Who is this man Gatsby?

I'm told that this is a very good book. I haven't read it yet.

I liked the plot a lot- who is gatsby? Gatsby turns out to be some nobody that made his fortune in scams and other illegal ways. Talks like a gentleman and has connections everywhere. What makes Gatsby so great is his imagination (it's also his downfall). He mixes with the right people, throws great parties but does it all for the love of one woman whom he was in love with before he went off to war. When he got back she was married.
What I like most about the film is the old style scenery. It takes you from a modern world, back into a world with wooden billboards and old fashioned motor cars.
The film is Aesthetically pleasing. It's not over complicated, it just does enough to make it simple and interesting.

It's taken me time to like Leonardo Di Caprio. I didn't like Titanic and judged him on that... big mistake. What's eating Gilbert Grape? is another film that he's fantastic in. Django Unchained is another great and recent-ish film that he's starred in and been amazing in. This is no exception. I was amazed by how good he was as Gatsby and most importantly how well he managed to hold his upper class english accent.
I was also very impressed with Tobey Maguire, whom we all know for being spider-man in those three fairly rubbish films. He played his character very well, passively but with the right amount of sincerity.
It's definitely a film to buy and watch over again.

Film Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaBVLhcHcc0