What are good book club discussion questions for The Great Gatsby?

Spoiler-free questions to get the conversation going: What was the weather, the snack, or the chair like while you were reading this one? Set the scene for us; Was this a first read or a revisit, and what feeling did you carry from the very first chapter?; Nick is the kind of narrator who sits next to you and quietly tells a story. Did his voice feel like good company, and what did it remind you of?; The book is full of parties, lights, and music from far away. Was there a scene that felt warm and inviting to you, even if the people in it weren't entirely happy?; So much of the story is about missing something or someone from the past. What did the book stir up for you about your own memories or old longings?.

What food and drinks should I serve at a The Great Gatsby book club?

Food: Mini grilled cheese with tomato soup shooters, Deviled eggs, and Lemon pound cake with whipped cream. Drinks: French 75 (gin, lemon, bubbly), Hot honey-lemon toddy, and Sparkling lemonade with mint and raspberry.

How do I host a The Great Gatsby book club night?

A short, lyrical American classic about longing, reinvention, and the ache beneath glittering parties. Perfect for a slow, cozy night of conversation.

The Great Gatsby Book Club Questions, Food & Host Guide

Warm-up questions

1 What was the weather, the snack, or the chair like while you were reading this one? Set the scene for us.
2 Was this a first read or a revisit, and what feeling did you carry from the very first chapter?

Digging in

1 Nick is the kind of narrator who sits next to you and quietly tells a story. Did his voice feel like good company, and what did it remind you of?
2 The book is full of parties, lights, and music from far away. Was there a scene that felt warm and inviting to you, even if the people in it weren't entirely happy?
3 So much of the story is about missing something or someone from the past. What did the book stir up for you about your own memories or old longings?
4 Long Island summers, drives into the city, hot afternoons in stuffy rooms. Which setting did you most want to step into, and which one made you want to close the windows and stay home?

Going deep

1 Gatsby spends the whole book reaching for something. When in your own life have you felt that kind of hopeful, almost tender reaching, and how do you look back on it now?
2 If you could sit with one character in your coziest spot, with tea and no agenda, who would you invite and what would you gently want to ask them?

On the table

Mini grilled cheese with tomato soup shooters

A 1920s diner comfort, scaled down for snacking during a long talk

Deviled eggs

A classic party tray nod to Gatsby's gatherings, but homey instead of fussy

Lemon pound cake with whipped cream

Buttery and golden, like the warm summer light that runs through the book

To sip

French 75 (gin, lemon, bubbly)

An era-appropriate sparkler that still feels gentle and celebratory

Hot honey-lemon toddy

Soothing speakeasy comfort in a mug for a slow evening

Sparkling lemonade with mint and raspberry No alcohol

All the glamour of a coupe glass, none of the alcohol

Soft jazz age standards and dreamy modern covers, played low under conversation

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