Nick did and did not do in this tale。 But， even if someone has never read a word of Fitzgerald， they can pick this book up and enjoy it。 If someone has read and reread Gatsby， this will be a pleasurable trip into “what if，” even if they end up discarding Farris Smith’s backstory for the one they have built in their own minds。 Regardless， this is a volume worth reading。 I think Farris Smith shines most brightly when he is free from the constraints of a classic and is able to go wherever he wishes （Desperation Road， The Fighter， Blackwood， etc。）， but I am comfortable saying that he took the idea of a Gatsby prequel and did as well with it as anyone could。 ARC provided。 。。。more

Nicole Piechuta ，

I liked a lot of the backstory and the Europe and war parts， but a lot of this didn’t flow well and a lot of the events seemed to not make a lot of sense

Gee C ，

New Year New Blog Day Five – Nick by Michael Farris Smith Review“Your world is a place unto its own… it is a place of its own truth and its own consequences and it is invisible to all。”Nick by Michael Farris Smith is a masterpiece in its own right。 I love The Great Gatsby; it’s my favourite classics and one of my favourite books。 I am always wary of retellings of classics in case they do not portray the character right or get the true essence of the story。 However， I have always wondered what Ni New Year New Blog Day Five – Nick by Michael Farris Smith Review“Your world is a place unto its own… it is a place of its own truth and its own consequences and it is invisible to all。”Nick by Michael Farris Smith is a masterpiece in its own right。 I love The Great Gatsby; it’s my favourite classics and one of my favourite books。 I am always wary of retellings of classics in case they do not portray the character right or get the true essence of the story。 However， I have always wondered what Nick Carraway did before arriving in West Egg as it is not said much in the books which is what led me to this one。 This book made me love Nick’s unreliable character even more and this story made me love the Great Gatsby more if that was at all possible。 It moved me and kept me wanting more the entire way through this novel。 You can read more of my review here: https://aworldofwordsandcoffee。com/20。。。 。。。more

Etta ，

I was lucky enough to win this novel in a Goodreads giveaway and I’m very thankful to the publisher for sending me a copy。 This book is outside my usual contemporary romance genre， but it’s a style that I’ve enjoyed before as The Great Gatsby was one of the required reading books I was assigned in school that I actually would’ve read on my own。 It’s great to see Nick Carraway step out of Gatsby’s shadow and be featured in a tale of his own。 This is a prequel story to Nick’s life before Gastby’s I was lucky enough to win this novel in a Goodreads giveaway and I’m very thankful to the publisher for sending me a copy。 This book is outside my usual contemporary romance genre， but it’s a style that I’ve enjoyed before as The Great Gatsby was one of the required reading books I was assigned in school that I actually would’ve read on my own。 It’s great to see Nick Carraway step out of Gatsby’s shadow and be featured in a tale of his own。 This is a prequel story to Nick’s life before Gastby’s story takes place and the author did a great job of expanding the few facts we know about Nick to expand it into a whole tale of his past。We start in WWI times where Nick is in Paris on temporary leave from the front before he must return。 While on leave， he’s met a French woman named Ella， who he’s reluctant to leave， however， his sense of duty takes over and he ends up returning to the front。 A bulk of the story takes place in battle as Nick navigates surviving while reminiscing of his time with Ella。 He also thinks back to his childhood and growing up in Minnesota。 These flashbacks help us gain a better understanding of this familiar character while we also live in his struggle with being among the terrors of war。 After Nik survives the war， he finds himself in New Orleans to begin the next chapter of his journey that eventually leads to West Egg。 Although surrounded by others， Nick still feels alone and we continue to better understand the observer character he becomes。The book is well-written and is very descriptive as you feel you are there along with Nick as he travels through life during and after his time in the war。 The times in battle are incredibly realistic and the writing paints a picture that give tons of detail of what Nick is experiencing in the front。 It’s thought provoking and heart-wrenching at times as the reader is transported to seem as if they are right there with Nick。 It’s a dark tale of a character that’s very well-known through his introduction in The Great Gastby。 After reading this novel， I now have to re-read Gastby just to see how it will possibly reshape my understanding of the story。 As this is a prequel story， you know the ending before you even read the first page， but it’s still an enthralling tale。Although the descriptions are fantastic， there are times where the story doesn’t flow cohesively。 As some of the story takes place in flashbacks， there are points in time where it can make the story feel choppy。 There are points as we travel along with Nick where we experience one thing and then jump to another as we try to witness his journey。 Although there are times where some of the writing feels a little disconnected， the story is still enjoyable and your reading experience isn’t hindered。 As every reader is different， the style may work and they might not feel the same so I would suggest reading it for yourself to form your own opinions。 Also， the story is worth reading if you have any interest in learning more about Nick before his interactions with Gastby in West Egg。 Overall， this novel was a great read to help me learn about the more mysterious Nick。 The story gave excellent insight into the realities of war， loss， and love all through the eyes of this character。 Nick grew up wanting to escape his smaller town childhood and it shows how he eventually got there。 This novel served as a great connection to Nick’s time in Gastby’s world。 The author’s work did an excellent job of transporting the reader to Nick’s past and gave us a deeper understanding of how he became the observer that everyone has become familiar with。 This is an excellent novel for anyone who wants to learn more about Nick Carraway。**Check Out my Other Reviews: Chonky Books Review 。。。more

Marija ，

Almost 100 years after the publication of The Great Gatsby， readers are treated with a companion text—a sort of prequel that seeks to provide a greater insight into the origins and formative years of Gatsby’s narrator， Nick Carraway。 While Michael Farris Smith should be appreciated for offering this to lovers of Fitzgerald’s classic work， his book is not necessarily a faithful representation of the Carraway to whom readers have come to recognize from the pages of Fitzgerald’s text。 Farris Smith’ Almost 100 years after the publication of The Great Gatsby， readers are treated with a companion text—a sort of prequel that seeks to provide a greater insight into the origins and formative years of Gatsby’s narrator， Nick Carraway。 While Michael Farris Smith should be appreciated for offering this to lovers of Fitzgerald’s classic work， his book is not necessarily a faithful representation of the Carraway to whom readers have come to recognize from the pages of Fitzgerald’s text。 Farris Smith’s Nick is more of a modern reimagining， lacking the brash and cynical tone of one who has been educated among the rich and has familiarized with members of this class of society。 Also missing are the contextual colloquialisms and slang one would expect to find in literature from this era， as well as the occasional ethnocentric and prejudicial commentary regarding race and gender that is interspersed throughout Fitzgerald’s text—statements and sentiments that would not be readily appreciated or accepted by today’s modern readers。While the plot of Farris Smith’s novel arguably follows a similar pattern to that of The Great Gatsby—detailing lost loves， suffered longings， jealousies and crimes of passion， some readers might feel that it would be best to let this book stand on its own， rather than reading it in tandem with Fitzgerald’s classic。 This is by no means a perfect book。 There are a number of inconsistencies ranging from unreliable narration， a shocking misuse of terms assigned to ladies’ lingerie from the 1910s/1920s*， and stories within stories， that make this book feel as if one’s reading a series of episodic tales rather than a single， cohesive work。 While the book does engage readers through its depictions of Nick as a shell-shocked soldier facing the self-guilt of survival， Nick’s story almost becomes eclipsed by the crime drama that usurps the latter part of Farris Smith’s novel。 It is an interesting book， but some might feel that it is not a work that’s ready to aspire to the classical heights of its predecessor。 * Ladies still wore corsets during the war， followed by camisole brassieres， chemises， and bandeaus not bras。 The abbreviated “bra” became in vogue during the 1930s。 。。。more

Ann Marie ，

3。5 stars。 I’m always up for a prequel especially when it involves one of the most beloved novels of all time， The Great Gatsby！This review has TGG spoilers， but I mean we’ve had almost 100 years to read it。 🤦🏼‍♀️Our dependable narrator in TGG， Nick Carraway， who mostly existed to tell others’ stories now gets to have his own story。 We follow Nick as he fights in WWI， has a brief affair in Paris， and comes back to America after the war and ends up in New Orleans。 I’ve gotta hand it to Nick， he’s 3。5 stars。 I’m always up for a prequel especially when it involves one of the most beloved novels of all time， The Great Gatsby！This review has TGG spoilers， but I mean we’ve had almost 100 years to read it。 🤦🏼‍♀️Our dependable narrator in TGG， Nick Carraway， who mostly existed to tell others’ stories now gets to have his own story。 We follow Nick as he fights in WWI， has a brief affair in Paris， and comes back to America after the war and ends up in New Orleans。 I’ve gotta hand it to Nick， he’s gone through some STUFF。 This book doesn’t sugar coat it either。 While re-reading TGG again before diving into this prequel， you do get the feeling that Nick has been through some things that set him apart from the luxury and naivety of the other Egg residents。 It also made me think that this is why he would have had so much empathy to Gatsby’s plights。 He embraced Gatsby even when he found out that much of his background was a sham。 The first half of the book was fantastic and it wasn’t much of a stretch to imagine this Nick as the same person as Gatsby’s Nick。 However， the New Orleans storyline seemed like it was too dramatic and a bridge too far。 I found myself not caring as much about the characters in the second half as I should have。 My favorite part about this book was finding parallels between the two books， like I was stumbling upon a little Easter egg。 My favorite one involved Nick fighting deep in a trench in France wondering who would come to his funeral。 This immediately made me think of the touching way Nick tried to rally up Gatsby’s “friends” to come to his funeral。 He took honoring his friend’s life quite seriously。 All in all， I think this book is enjoyable。 JIs it Fitzgerald？ Not quite。 But it’s still a super interesting dive into the life of one of literature’s best narrators。 Thank you to @netgalley and @littlebrown for a copy of this book！ 。。。more

CJ ，

If it’s not gay I don’t want it

Diane Dunn ，

Who was Nick Carraway before his involvement with the millionaire ，Great Gatsby？ A great prequel from Michael Farris-Smith though I perhaps couldn’t see any familiar characteristics within his character， although little was know of his life before。 A life of drudgery in the family hardware business beckons， ‘he was a watcher， he was a listener’。 He began to fear the sight of his name below his father’s name on the door in the Midwestern neighbourhood。 He escaped to Yale and from there volunteere Who was Nick Carraway before his involvement with the millionaire ，Great Gatsby？ A great prequel from Michael Farris-Smith though I perhaps couldn’t see any familiar characteristics within his character， although little was know of his life before。 A life of drudgery in the family hardware business beckons， ‘he was a watcher， he was a listener’。 He began to fear the sight of his name below his father’s name on the door in the Midwestern neighbourhood。 He escaped to Yale and from there volunteered to serve in WW1。 Wartime experience affects him profusely， he’s suffers from profoundly upsetting trauma， hallucinations， interspersed with moments of hope when meeting a woman on the streets of Paris。At the end of his wartime service he travels back to the US still suffering from the effects of his experiences。 ‘Mumbling to himself and pressing his hands against the windows and trying to ignore the storm of voices rushing through his mind， a chorus of chaos that drowned out any thoughts of normalcy’ Today he would’ve been diagnosed with PTSD and instead of travelling back to his hometown flees to New Orleans in the hope of something better。 His involvement with a fellow traumatised soldier and violent relationship with his wife in Frenchtown does nothing to improve his mental health situation。 However this gives him the encouragement to move onto new environs and his life on Long Island begins。Thanks to Netgalley the author and publishers for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review 。。。more

Sharon McCann ，

Great tale of a man searching for his true self。 Lost love and searching for belonging。

Ron Charles ，

In one of the many famous moments of F。 Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel， Nick warns Gatsby， “You can’t repeat the past，” and Gatsby replies， incredulously， “Can’t repeat the past？ Why of course you can！”He was right， though early。（Watch the Totally Hip Video Book Review of "Nick" here。）On Jan。 1， 2021， the copyright on “The Great Gatsby” expires， and anybody can repeat it。 The Fitzgerald literary estate and Scribner’s， which has sold tens of millions of copies of “Gatsby，” no longer control thi In one of the many famous moments of F。 Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel， Nick warns Gatsby， “You can’t repeat the past，” and Gatsby replies， incredulously， “Can’t repeat the past？ Why of course you can！”He was right， though early。（Watch the Totally Hip Video Book Review of "Nick" here。）On Jan。 1， 2021， the copyright on “The Great Gatsby” expires， and anybody can repeat it。 The Fitzgerald literary estate and Scribner’s， which has sold tens of millions of copies of “Gatsby，” no longer control this essential text of our cultural past。 It’s like a literary version of Pfizer losing its patent to Lipitor: Generic versions will flood the market。 Side effects may include cliches and overfamiliarity。 If you experience continued irritation， consult your English teacher。Finally set loose in the public domain， “Gatsby” is now the common property of creative artists and unscrupulous entrepreneurs who will run faster， stretch out their arms farther。 We’ll see new illustrated editions， scholarly editions， cheap knockoff editions （beware） and editions with introductions by John Grisham and others。 Fitzgerald’s lines could make their way into more songs， plays and operas。 I suspect Nick will finally come out of the closet， and those East Egg lushes will reappear in the 1420s， the 1720s and space。 We might endure radical movie adaptations that will make us nostalgic even for Baz Luhrmann’s authorized desecration in 2013。Among the authors who waited for Fitzgerald’s copyright to expire is Michael Farris Smith。 Several years ago， he conceived the bold and arduous project of writing a prequel to “The Great Gatsby。” Now unencumbered by legal restrictions， he’s published “Nick，” a story about the years leading up to Nick Carraway’s move to Long Island， where he falls under the spell of that charming gangster。 。 。 。 To read the rest of this review， go to The Washington Post:https://www。washingtonpost。com/entert。。。 。。。more

A。 M。 Kimber ，

:: Thank you Netgalley & Little， Brown and Company for the ARC in exchange for a honest review :: DNF @ 39%。 I’m a rather simple person。 If I love I book， I will put off little things like sleep to finish it。 Unfortunately， that was not the case with this book， I had to make deals with myself just to finish a chapter， “okay， if you finish a chapter， you can watch an episode of ‘Babylon Berlin’” - things like that。 The book alternates， at least the first part， in a series of flashbacks - first we :: Thank you Netgalley & Little， Brown and Company for the ARC in exchange for a honest review :: DNF @ 39%。 I’m a rather simple person。 If I love I book， I will put off little things like sleep to finish it。 Unfortunately， that was not the case with this book， I had to make deals with myself just to finish a chapter， “okay， if you finish a chapter， you can watch an episode of ‘Babylon Berlin’” - things like that。 The book alternates， at least the first part， in a series of flashbacks - first we are with Nick in the war， the next chapter is a flashback。 This constant back and forth got confusing and pulled me out of the story。 This book just wasn’t for me。 。。。more

J。D。 DeHart ，

Michael Farris Smith examines a classic story in new ways in Nick。 This book is a perfect pairing with Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund， and reminded me of some of the places where my adult textual life began by reintroducing a classic work。 The writing is inviting， and nostalgia punctuates this reading experience。 Michael Farris Smith examines a classic story in new ways in Nick。 This book is a perfect pairing with Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund， and reminded me of some of the places where my adult textual life began by reintroducing a classic work。 The writing is inviting， and nostalgia punctuates this reading experience。 。。。more

Susan Obryan ，

When you see the author’s name， Michael Farris Smith， you may immediately think of violent natures， dark mystery， and spot-on descriptions of Deep South superstitions （Blackwood， The Fighter， Desperation Road）。 He’s broken from those roots， though， in “Nick，” a fictional exploration of Nick Carraway from “The Great Gatsby。”Nick is the narrator of the novel by F。 Scott Fitzgerald。 The 1925 masterpiece is considered to be the pivotal voice of its time regarding societal themes of justice， betrayal When you see the author’s name， Michael Farris Smith， you may immediately think of violent natures， dark mystery， and spot-on descriptions of Deep South superstitions （Blackwood， The Fighter， Desperation Road）。 He’s broken from those roots， though， in “Nick，” a fictional exploration of Nick Carraway from “The Great Gatsby。”Nick is the narrator of the novel by F。 Scott Fitzgerald。 The 1925 masterpiece is considered to be the pivotal voice of its time regarding societal themes of justice， betrayal， greed， and the American dream。 Its copyright ended in 2020， which means that it can be adapted without permission from the Fitzgerald estate。 “Nick” is the first published novel calling upon the “Gatsby” context and characters。 In much the same way that Fitzgerald recognized the dark side of the “good life，” Smith’s novel is a statement about the struggles to belong。 It’s the tale of a common man facing the consequences of war， greed， and a loss of innocence。 Nick struggles to find a place where he feels welcome and whole。In this prequel， Nick’s backstory， Smith takes his skills as a wordsmith to a new level， creating characters that linger long after you’ve turned the last page。 “Nick” is neither an easy nor a quick read。 It’s a story that forces you to take your time， reading each line slowly to savor the written words for their flavor， after-taste， and temperature。Like in all of Smith's novels， the protagonist is so much more than a one-dimensional character built from words。 He crafts his characters from emotion and depth， leaving readers to wonder which is make-believe and which is a part of the author himself。We meet Nick as he struggles to deal with World War I， seeking safety in the hastily built trenches and solitude in the underground listening tunnels。 While others are dying， Nick loses himself in memories of home， lost love， and a realization that he’s alone no matter where he goes。 A whirlwind romance in Paris costs Nick more than a lover， and he finally tires of looking for what has become a ghost。 He’s finally sent back to the United States， but he’s not ready to go back to his parents and a life filled with nothing in Minnesota。Thus begins a spiritual and physical cross-country journey to save his soul， discover his worth， and search for a way to fill his empty heart， landing in New Orleans as Prohibition looms。 Smith creates a world filled with brothels， liquor， and wounded veterans。 While Nick’s life is hard， it’s easy to picture what he calls Frenchtown， thanks to the author’s careful， colorful descriptions and characters。 Smith has created Nick as a listener， a man in the corner who sees all and says little。 He carries the burden of his own secrets as well as those who confide in him。 When the weight becomes too much， he heads home to Minnesota to work in the family business。 For a man who has walked the streets of Paris， smelled death in Germany， and fallen down drunk in New Orleans， the simple life is too simple。He yearns for more， yet he doesn’t know what it is he craves。 Finally， with his father’s permission， Nick heads to New York to learn the bond business。 And as readers turn the last page， Nick is standing on the shoreline and gazing at the Long Island mansions and wealth of “The Great Gatsby。” The somewhat dull character created by Fitzgerald has a gritty past before he set foot in West Egg。Through it all， Nick is a man of reflection and mystery。 A man of hope and disappointment And， fortunately for readers， Nick is a man who comes to life through the writing skills of this Mississippi author。ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion。 。。。more

Kat ，

Admittedly， it's been a while since I read The Great Gatsby but I loved the idea of truly getting into the head of Nick Carraway。 In The Great Gatsby， he's the observer， the casual outsider hanging on the outside but somehow gets dragged into the fray despite his best efforts。 In Nick， we see a similar dynamic play out as Carraway experiences the horrors of the trenches in France during World War 1 and finds reprieve in Paris。 His post-war travels take him to New Orleans in search of a girl but Admittedly， it's been a while since I read The Great Gatsby but I loved the idea of truly getting into the head of Nick Carraway。 In The Great Gatsby， he's the observer， the casual outsider hanging on the outside but somehow gets dragged into the fray despite his best efforts。 In Nick， we see a similar dynamic play out as Carraway experiences the horrors of the trenches in France during World War 1 and finds reprieve in Paris。 His post-war travels take him to New Orleans in search of a girl but where instead he once again finds himself in the fray， the middleman between an ugly decades long lovers quarrel。 I never found myself convinced of this Nick， but maybe that was the point， he always held himself apart from everyone he came into contact with and that's perhaps what the war did to him as he witnessed horrors he never quite recovered from。 Despite it， I enjoyed the novel and really enjoyed how Farris Smith gives Nick a much needed back story。 There was a raw honesty to the portrayal of WW1 and trench warfare and how little mental health help soldiers like Nick received when they so desperately needed it。 With a satisfying conclusion that drops us right off at that green light at the end of the dock， I'm tempted to pick up Gatsby and continue the story。。。 。。。more

Zach Freking-Smith ，

Originally Published at The Best Freking Book BlogThe Not-So-Great NickI love The Great Gatsby。 Like， it’s one of my favorite books of all time。 The love story is something timeless and beautiful。 The story of the grit behind the glamour of the 1920’s is oddly prescient in our current times。 So， when I saw the cover for Nick by Michael Farris Smith I kind of lost my mind。 It’s not the eyes of Dr。 T。J。 Eckleburg， those are Nick’s eyes！ Nick Carraway！ Sam Waterston！ TOBEY MAGUIRE！ It’s an origin Originally Published at The Best Freking Book BlogThe Not-So-Great NickI love The Great Gatsby。 Like， it’s one of my favorite books of all time。 The love story is something timeless and beautiful。 The story of the grit behind the glamour of the 1920’s is oddly prescient in our current times。 So， when I saw the cover for Nick by Michael Farris Smith I kind of lost my mind。 It’s not the eyes of Dr。 T。J。 Eckleburg， those are Nick’s eyes！ Nick Carraway！ Sam Waterston！ TOBEY MAGUIRE！ It’s an origin story for Nick， what’s not to like？！ My wife said， “Why would someone write that？”I get her sentiment now。I got this book as an eARC from NetGalley （Thanks！） and this is the sixth or seventh book I’ve reviewed。 I had people think that I’m being a shill because I rated all of them very well。 Here’s the time where I say， no， I’m not a shill because this book is not good。This book follows Nick’s time as a soldier in WWI， his time in New Orleans， and how he ends up in West Egg。 It seems like a slam dunk， but it misses so hard。 The Nick Carraway of this book is NOT the Nick Carraway of The Great Gatsby。 I know Gatsby。 I know Nick。 Nick Carraway this is not。 This Nick is empty， devoid of feeling besides pining and lust。 That’s not Nick。“But， Zach， it’s to show how he got to being the Nick we know and love in Gatsby！” Yeah， sure， but it’s almost impossible to reconcile this lusty， angry guy with the Nick of Gatsby。 If you can explain the throughline， I’d love to hear from you because I just don’t get it。So what about the book itself？ Honestly， it’s meandering and confusingly written。 It jumps from using proper punctuation to none at all。 I get the stylistic choices that are made， but good writing sticks with one sense of style in a book。 It would be different if the first section was Nick narrating then it switches to Judah or someone else for part two。 Then a stylistic change would be warranted。 This just doesn’t make any sense。As for meandering， the whole plot in New Orleans is one giant mess。 There is no cohesion， no clear path。 It’s just a bunch of random vignettes thrown together and it just doesn’t track with me。 The whole section could have been cut out and I wouldn’t have noticed。（As a sidebar， this isn’t the first time I’ve been disappointed by a Gatsby related book。 The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian was a similar disappointment。）I hate to give bad reviews to prerelease books， but， man， this was a letdown。 I’m giving this a 2/5， 3/10。 You can pick this up on January 5th， 2021 and form your own opinion on the book。 I’d love to hear what you think！Thanks again to NetGalley for letting me read an advanced copy！ 。。。more

Brenda ，

I was expecting so much from this "prequel" of The Great Gatsby， but was sorely disappointed。 The horrors of WWI， PTSD， being lost in the debauchery of New Orleans after the war， avoiding his parents for way too long after returning to the U。S。， and finally leaving them to move to Long Island Sound with the final chapter that alludes to The Great Gatsby。 Depressing as the book was， it mostly left me wondering how Smith saw this in any way relating to the Nick of The Great Gatsby。 I was excited t I was expecting so much from this "prequel" of The Great Gatsby， but was sorely disappointed。 The horrors of WWI， PTSD， being lost in the debauchery of New Orleans after the war， avoiding his parents for way too long after returning to the U。S。， and finally leaving them to move to Long Island Sound with the final chapter that alludes to The Great Gatsby。 Depressing as the book was， it mostly left me wondering how Smith saw this in any way relating to the Nick of The Great Gatsby。 I was excited to win a copy of this on goodreads and receive it from the publishers after much delay due to Covid， but hope this ARC， which was poorly edited， is improved upon by the release date。 。。。more

Jennifer ，

An interesting story providing a fleshed-out background for Nick from The Great Gatsby。 This is less fiction and more literary fiction。 There are several small plots but not a single overarching plot。 Nick travels from France to New Orleans to West Egg as he first encounters war and then spends time attempting to recover from the horrors he witnessed。

Selena ，

A thought-provoking prequel to Great Gatsby。 Even if Nick wasn't destined for greatness， it seems he was destined to be drawn to tortured souls。 A thought-provoking prequel to Great Gatsby。 Even if Nick wasn't destined for greatness， it seems he was destined to be drawn to tortured souls。 。。。more

Claire Fullerton ，

It will take hours to wipe the awestruck look off your face after reading the last line of the anxiously anticipated Nick by Michael Farris Smith， a writer with a wildly enthusiastic fan base that fancies itself insiders to Farris Smith’s gritty esotericism。 You’re cool if you follow this Oxford， Mississippi author。 You are in-crowd if you’re hip to this writer who seemed to inherit the tool kit of the great Southern writers before him。 Referred to as MFS by those who take his work personally be It will take hours to wipe the awestruck look off your face after reading the last line of the anxiously anticipated Nick by Michael Farris Smith， a writer with a wildly enthusiastic fan base that fancies itself insiders to Farris Smith’s gritty esotericism。 You’re cool if you follow this Oxford， Mississippi author。 You are in-crowd if you’re hip to this writer who seemed to inherit the tool kit of the great Southern writers before him。 Referred to as MFS by those who take his work personally because his stories do the talking for a certain strata of a particular region， in some ways Farris Smith’s clear， direct， and economic voice is an acquired taste even as his career prospers。 But the publication of Nick will change all that， and wider readership will understand the attraction of this fearless writer who transcends literary limits and boundaries and plays by his own rules。See my review in the New York Journal of Books :https://www。nyjournalofbooks。com/book。。。 。。。more

Kate Eminhizer ，

This is a hard review because I need to separate what expectations I had with what the author delivered。 Any time an author utilizes a character from another book readers want to impose their own preconceptions as to how that character should be portrayed。 I never gave much thought to what Nick's life was before his character was created for The Great Gatsby。 I gravitated to this title solely because I LOVE The Great Gatsby and the cover。Smith writes a remarkable war story。 The entire time I rea This is a hard review because I need to separate what expectations I had with what the author delivered。 Any time an author utilizes a character from another book readers want to impose their own preconceptions as to how that character should be portrayed。 I never gave much thought to what Nick's life was before his character was created for The Great Gatsby。 I gravitated to this title solely because I LOVE The Great Gatsby and the cover。Smith writes a remarkable war story。 The entire time I read about Nick's experience during the war I was reminded of books such as The Red Badge of Courage and All Quiet on the Western Front。 The writing was haunting and vivid。 The reader is there in the trench and the tunnels right along with Nick。The Paris and New Orleans plot lines didn't do much for me。 While they captured the essence of Nick's instability and confusion， they seemed removed from his actual story。 I received an advanced copy of this title via NetGalley。 。。。more

Heather Trevis ，

As a huge fan of The Great Gatsby， I wasn't quite sure what to make of this novel as it wasn't at all what I expected。 Writing a backstory for Nick Carraway was always going to be a challenge as Fitzgerald gives us very little information about him， meaning that the reader can choose to relate to him in whichever way。 I expected to see some of the Nick who， in The Great Gatsby， finds something tantalizing about glamour and wealth despite being simultaneously repelled by it， as well as a nod to h As a huge fan of The Great Gatsby， I wasn't quite sure what to make of this novel as it wasn't at all what I expected。 Writing a backstory for Nick Carraway was always going to be a challenge as Fitzgerald gives us very little information about him， meaning that the reader can choose to relate to him in whichever way。 I expected to see some of the Nick who， in The Great Gatsby， finds something tantalizing about glamour and wealth despite being simultaneously repelled by it， as well as a nod to his flakier， less reliable side。 Instead Farris Smith focuses on another huge Great Gatsby theme: dislocation and loneliness。 In particular， Farris Smith highlights how strongly and irrevocably the sense of belonging nowhere can affect soldiers returning from war， which he does very movingly and effectively。 Through his fluid， rhetorical writing style he creates a series of tableaux describing Nick's love affair in Paris， his horrific experiences on the frontline and his angsty childhood back home。 If I'm honest I found the first half overly descriptive， slow-going and lacking in actual plot。 There was some plot later in the novel when Nick， unable to face returning to his hometown， spends some time in a ravaged Eastern American town and becomes embroiled in other people's adventures， thankfully picking up the pace and segueing more convincingly to the events and Nick Carraway of Fitzgerald's novel。 All-in-all， I thought the novel was thoughtful and well written but not as compelling as I'd hoped。 。。。more

Barry Medlin ，

*Thanks to Goodreads and Little， Brown and Company for providing this ARC*Wonderful writing！ Michael Farris Smith takes you on Nick Carraway’s journey before The Great Gatsby and gives you the magnifying view into his life。 Well written！

B。 ，

A friend of mine received an ARC and kindly loaned it to me。 And then we have Nick by Michael Farris Smith。 *The* book。 The one that I'd been trying to get my grubby little mitts on for months and finally did。 You know the one - even if you didn't know it was called Nick - The Gatsby prequel。 Yup。 That one。 I。。。。have absolutely no idea whether I want to keep it or not。 Absolutely none。 The World War I descriptions at the beginning were hauntingly raw。 You could almost feel the ground shaking， fe A friend of mine received an ARC and kindly loaned it to me。 And then we have Nick by Michael Farris Smith。 *The* book。 The one that I'd been trying to get my grubby little mitts on for months and finally did。 You know the one - even if you didn't know it was called Nick - The Gatsby prequel。 Yup。 That one。 I。。。。have absolutely no idea whether I want to keep it or not。 Absolutely none。 The World War I descriptions at the beginning were hauntingly raw。 You could almost feel the ground shaking， feel the mud seeping into your armpits。 If this book had only been as long as the description of Nick's time in the trenches， I would hands down never let it go。 It was beautifully written， and absolutely terrible。 The times when he's on leave in Paris - exquisite。 You hear the pushy little birds vying for bread。 Smell the cafes。 The description is just exquisite。 It's part 3 ish through the end that I question。 NOLA。 Great prohibition descriptions。 Great historical descriptions， but it didn't give me the same feel as the first half of the book - it went from feeling like I was right there to。。。not being there。 So， I'm still thinking about it。 Things of note: It's kind of a Gatsby prequel， but not。 Nick never makes it to New York in this book。 This is as if someone simply sat down and wrote a backstory for Nick。 It doesn't add to or take away from Gatsby， and if it hadn't been marketed as a Gatsby prequel， I would never have gotten that vibe from it。 Is it worth reading？ Yes， at least once。 Does it get better the longer you think on it？ Yes。 Would I have enjoyed it more if it hadn't been marketed as a Gatsby prequel， thus resulting in a change in expectations？ YES。 But would I have worked so hard to snag an ARC if it hadn't been billed as a Gatsby prequel？ No。 So， there's another part of the conundrum for you。 It's got a little bit of something for everyone in it: WWI， a dancing girl， Paris， a starving artist， train rides， NOLA， but not just any NOLA - prohibition party town NOLA， friendly nuns， a scrappy madam of a whorehouse who kinda gives off the same vibes as Belle Watling， and so on。 I。。。 think I just talked myself into keeping it。 Warning: There are potential PTSD triggers in this book。 Several characters have breakdowns and they're described in vivid detail。 We're talking tunnels， trenches， mustard gas， complete disassociation and breaks from reality。 So， if this sounds like something that could be bad for you， buddy read with someone in your house。 This one comes out in January。This isn't what you expect。 It's not what you've been thinking it would be。 Is it ridiculously different from anything you could have imagined？ Yes。 Is it good in its own right？ Also yes。 You just have to separate it from the hype and the notions you have acquired that are associated with that hype。 I'd call this a bookish success and a straight up marketing fail。 。。。more

Bex ，

Some things are just better left untouched， and I think The Great Gatsby might be one of those things。 I wouldn't say that Nick qualifies as a retelling of that novel， but it does seem to be an avenue to explaining why Nick came to be the quiet observer of the infamous story。Steeped in war， and set in the years leading up to Nick's arrival in West Egg where Gatsby's story begins， Nick tells the tale of intense battles， unfulfilled romance and the traumatic， life changing events which change a pe Some things are just better left untouched， and I think The Great Gatsby might be one of those things。 I wouldn't say that Nick qualifies as a retelling of that novel， but it does seem to be an avenue to explaining why Nick came to be the quiet observer of the infamous story。Steeped in war， and set in the years leading up to Nick's arrival in West Egg where Gatsby's story begins， Nick tells the tale of intense battles， unfulfilled romance and the traumatic， life changing events which change a person from a living being to one who simply survived。 The narrative has the same pretty whimsy that Gatsby promises， with moments of genuine transportation back to the feeling that original novel gave me。 But it is distinctly lacking something special that I think belongs to Fitzgerald that is maybe just blossoming in Smith。I don't regret the read， but I wouldn't want to take the journey again。 ARC provided from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Vickie ，

As a huge fan of The Great Gatsby， I was super excited to have the chance to read Nick。 Michael Farris Smith does a wonderful job of giving the character， Nick， a rich back story and fills in the gaps that the audience may or may not have even realized were even there。 Nick Carraway before Jay Gatsby is a story worth telling。I am absolutely incorporating this work into my literature classes！ Thank you to NetGalley and Little， Brown， and Company for an advanced copy of this novel。

Carol ，

‘The Great Gatsby’ is one of my all time great reads， so I found the prospect of reading Nick’s ‘back story’ irresistible， along with the iconic aspect of the cover。 The weaving in of key ‘Gatsby’ moments such as the flashing light at the end of the pier and the ghostly silhouette of Gatsby are finely wrought by Farris Smith。 And Nick’s childhood in his Mid-West family: comfortable， stable but dull also makes for an engaging read。 World War 1 and its horrors， and impact on Nick are powerfully im ‘The Great Gatsby’ is one of my all time great reads， so I found the prospect of reading Nick’s ‘back story’ irresistible， along with the iconic aspect of the cover。 The weaving in of key ‘Gatsby’ moments such as the flashing light at the end of the pier and the ghostly silhouette of Gatsby are finely wrought by Farris Smith。 And Nick’s childhood in his Mid-West family: comfortable， stable but dull also makes for an engaging read。 World War 1 and its horrors， and impact on Nick are powerfully imagined， as is his poignant love affair with Ella。But the sections in New Orleans， I found clumsy， repetitive and grotesque compared with everything else in the novel。 A purely personal judgement， but I didn’t feel they added much to the development of Nick’s character or to his story。Thank you to #NetGalley and #OldcastleBooks for my pre-release download。 。。。more

Andrew Smith ，

In his forward the author states that he’s read The Great Gatsby three times and that the first time he read it， as a student， it provoked practically no reaction in him at all。 But by the third reading he found that the book was speaking to him and furthermore he began to wonder about Nick Carraway， the man through whose eyes the story is told。 Very little is disclosed about Carraway and in fact MFS had only gleaned three facts: he fought in the Great War， he was from the Midwest and he was tur In his forward the author states that he’s read The Great Gatsby three times and that the first time he read it， as a student， it provoked practically no reaction in him at all。 But by the third reading he found that the book was speaking to him and furthermore he began to wonder about Nick Carraway， the man through whose eyes the story is told。 Very little is disclosed about Carraway and in fact MFS had only gleaned three facts: he fought in the Great War， he was from the Midwest and he was turning thirty。 Wouldn’t it be interesting if somebody were to write his story…As this prequel to TGG begins Nick is sat in a café in Paris， he's about to return to the front and so to resume a life of tedium and terror。 He is with a woman， someone he’s met whilst on leave – of this we’re to learn much more later。 He’s reluctant to depart the city and the girl but determined to do his duty。 Once back the trenches we learn of how boredom alternates with fear and almost unbelievable violence。 Nick is a loner who disappears into himself and thinks of the girl he left in Paris and how he plans to find her should he manage to escape the nightmare of this war。 Later， at a point after the war， Nick finds himself in New Orleans and caught up in a feud that has had terrible consequences。 Once again， it’s clear that though he’s amongst people he remains in many ways alone， and now haunted by events of the past。 Throughout， the story has a dystopian feel to it: grimness and a poverty seem to be ever present， as does violence and a sense of general lawlessness。 The latter sections of the book could almost have been penned by James Lee Burke， such is its lyrical flow and astonishing descriptiveness。 In fact， the whole thing is extremely well written， as I’ve learned to expect from this writer。 It’s also engaging in the way it forced me invest in Nick’s plight - though I knew the end point it was by no means certain just how damaged Nick would be by the time we got there。 There’s no light and shade here， it’s all shade。 This is a dark tale， make no mistake。 Consequently I found this a tough read， but definitely a rewarding one。 I feel that I now know Nick Carraway and， in fact， plan to re-read Gatsby – a book that passed me by on the first read， too – in order to re-acquaint myself with that story and perhaps re-appraise it。 I want to see if I too can gain a new appreciation of what is thought to be one of the great American books of the 20th Century。 My thanks to Oldcastle Books and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Book-Social ，

It’s a fascinating concept。 Take a book， a classic even， one that has been made into an Oscar winning film， then write a prequel。 But not about the man， write a one about his sidekick， his shadow， his narrator。 That is the idea behind Nick。 I have read Great Gatsby although it was some time ago so my memory of Nick is dim。 Didn’t he work on Wall Street？ Wasn’t he Daisy’s cousin？ I’ll tell you now， non of that matters as Nick is very， very different to the champagne filled parties of Gatsby。 If y It’s a fascinating concept。 Take a book， a classic even， one that has been made into an Oscar winning film， then write a prequel。 But not about the man， write a one about his sidekick， his shadow， his narrator。 That is the idea behind Nick。 I have read Great Gatsby although it was some time ago so my memory of Nick is dim。 Didn’t he work on Wall Street？ Wasn’t he Daisy’s cousin？ I’ll tell you now， non of that matters as Nick is very， very different to the champagne filled parties of Gatsby。 If you’re looking for more of the same then you’re going to be disappointed。I don’t know what I was expecting when I first started reading Nick but as he headed over to France and the horrors of The Great War were revealed I was surprised。 It felt more like Birdsong with the trench warfare and the doomed romance。 As the book progressed it seemed Nick moved further and further from the Great Gatsby lifestyle and I truly wondered how Farris Smith would get him to that house in West Egg。 He does， but it feels like a bit of a jump。 I think that was the book’s biggest problem。 It was a really good book about a man tormented by the horrors of war who just needed to find some sort of inner peace。 But it wasn’t a prequal to Great Gatsby。 For me there needed to be more connection， more joining up of the two。If you can get over the Gatsby hurdle then you are in for a really good read。 The France section was particularly moving， although the Frenchtown section does seem to flag slightly。 I would have liked to have read more about Nick’s parents and I now feel like I need a sequel to Gatsby to see if Nick ever finds his corner of happiness。 It was towards the end where the book most caught me – the parallels to today’s situation when Nick reflects on the impending prohibition。 “Who the hell thinks it’s a good idea to tell a whole country who just got done fighting their ass off in another land that you can’t sit down and have a damn drink？” To quote the recently read Claudia Winkleman， ‘Quite’。Nick by Michael Farris Smith will be published in February 2021。 。。。more

Janet ，

Date reviewed/posted: November 21， 2020When life for the entire universe and planet turns on its end and like everyone else you "have nothing to do" while your place of work is once again closed and you are continuing to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #secondwave is upon us， superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour， so yes， I have read the book … and many more today。I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley， the publisher and Date reviewed/posted: November 21， 2020When life for the entire universe and planet turns on its end and like everyone else you "have nothing to do" while your place of work is once again closed and you are continuing to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #secondwave is upon us， superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour， so yes， I have read the book … and many more today。I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley， the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review。 From the publisher， as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews， I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸。Critically acclaimed novelist Michael Farris Smith pulls Nick Carraway out of the shadows and into the spotlight in this exhilarating imagination of his life before The Great GatsbyBefore Nick Carraway moved to West Egg and into Gatsby’s world， he was at the centre of a very different story – one taking place along the trenches and deep within the tunnels of World War I。Floundering in the wake of the destruction he witnessed first-hand， Nick delays his return home， hoping to escape the questions he cannot answer about the horrors of war。 Instead， he embarks on a transcontinental redemptive journey that takes him from a whirlwind Paris romance – doomed from the very beginning – to the dizzying frenzy of New Orleans， rife with its own flavour of debauchery and violence。An epic portrait of a truly singular era and a sweeping， romantic story of self-discovery， this rich and imaginative novel breathes new life into a character that many know only from the periphery。 Charged with enough alcohol， heartbreak， and profound yearning to transfix even the heartiest of golden age scribes， NICK reveals the man behind the narrator who has captivated readers for decades。As soon as I saw the cover， I was excited thinking "this MUST have something to do with the Great Gatsby" as the covers are too alike！ The book is， unfortunately， just 。。。okay。 It is ridiculously floral in its descriptions at times and it is tedious and trying at others。 It was a middle effort earning a middle rating - it might float your boat。 it just did not float mine。As always， I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I simply adore emojis （outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube Millionaires/snowflakes / literally-like-overusers etc。 " on Instagram and Twitter。。。 Get a real job， people！） so let's give it 🍸🍸🍸 。。。more

John Amory ，

Part One of this book is lovely， violent， elegant， and melancholic。 I loved it。But the remaining parts， more than half of the book， are confoundingly stagnant。As a war novel， a novel of a young man searching for himself， Nick is totally fine。 But the whole point of this， the reason the vast majority of readers will pick it up， is to fill in the history of Nick Carraway。 And as a history of this particular character， the novel mostly fails。Perhaps part of that failure is one me， as someone who ha Part One of this book is lovely， violent， elegant， and melancholic。 I loved it。But the remaining parts， more than half of the book， are confoundingly stagnant。As a war novel， a novel of a young man searching for himself， Nick is totally fine。 But the whole point of this， the reason the vast majority of readers will pick it up， is to fill in the history of Nick Carraway。 And as a history of this particular character， the novel mostly fails。Perhaps part of that failure is one me， as someone who has read Gatsby multiple times。 I have an image of Nick in my mind， and Smith's version of Nick is not the same。 For example， I've read a gay or bisexual subtext to Nick in some of my re-readings of Gatsby， subtext that seems so obvious to me now that it's nearly text。 There's not even a whiff of that in Smith's novel。But beyond that， the PTSD and trauma and heartbreak that Nick experiences in this short book seems too great for it not to make the Nick of Fitzgerald's work heavier than he is in the classic。 I don't know if that makes sense， but it's the only way I can think to explain it: what Michael Farris Smith puts Nick through should have broken him to the point that he is not as easygoing as he appears in Gatsby。 And I just don't see how this Nick， one who fell in love with a Parisian prostitute， would be attracted to sophisticated Jordan Baker。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Nick

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Nick&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Nick&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0