Classical vs. modern

I finished reading The Great Gatsby the other day and I thought I'd tell you how it went. I didn't hate it. There are interesting moments there, of intensity, of devotion, of sweetness. It was sweet that Gatsby was besotted with Daisy. But I didn't understand the role of the narrator there. The main character (if we can say that about someone that barely speaks their mind) was lifeless, he simply went behind those people that he found enchanting or interesting or curious...he didn't seem to have a mind of his own, especially not in the beginning. The tragical plot is a little forced too, but it wasn't a waste of my time.

I prefered Tender is the Night, it's a more profound, meaningful book.

At the same time, I watched a brilliant episode of the Sopranos and it made me compare the two experiences. In this episode, Tony Soprano is worried about his son's depression after her girlfriend let him. There are moments of absolutely brilliance in this episode, silent moments, and no words could ever portray everything in the characters' eyes, every word that is said or unsaid. It gave me so much more to think about than that book (even though the book doesn't seem dated, it feels rather modern). Maybe I didn't get the (probable) depth of the Great Gatsby, but this tv-show seemed a lot more meaningful and elaborate than the book.

Obviously I'm talking about two different art-forms here, but even though it isn't literature, the Sopranos is a modern classic now. Plus I have a hard time believing Tony Soprano doesn't exist in real life. ;)