Gatsby's Rival by Richard Guimond
Gatsby’s Rival by Richard Guimond is an epic adventure story that rivets the reader from page one, with a high-stakes plot and an ensemble cast of characters as iconic as the great Gatsby himself. Set in the 1920s as a prequel to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s seminal 1925 work The Great Gatsby, Guimond’s novel juxtaposes socialite Jay Gatsby’s strategic efforts to amass a fortune from Rhode Island’s illicit liquor trade — so he can win over his true love Daisy Buchanan — with the scrappy determination of his salty rival Joe Bucolo, a fisherman-turned-rumrunner who considers that the “ten-mile waterway from Max’s Wharf to the Atlantic Ocean” and the liquor trade that fits so neatly within it belongs to him.
For more information about the novel, you can read our full review here. And below, you can learn about the behind-the-scenes detail from the author himself. Here, Guimond reveals the origins of his novel and how his own seafaring experience influenced the book.
Q: What first inspired you to write Gatsby’s Rival?
A: The inspiration initially began, as I listened spellbound to local old-timers as they related historic exploits told to them by others, like legends that can have a life of their own — changing every time it’s retold. I was determined that the men that inspired “Foggy Joe Bucolo” and the other Swamp Yankee fishermen — who had turned to rum running — and went down to the sea to smuggle booze, did not disappear into history’s dusty attic. During those same wild years of Prohibition, an equally interesting mystery surrounded Jay Gatsby. As The Great Gatsby entered the public domain, I had an opportunity to bring two formidable characters together, and the die was cast — thus, Gatsby’s Rival.
Q: While F. Scott Fitzgerald kept some distance from the reader in his original novel, you don’t shy away from getting into the mind of Jay Gatsby himself. What was it like diving into this iconic literary character?
A: We only knew what Nick, Fitzgerald’s narrator, wanted us to know. By exploring Gatsby’s heart and head, I wanted readers to connect with him on a more personal level and make him a more relatable and multidimensional figure, moving beyond the enigmatic persona Fitzgerald created.
I introduced Gatsby’s relationship with his grandfather, whom he discovered later in life, and delved into his experiences with Dan Cody. Both of these men shaped his character, motivations, ambitions and values. Casting Gatsby in a rivalry with Foggy Joe and surrounding him with such a diverse group of characters, I was able to reveal more facets of Gatsby’s personality. His interactions with various characters in the story, including those in his gangs like Paul Moran, Kanky and Collector, as well as the women central to the story, Maggie, and Janie, and, especially, the very married Daisy Buchanan, with whom is obsession continued, shed light on his moral compass and vulnerabilities.
Q: How did your own experience at sea come into play when writing this story?
A: From a young age, I’ve been both a writer and a film enthusiast. Growing up in Swansea, Massachusetts, on Coles River and working as a fisherman in New England for several decades, I remained deeply attuned to the seafaring world around me. Both my many years as an offshore captain, as well as the lives of men like myself laboring on oceans, became a rich source of inspiration for my writing.
I’ve penned several seafaring novels influenced by my experiences and I plan to continue exploring these themes in future projects following Gatsby’s Rival. Additionally, I’ve adapted these novels into screenplays, which have garnered a number of awards, as well as pilots and episodes for streaming platforms.
Q: The “Swamp-Yankees” consist of some truly unforgettable mariners and townspeople. How did you go about crafting these characters?
A: Any writer worth their salt (no pun intended) should always be attentive, jotting down or making mental notes of living characters that they have encountered who might inspire compelling composite figures for their fiction. In crafting Gatsby’s Rival, I drew from my experiences as well as thorough research. Every novel’s main protagonist is often defined by their interactions with supporting characters, and Foggy Joe is no exception. He was shaped by figures like Max Bucolo, who took him in as part of a non-traditional family, and Pearly, another influential role model. Hunker is an amalgamation of the many irreverent individuals I’ve met along with a liberal application of my own imagination. Meanwhile, the women of the town, like Mary, Maggie and Janie Thurston, were strong and unconventional for the era. Each one played a crucial role in helping Joe become the man he aspired to be while adding vibrant color and depth to the story.
Q: Who would you say is the target audience for Gatsby’s Rival?
A: Any readers who enjoy a sense of time and place will find Gatsby’s Rival an exhilarating journey into the 1920s. The story features vibrant, and some never-before-seen characters while also bringing a fresh look at a well-known literary character, Jay Gatsby.
The story presents a rich portrayal of camaraderie, with relationships among lifelong friends and fishermen infused with their flawed, bawdy, superstitious and exuberant zest for life. The novel also vividly captures romance, at times displaying unabashed boldness.
This tale explores uncharted territory, offering an inclusive and immersive escape into another time that I hope will engage the reader and surface a range of emotions from empathy and sadness to joy and laughter. I’m confident that this compelling and entertaining story, with its memorable characters, will resonate with all generations of adult readers who enjoy being transported to another era.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from your book?
A: I hope I’ve provided a vivid portrayal of the lesser-known world of rum-running, highlighting the fearless individuals involved in this trade. Additionally, I aimed to offer readers a fresh perspective on Jay Gatsby as he goes head-to-head with his rival, Foggy Joe Bucolo. While both men are cunning, confident, and intelligent, they embody distinct approaches to business and life, each with their own vulnerabilities and dreams. By immersing readers in the lives of these two men and the vibrant characters around them, I hope to enrich their understanding of the East Coast rum-running trade while offering them a wild ride along the way.
About Richard Guimond:
Richard Guimond, a former deep-sea fisherman and award-winning screenwriter and novelist, has won over 35 awards for his screenplays and works of fiction. Richard started his fishing and writing careers at the age of 13, beginning with a small skiff, which eventually grew into a fleet of 100-foot vessels engaged in trapping offshore lobsters on the virgin Continental Shelf. On the high seas, Richard did battle with competing fleets, stormy weather, cranky crews, and winter nor’easters that would crack your hide. Some of his novels and screenplays continue to capture those incredible adventures. Gatsby’s Rival is his latest novel.
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