Gatsby is a masterpiece. The writing is great, story is great. It’s the kind of book you can read for a great story, and not feel like you have to work at it. Plenty of people analyze it, but you don’t have to. I read it at face value and thoroughly enjoyed it.
If you have to "work at it," the author didn't do his or her job. Writing is about the clear communication of ideas. There are different styles of doing so, but in the end, the reader should easily comprehend what the writer intends.