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The Danish Girl Audiobook
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(3.02) - 792 listener ratings
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“The Danish Girl is an extraordinary story about extraordinary people.” — Eddie Redmayne National Bestseller * A New York Times Notable Book * Winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Fiction * Winner of the Rosenthal Foundation Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters * Finalist for the New York Public Library Young Lions Award * Finalist for the American Library Association Stonewall Book Award Now an Academy Award-winning major motion picture, starring Academy Award-winners Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander and directed by Academy Award-winner Tom Hooper Loosely inspired by a true story, this tender portrait of marriage asks: What do you do when the person you love has to change? It starts with a question, a simple favor asked by a wife of her husband while both are painting in their studio, setting off a transformation neither can anticipate. Uniting fact and fiction into an original romantic vision, The Danish Girl eloquently portrays the unique intimacy that defines every marriage and the remarkable story of Lili Elbe, a pioneer in transgender history, and the woman torn between loyalty to her marriage and her own ambitions and desires. The Danish Girl’s lush prose and generous emotional insight make it, after the last page is turned, a deeply moving first novel about one of the most passionate and unusual love stories of the 20th century.
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"a bizarre and unforgettable love story. or is it? i think this novel can truly be considered as a love story at heart. despite that the plot revolved around the metamorphosis of gender, sex and identity, and how can this affect the conventional set up of a marriage where there should only be a man and a woman involved to make it work, the backdrop is still a poignant love story between Greta, Einar, and the danish girl. the author introduced a couple conflicted by identity crisis and mutual deception. at first you will be confused by what David Ebershoff tried to get across his readers upon reading this. you will be confounded especially by Greta, a California born girl who one day during one of their painting sessions, asked his husband to slip on a stocking and a dress to finish her painting of Anna. and because of this, her whims and selfishness, she let her husband give birth to Lili Esbe, making their marriage puzzling and crowded. but it was hard to tell and put the blame on Greta alone. maybe it was his husband.inspired by the true story of the first transsexual Einar Wegener, it makes us look and analyze the true boundaries of love overlooking gender and how change has the powerful ability to make or break a marriage. at the end of the story, you will reconsider everything you’ve read and ask yourself, who is the true hero of the story? is it Greta, whose passion for love tolerated unconventionalism and immorality. or Einar, whose own battles to achieve his true self he considered the noblest form of love imaginable. or Lili Esbe, the Danish girl. the girl who would find the freedom and love she deserved no matter what the cost.this novel is a treat, and is simply off the beaten track. cant't wait for the reel version!"
— Mowey (4 out of 5 stars)
The Danish Girl Listener Reviews
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" A fictionalized account of the first person to undergo sexual reassignment surgery. The book suffers a little from a lack of focus--It never fully delves into either Wegener or his wife, but flips between the surfaces of both characters. However the story is interesting, its challenges to identity and sexuality is engaging, and I enjoyed reading this book. "
— Al, 2/20/2014 -
" I became an Ebershoff fan when I read Pasadena. I fell inlove with this author. This particular novel is endearing and explores all boundaries of the human heart. "
— Ginger, 2/19/2014 -
" A lovely little book about a man's transition to being a woman. "
— Tracy, 2/18/2014 -
" This the stunning and true story of Danish painter Einar Wegener and his American born wife in the 1920's. Einer is a woman trapped in a man's body and the book chronicles his search for a sex change and the right to live as he chooses. His loving and very supportive wife helps find treatment for him and lives with the outcome. "
— Lauren, 2/12/2014 -
" I just couldn't get into this story. Cross-dressing artist just isn't as interesting as I thought it would be. "
— Shannon, 2/10/2014 -
" Very easy, compulsively easy to read, yet painful. The hero/ine seems to go through so much pain, pain that we now know is unnecessary. But this is the fate of the pioneer in gender reassignment as in other things. Knowing that the novel is based on a true story causes the reader to research the real story, the paintings of the two artists, to find out how it all turned out. But the novel itself raises interesting questions about hetero and homosexuality, about art, history and society. "
— Laurie, 2/10/2014 -
" heartbreaking. Ebershoff gives voice to a tortured man so that readers can attempt a glimpse into a transgendered person's journey. Also, sets Gerta as the herione in this sadly true story. "
— The, 2/9/2014 -
" A really interesting book which I enjoyed reading. I would really like to learn more about the real Einar/Lili now. Beautifully written. "
— Cathy, 1/28/2014 -
" I immediately did some research on Lili Elbe, Greta, and Einar after reading this book. It's a great story and I look forward to reading a 3rd novel by David Ebershoff. "
— Maggie, 1/19/2014 -
" Quiet and subtle. "
— Sally, 1/12/2014 -
" This book is splendidly beautiful. It moves me on every page in a heart-wrenching way that i crave & cannot ignore. It has been perfect for the season. "
— Jess, 12/12/2013 -
" Based on true events around the first documented sex-change operation...fascinating and tragic. "
— Lara, 12/5/2013 -
" Interesting book. I enjoyed reading about Copenhagen. He did a good job describing both Denmark and Paris I thought. It made me homesick for Europe. I read Ebershoff's 3. book (the 19. Wife) first and it was by far my favorite. "
— Lene, 4/6/2013 -
" hmm. liked it but kind of a sad little tale. "
— Anita, 12/9/2012 -
" Wow, is all I can say about this book. It raises some difficult issues around gender. It's worth the effort needed to read it. "
— Kirsten, 6/28/2012 -
" It's about the first sex change operation but it's really a love story - just an unusual one. "
— Sarah, 5/22/2012 -
" What a beautiful story of love & marriage & partnership. Didn't want this novel to end, but it didn't disappoint me when it did, which is rare! "
— Kate, 4/12/2012 -
" a fictionalized story of the first transvestite in 1930s Denmark. i know it's an odd topic, but beautifully told and heartbreaking. i could not put it down. "
— Jessica, 11/10/2011 -
" Can't wait to see the movie after reading the book. I wish the book was more mirroring of real life, but it's understandable to "Hollywood" stories. "
— Sam, 9/15/2011 -
" Found this book very interesting. It was loosely based the case of Einar Wegener and his wife. After Googling about Einar Wegener I learned that Nicole Kidman is producing and staring in a movie about this book. But not due to come out until 2012. "
— Sarah, 6/4/2011 -
" I enjoyed reading this book because of the subject matter and from a historical perspective. However, I don't remember that it was particularly well written or compelling from the standpoint of the writing itself. "
— Sonny, 5/13/2011 -
" A really interesting book which I enjoyed reading. I would really like to learn more about the real Einar/Lili now. Beautifully written. "
— Cathy, 4/25/2011 -
" Can't wait to see the movie after reading the book. I wish the book was more mirroring of real life, but it's understandable to "Hollywood" stories. "
— Sam, 4/19/2011 -
" Interesting book about someone coming to terms with his sexual identity back in the 1920s. The characters in the book are social outliers, and the main character is sort of pathetic. It was a good book to read and finish on a 6 hour plane ride. "
— Tasneem, 4/10/2011 -
" I really liked this book. It's loosely based on the life of Danish painter Einar Wegener who, in 1931, became the first man to undergo a sex-change operation. It's a story about love and what people will take and accept because of it. "
— Megan, 3/8/2011 -
" Interesting book. I enjoyed reading about Copenhagen. He did a good job describing both Denmark and Paris I thought. It made me homesick for Europe. I read Ebershoff's 3. book (the 19. Wife) first and it was by far my favorite. "
— Lene, 11/23/2010 -
" Interesting, but very odd, story based on actual lives of two artists. "
— Florence, 9/7/2010 -
" The Danish Girl is an unusual love story about two unusual people living an unusual marriage. "
— dina, 7/15/2010 -
" I immediately did some research on Lili Elbe, Greta, and Einar after reading this book. It's a great story and I look forward to reading a 3rd novel by David Ebershoff. "
— Maggie, 6/15/2010
About David Ebershoff
David Ebershoff is the author of two novels, Pasadena and The Danish Girl, and a short-story collection, The Rose City. His fiction has won a number of awards and has been translated into ten languages to critical acclaim. He has taught creative writing at New York University, Princeton, and Columbia University. For many years he was the publishing director of the Modern Library, and he is an editor-at-large for Random House.
About Jeff Woodman
Jeff Woodman is an actor and narrator. He is a winner of the prestigious Audie Award and a six-time finalist. He has received twenty Earphones Awards and was named the 2008 Best Voice in Fiction & Classics, as well as one of the Fifty Greatest Voices of the Century by AudioFile magazine. As an actor, he originated the title role in Tennessee Williams’ The Notebook of Trigorin and won the S. F. Critics’ Circle Award for his performance in An Ideal Husband. In addition to numerous theater credits on and off Broadway, his television work includes Sex and the City, Law & Order, and Cosby.