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The Great Gatsby Audiobook
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(3.00) - 1,147,101 listener ratings
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The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, the novel depicts narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and Gatsby's obsession to reunite with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan. A youthful romance Fitzgerald had with socialite Ginevra King, and the riotous parties he attended on Long Island's North Shore in 1922 inspired the novel. Following a move to the French Riviera, he completed a rough draft in 1924. He submitted the draft to editor Maxwell Perkins, who persuaded Fitzgerald to revise the work over the following winter. After his revisions, Fitzgerald was satisfied with the text, but remained ambivalent about the book's title and considered several alternatives. After its publication by Scribner's in April 1925, The Great Gatsby received generally favorable reviews, although some literary critics believed it did not hold up to Fitzgerald's previous efforts and signaled the end of the author's literary achievements. Despite the warm critical reception, Gatsby was a commercial failure. The book sold fewer than 20,000 copies by October, and Fitzgerald's hopes of a monetary windfall from the novel were unrealized. When the author died in 1940, he believed himself to be a failure and his work forgotten. After his death, the novel faced a critical and scholarly re-examination amid World War II, and it soon became a core part of most American high school curricula and a focus of American popular culture. Numerous stage and film adaptations followed in the subsequent decades. Gatsby continues to attract popular and scholarly attention. The novel was most recently adapted to film in 2013 by director Baz Luhrmann, while contemporary scholars emphasize the novel's treatment of social class, inherited wealth compared to those who are self-made, race, environmentalism, and its cynical attitude towards the American dream.
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"Read it for school. At the beginning I thought it was going to be crap. It was slow and boring, mostly character presentations and mild-character development. Later it gets better. I hated most of the characters but not the story. But I did hope that many of the characters were going to have a really bad end, but didn't happen. Good book overall."
— Karla (4 out of 5 stars)
The Great Gatsby Listener Reviews
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" Typically I'm a Debbie downer when I read classics. But I love this book. I'm glad I finally got to read it. "
— Kristin, 2/17/2014 -
" One of the only books where there is not one thing I would change. "
— Amanda, 2/17/2014 -
" I liked it better than I did in high school, but I still don't get what makes it classic. It's tragic, and has pathetic (literary term: flawed) characters, but I don't think that's anything new, even 100 years ago. "
— Charles, 2/16/2014 -
" Glad I finally got around to this one. I love the idea of a narrator who tells the reader he can't be trusted and is the only one in the book who ought to be. "
— Jessie, 2/15/2014 -
" not bad. The ending was really good. "
— Jennifer, 2/14/2014 -
" could not get into this book and i love the classics. hope everyone else enjoys it. "
— Bekk, 2/7/2014 -
" I thought for sure I read this when I was in high school, but the story seemed new to me. Quick read, though awkward at times in the flow of the story. "
— Beth, 2/1/2014 -
" This was a good book but I guess I am not sure why it got all of the hype. I liked it but it wasn't as amazing as I expected. I guess I was just expecting too much. Definitely a must read but not 5 stars, maybe 3.5 or 4. "
— Kathleen, 2/1/2014 -
" You can't avoid falling in love with the atmosphere described! "
— Chiara, 1/26/2014 -
" My first experience with reading The Great Gatsby was in my high school English class. And I hated this book with a passion, I hated it. I decided to give it another shot, I admit the movie convinced me, to see if it was a hate produced by having to pick apart and dissect the book, or just because I didn't like it. This attempt went a little better. Once the story picked up (as much as it was going to) I found I didn't hate it, but this will never be one of my favorites or high on the like list. Tom drove me nuts with his meddling and idol worship of Gatsby and Daisy is one of the most, if not the most, shallow characters in literature. The only reason this book got three stars from me was due to the symbolism. "
— Janine, 1/22/2014 -
" This book was fairly entertaining, but I believe that ending was not as strong I thought it would have been. The ending really left me lacking as soon as I finished, but the book was still good. "
— Vichith, 1/20/2014 -
" I really don't even know what to say about this book. I'm just kind of at a loss. "
— Melissa, 1/18/2014 -
" After hearing so much about the book for so long, I guess I expected too much of it. It's pretty good and the plot has some quite interesting twists, yet I did not fall head over heels with it. All and all I just feel bad for Gatsby :-/ "
— Leonardo, 1/16/2014 -
" Loved the impressions of the 1920's Era I got from this book, can't wait to see what Baz Lurhman does with it as a movie. "
— Melissa, 1/16/2014 -
" Glad I waited til I was over thirty to read this book. It is absolutely a classic. F. Scott Fitzgerald was really on top of his game, especially for the first half of the book. "
— Laurie, 1/7/2014 -
" Once again I loved the book, but I think I had an entirely different perspective on it than the first time I read it. I am really glad I re-read the book and I can't wait to see the movie, which hopefully will be a great representation. "
— Lesley, 1/7/2014 -
" I read in high school. I wish I could have appreciated the novel then as I do now! "
— Lia, 1/5/2014 -
" This book is a great American classic. It's worth re-reading at different stages of your life for the changes in your response to pretty much all the characters (except Tom, who is never sympathetic). I enjoyed reading this book. "
— Vicki, 12/23/2013 -
" Loved it! I hadn't read Gatsby since high school, and I remembered very little other than major themes. Couldn't put it down- read it all in one day. "
— Sara, 12/19/2013 -
" The newest of my favourite books! Amazingly well-written "
— Nancy, 12/14/2013 -
" Great prose, intriguing characters, decent enough plot. Not sure what all the hype is in pop culture about this book. "
— Jennifer, 12/9/2013 -
" Brillant analysis of class, morals, and love. "
— Bianca, 12/3/2013 -
" I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A very unique look at an interesting point in history through the eyes of the elite. I loved that Carraway saw through all of the prentenious things to the real people and judge them based on that. "
— Emily, 12/2/2013 -
" The great American novel is about booze, adultery and riches. It really states the obvious. society has since become even more depraved. Long live America... I guess... "
— Jason, 11/29/2013 -
" I was glad this was a short read. The story wasn't very engaging, I didn't feel a connection with any of the characters, and I felt the author sometimes gave too much irrelevant information that I had to quickly skim through (ex. the long list of people who attended Gatsby's parties). To me, the book was more about the difference between social classes and how people sometimes pretend to be someone they're not in order to be accepted, rather than a love story. "
— Lucy, 11/26/2013 -
" Good, but not great. Fitzgerald can certainly write. Feel appreciative yet tantalized by his ambiguousness. "
— Ian, 11/20/2013 -
" Very well written. I clearly should have read this ages ago. Cannot wait to see this on the big screen with Leo DiCaprio. "
— Angie, 10/25/2013 -
" I get it. Jazz Age, America. It's a classic, but i ain't creamin over here. Needs more gun violence. "
— Julian, 10/18/2013 -
" not bad. The ending was really good. "
— Jennifer, 10/4/2013 -
" A classic of course. It was nice to revisit before seeing the film. "
— Britt, 9/25/2013 -
" Like Wuthering Heights, it's about 2 selfish people who burn the world around them to be together, leaving misery and death in their wake... but damn it, I don't care. "
— Jenn, 7/28/2013 -
" I am so happy I reread this book! "
— Remy, 7/25/2013 -
" It clearly showed how the rich lived during the 1920s. "
— Sabrina, 7/21/2013 -
" The Great Gatsby was an instant classic with its plot centered around Jay Gatsby and his unquenchable search for his love. The book consists of a couple plot twists and has an elaborate ending. "
— Joselito, 7/18/2013 -
" I read this book for Am Studs this year and it wasn't absolutely horrid. The endin was almost to predictable, but the sub stories really tickled my fancy. Easy read, I finished all of it in a day. "
— Mariah, 6/6/2013 -
" Listened to this in preparation for seeing the movie. Truly enjoyed both. "
— Melissa, 3/22/2013 -
" Friday night hw: finnished gatsby just in time for the movie. I'm really excited to see the similarities/differences. I really like the book though so I'm just hoping the movie doesn't ruin the story for me. "
— Graceishy, 1/16/2013 -
" This novel was a quick read and I found myself getting absorbed into the mysterious and classy world of Jay Gatsby. "
— Emily, 12/16/2012 -
" I thought it was it pretty sad about some not very interesting people I'm not sure why it's such a great book "
— Rebecca, 12/12/2012 -
" Heard a lot of praise about this book so decided to give it a shot unfortunately, I was quite disappointed. "
— Sana, 12/12/2012 -
" Every sentence seems to shine with that golden glow, the lack of words makes the story all the more attractive. Finishing the story is only a start, I will very possibly read it over and over and over again "
— Victoire, 11/19/2012 -
" So happy I finally read this book! I now know what the hype is about. Can't wait to see the new movie version of it. "
— Carling, 11/4/2012 -
" Wonderful book, full of symbolism. One of the most beautiful books I have read. "
— Colin, 10/21/2012 -
" One of my favorites of all time. "
— Diana, 10/8/2012 -
" Fabulously narrated by Jake Gyllenhall. A great book! I read it many years ago in high school, but forgot how much I liked it. Such beautiful writing, great story. I will listen to this one over and over! One of my top audiobooks (and books in general!) of all time. "
— Lori, 9/4/2012 -
" The book was very good. A lot of suspense and suprising events took place. I cant wait until the movie comes out! "
— Melanie, 9/2/2012 -
" Eh-that's it, it was eh! Well written for its time and has a strong theme, but it was all over the place. An original soap opera. "
— Lisa, 8/31/2012 -
" Great prose, intriguing characters, decent enough plot. Not sure what all the hype is in pop culture about this book. "
— Jennifer, 8/23/2012 -
" Great to re-read, can't wait to see the movie now! "
— Ally, 8/9/2012 -
" So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. "
— Tarah, 7/26/2012 -
" Every single character I like dies. In every book. Including this one. "
— Lota, 6/20/2012 -
" Gorgeous illustrations, clever extra texts, fabulous novel. This is how ebooks should be: better to read when compared to their paper sisters. "
— Paul, 6/13/2012 -
" I want to be a beautiful little fool. "
— Geralyn, 5/29/2012 -
" What more can I add to an American classic? A great intertwining story of tragic characters. It seems the movie was less well-received (coincidentally so was the book when first published). "
— Nathan, 5/26/2012 -
" This was an awesome book it was full of suspense. Can't wait until the movie come out. "
— Brandy, 4/30/2012 -
" If you haven't read it since high school. read it again. "
— Kimmerman, 12/26/2011 -
" First re-read in nearly 20 years. And now to find out what Baz Luhrmann's done with poor Gatsby. "
— Sylvia, 12/22/2011 -
" I thought it was a very good story found it a little hard to read especially trying to figure outwho is talking and who is who. Overall was enjoyable. "
— Aarika, 11/26/2011 -
" This book was an amazing read! It captivates your attention and you can't put it down. The book has a twisted ending that you will not expect. "
— Alondra, 11/8/2011 -
" this happened.finally. why did i wait so long? "
— Sheyda, 9/14/2011 -
" My favorite aspect about this book is that there is a character with the name Jay in it. "
— Jay, 9/8/2011 -
" Great to revisit the classic I read in high school. I have a much higher appreciation as an adult than some punk high schooler who knew everything and lacked the foresight to see the relevance of reading excellent classic literature throughout life. "
— Kaye, 7/16/2011 -
" It was a good book. It probably would have been better if it were more... down my alley. "
— Brittney, 5/23/2011 -
" It was a good book. It probably would have been better if it were more... down my alley. "
— Brittney, 5/23/2011 -
" It's not as good as I thought it would be... It was ok, but not "OMG IT'S AMAZING YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE IT!!!" good. "
— Jackie, 5/23/2011 -
" It was a good book. It probably would have been better if it were more... down my alley. "
— Brittney, 5/23/2011 -
" I longed to be Zelda dancing in a black cocktail dressed by Chanel or by a long pink one designed by Schiaparelli in the fountain with F Scott. "
— Eliz, 5/22/2011 -
" Every time I teach this I love it more than the time before. A short and deep novel with memorable characters you'll wish you could forget. "
— Alicia, 5/22/2011 -
" Continues to be one of my favorite books ever<br/> "
— Ron, 5/22/2011 -
" Every time I teach this I love it more than the time before. A short and deep novel with memorable characters you'll wish you could forget. "
— Alicia, 5/22/2011 -
" I longed to be Zelda dancing in a black cocktail dressed by Chanel or by a long pink one designed by Schiaparelli in the fountain with F Scott. "
— Eliz, 5/22/2011 -
" Continues to be one of my favorite books ever<br/> "
— Ron, 5/22/2011 -
" Continues to be one of my favorite books ever<br/> "
— Ron, 5/22/2011 -
" I longed to be Zelda dancing in a black cocktail dressed by Chanel or by a long pink one designed by Schiaparelli in the fountain with F Scott. "
— Eliz, 5/22/2011 -
" Every time I teach this I love it more than the time before. A short and deep novel with memorable characters you'll wish you could forget. "
— Alicia, 5/22/2011 -
" Very good writing, nice classic. Couldn't really get into it mostly because I was reading it for an assignment. "
— Krista, 5/21/2011 -
" Favorite piece of fiction. Classic, clear, concise. The writing is phenomenal. Teaches you how to correctly tell a story. "
— Sarah, 5/21/2011 -
" Favorite piece of fiction. Classic, clear, concise. The writing is phenomenal. Teaches you how to correctly tell a story. "
— Sarah, 5/21/2011 -
" Very good writing, nice classic. Couldn't really get into it mostly because I was reading it for an assignment. "
— Krista, 5/21/2011 -
" Favorite piece of fiction. Classic, clear, concise. The writing is phenomenal. Teaches you how to correctly tell a story. "
— Sarah, 5/21/2011 -
" Very good writing, nice classic. Couldn't really get into it mostly because I was reading it for an assignment. "
— Krista, 5/21/2011 -
" What can I say? Glamour, sex, love, beautiful writing. Loved it. "
— Valerie, 5/19/2011 -
" Examining social interactions among elites is always good reading. "
— Morgan, 5/19/2011 -
" I guess I just didn't understand the book that well - maybe I'll re-read it? "
— Sue, 5/19/2011 -
" The first time I read this was in high school. After reacing it again as an adult, I can truly appreciate it more. "
— Natalie, 5/19/2011 -
" What can I say? Glamour, sex, love, beautiful writing. Loved it. "
— Valerie, 5/19/2011 -
" Examining social interactions among elites is always good reading. "
— Morgan, 5/19/2011 -
" I guess I just didn't understand the book that well - maybe I'll re-read it? "
— Sue, 5/19/2011 -
" The first time I read this was in high school. After reacing it again as an adult, I can truly appreciate it more. "
— Natalie, 5/19/2011 -
" The first time I read this was in high school. After reacing it again as an adult, I can truly appreciate it more. "
— Natalie, 5/19/2011 -
" I guess I just didn't understand the book that well - maybe I'll re-read it? "
— Sue, 5/19/2011 -
" Examining social interactions among elites is always good reading. "
— Morgan, 5/19/2011 -
" What can I say? Glamour, sex, love, beautiful writing. Loved it. "
— Valerie, 5/19/2011
About F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and educated at Princeton, where he was a leader in theatrical and literary activities. He began writing his first novel, This Side of Paradise, while serving in the army. Its publication in 1920 established him as the spokesman for the Jazz Age. His major novels include The Beautiful and Damned, The Great Gatsby, and Tender Is the Night.