The Great Gatsby

By: F. Scott Fitzgerald

Narrated by: Jake Gyllenhaal

Length: 4 hrs and 49 mins

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)

Nick

I just wanted Nick to find love, or frankly just to know more about him.

Mixed

A wonderful story and Jake Gyllenhaal's excellent reading are marred slightly by uneven volume levels and microphone positioning and residents, , sometimes 3 or 4 very noticeable shifts within a couple of paragraphs.

The Great Gatsby was a fine way to spend 4 hours.

I really enjoyed the Deep characters and lushly painted vision Long Island in New York City in the early twenties. Jake Gyllenhaal's narration was well done and for me not distracting at all from the story. since I had not read The Great Gatsby before I was surprised by how many parts of it seemed familiar from when other authors or writers have used themes and ideas from this book.

Gyllenhaal was great

Any additional comments?

Interesting story but the it was difficult for me to get into for some reason in the beginning. Very unrelatable due to the era, the region, and the literary style of writing. I am more of a Steinbeck lover. But toward the end I enjoyed it and Gyllenhaal did such a great job of narration that I do recommend this version rather highly.

A Must Listen

Jake Gyllenhaal was a great choice for the narration of an amazing classic book that everyone should read/listen to.

The best romances - Have No Happy Endings!

The book is told through the impressions of Nick, a middle class guy, and revolves around the Great Mr. Gatsby. A man who has replaced the fortitude of spirituality with the frailty of materialism in the hopes of acquiring a woman, Daisy, hardly worth his disdain let alone his life.

The story reflects the deeper truth that rationality and science alone cannot solve our problems and certainly cannot supplant the need for a higher purpose in life or belief in a higher power. To do so leaves a void too often filled with materialism which is a cheap substitute.

This is exemplified in the characters of Tom Daisy and Jordan, soulless wraiths who drift aimlessly from place to place draining the life of everything they touch. Even Tom, who has every conceivable material possession, betrays a longing for days gone by when he was revered as a football hero presumably since this was the only title he ever earned.

Gatsby is a compromised and tragic figure partially redeemed only by his solitary quest to fulfill an adolescent meaningless fantasy. Unlike "old money" he has a goal, however trivial.

The fulfillment of his goal is anti-climactic as with all objects pursued solely for possession and display. The empheral joy of possession is replaced with the enduring meaninglessness of his life and the eventual ignomy of losing Daisy.

The end of the story shows the illusion of Gatsby, a young wealthy eccentric enigmatic gentleman, dissipated by the reality of Gatsby, a hollow common criminal consumed by the desire for a used mindless woman.

With the contemporary obsession with materialism, in the form of youth, beauty and wealth, to the exclusion of all else the book is more relevant today than it was then.

This book has everything, the (impossible) love story, money and wealth, greed, affairs, jealousy and obsessions. Fitzgerald's writing style is vivid and eloquent. Simply an elegant use of the language! His language reminds me of Hemingway, one of my other favorites.

Narrator Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the most authentic narrators I have listened to. Wonderful performance! He brought this tale to the believable platform necessary to maintain this classics high standard of excellence.

Must read again *after* high school!

Like most of us, I was required to read The Great Gatsby in high school. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I didn't appreciate it or even fully understand it at the time. I just read/listened to it again, as an adult whose daughter is reading it for her high school class, and this time through I really loved it! So much of the story is completely lost on teenagers, who haven't lived and loved enough to *get* what is happening in the story, even some things which seem obvious when you're older. I had no idea how much I had missed before! And in discussing the novel with my 15-yr-old I could see clearly the nuances of relationships that only an adult could catch.
Jake Gyllenhaal's narration is perfect for the story, his many voices well suited for the various characters. If you only read this in high school, I urge you to give it another try!

l loved this book! It's a keeper.

This is a book I have read in book form previously at least twice. It was wonderful to listen to the audio book version and I will share it with my daughters for school. One is dyslexic and audio books have helped her immensely!

Wonderfully narrated!

You can tell this was narrated by a talented actor. I'm so glad I had Jake to read us this classic (I'm a teacher). A touching story filled with eye-opening and ugly truth about human nature.

Classic

This book is obviously a classic that has been charished for a long time, so I loved it. Jake Gyllenhaal did The Great Gatsby justice, and put on a great reading. Thank you!