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The Great Gatsby  By  cover art

The Great Gatsby

By: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Narrated by: Jake Gyllenhaal
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Editorial review


By Madeline Anthony, Audible Editor

HOW THE GREAT GATSBY BECAME THE QUINTESSENTIAL JAZZ AGE NOVEL

If you ever find yourself pondering the correlation between the greatness of a work and it’s commercial success (or lack there of), and whether or not the first has anything to do with the latter, here’s a case study to wrap your mind around—F. Scott Fitzgerald died thinking that his third novel, The Great Gatsby, was a dismal failure and that his body of work would soon be forgotten.

While the novel sold only 20,000 copies during Fitzgerald’s lifetime, The Great Gatsby stood the test of time and is now widely considered Great American Novel canon. Largely seen as a literary masterpiece, the novel has made its way into high school and college curriculum as required reading, inspired multiple critically acclaimed films, and set the stage for creative spin-offs set in the world of Gatsby (such as Daisy, a reimagined take on the novel from the perspective of Daisy Buchanan herself), and has generally inserted itself into American vernacular.

There are other authors and novels with similar stories; for instance, Moby Dick was a critical and commercial flop until it finally gained popularity 30 years after author Herman Melville passed. Sometimes an author is ahead of his or her time, and sometimes chance works in mysterious ways. In Fitzgerald’s case, copies of Gatsby were handed out freely to soldiers during World War II. The renewed interest in the book breathed new life into it, and from that moment on, Gatsby soared.

Today, the nostalgia conjured by the Roaring 20s is in a kind of renaissance. Or maybe, the truth is that a sort of longing for the romanticism of this era never really died. In lower Manhattan, guests can venture into The Gatsby Experience for instance, which is an interactive theatre of sorts equipped with a speakeasy tour and live performance. The Great Gatsby, a new musical, is running off-Broadway, and a general appreciation of not only the classic novel but also the time in which the novel was set is alive and well. Don’t we all want to live in a time where the champagne flows, and life, for a brief moment at least, seemed easy?

Continue reading Madeline's review >

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Finalist, Classic, 2014

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic American novel of the Roaring Twenties is beloved by generations of readers and stands as his crowning work. This new audio edition, authorized by the Fitzgerald estate, is narrated by Oscar-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain). Gyllenhaal's performance is a faithful delivery in the voice of Nick Carraway, the Midwesterner turned New York bond salesman, who rents a small house next door to the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby. There, he has a firsthand view of Gatsby’s lavish West Egg parties - and of his undying love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan.

After meeting and losing Daisy during the war, Gatsby has made himself fabulously wealthy. Now, he believes that his only way to true happiness is to find his way back into Daisy’s life, and he uses Nick to try to reach her. What happens when the characters’ fantasies are confronted with reality makes for a startling conclusion to this iconic masterpiece.

This special audio edition joins the recent film - as well as many other movie, radio, theater, and even video-game adaptations - as a fitting tribute to the cultural significance of Fitzgerald’s Jazz Age classic, widely regarded as one of the greatest stories ever told.

©1925 Charles Scribner's Sons. Copyright renewed 1953 by Frances Scott Fitzgerald Lanahan (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Combining a deeply loved classic like The Great Gatsby with a well-known Hollywood voice like Jake Gyllenhaal’s could create magic or disaster. Could there be competition between the two? Which side would come out stronger? This production strikes a graceful balance, with both big names blending to complement each other. Gyllenhaal’s reserved tone lends polish to Fitzgerald’s text, accentuating the mood of poetry that pervades the novel. His delivery is simultaneously youthful and experienced, aware of the subtleties of the characters and the plot nuances as he infuses them with life. Gyllenhaal controls his performance with style and careful pacing, seemingly keeping as reverent an eye on the novel as Gatsby himself kept on that elusive green light." (AudioFile magazine)

Featured Article: The 20 Best Classic Audiobooks to Listen to Again and Again


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What listeners say about The Great Gatsby

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Gread Read

I really enjoyed this reading of Great Gatsby. My husband has used Audible a long time and now I am getting into it too. Great way to check books off of your want to read list!

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It's a classic

What made the experience of listening to The Great Gatsby the most enjoyable?

The voice actor for this particular recording was phenomenal. He really embodied the essence, I believe, of Nick Carraway. The story is like none other. A great tale of love, lies, money, and life.

What other book might you compare The Great Gatsby to and why?

There are none like it.

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A classic!

I have read this book several times. I get more from it with each reading but Jake Guylenhall's narration was especially enjoyable. It was as if Nick Carraway came over and personally told me the story. I will listen to this recording again and again.

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A classic

I watched the movie before reading the book - I thought the movie was strange and didn't really understand what they were going for. Now that I have read the book, the movie makes more sense. I like the writing style; it is very different and Gyllenhaal reads it very well.

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Amazing

I thought Jake Gyllenhaal did a great job with this story. He represents Nick Carraway very well.

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Great audio of a compelling story

When people say they don't like The Great Gatsby it often means they have missed the point. This is a novel about awful people living awfully meaningless lives and doing awful things. The characters are not supposed to be likeable - that is the point. Without purpose to their life, they have just lived by their emotions and drowned their pain in their cash. The moral of the story is that when you live that way, you and everyone around you will be made miserable by your decisions.
Fantastic audio performance by Gyllenhall.

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Jake is a great fit

like a crawler in the night this broke back cowboy delivered a performance that breaks like a news story

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Best narration of a book to date

Jake did a wonderful job of capturing F. Scott Fitzgerald's writings. I would highly recommend this version.

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Pleasure Fest!

Outstanding! A real page turner, old sport! The incessant immortalities of the rich and their lack of compassion. F. Scott Fitzgerald honed his writing skills masterfully in this classic to communicate just that.

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A Lovely Read

“Poor Son of a Bitch”

The line above struck me and I think this is the underline meaning of the entire book. Gatsby was a poor man with riches. And, in the end, none of the things he strived for mattered at all.

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