The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jesmyn Ward - introduction
Narrated by Seth Numrich, Eleanor Lanahan, James L. W. West III
Why Listen to This Audiobook?
The most assigned novel in American high schools sounds completely different when you finally hear it spoken aloud by someone who actually gets it.
- Great if you want: to rediscover a classic you think you already know
- Listening experience: short and lyrical — more poem than novel in audio form
- Narration: Numrich brings restraint and melancholy; Lanahan and West add scholarly gravitas
- Skip if: you prefer plot-driven stories over mood and language
About This Audiobook
Against the glittering backdrop of Jazz Age Long Island, a mysterious millionaire throws lavish parties at his mansion, all in pursuit of recapturing a lost love. Nick Carraway, the story's observant narrator, becomes neighbor to the enigmatic Jay Gatsby and finds himself drawn into a world of excess, illusion, and tragic longing. As Gatsby's obsession with the married Daisy Buchanan intensifies, the collision between dreams and reality reveals the hollow promises of the American Dream and the moral decay lurking beneath the era's dazzling surface.
Seth Numrich delivers a masterful performance that captures both Nick's midwestern sensibility and the intoxicating atmosphere of the Roaring Twenties. His nuanced portrayal brings distinct voices to each character while maintaining the lyrical quality of Fitzgerald's prose. The additional contributions from Eleanor Lanahan and James L. W. West III provide valuable context that enriches the listening experience. Numrich's pacing allows the novel's symbolic layers and poetic language to resonate fully, making this audio edition particularly effective at conveying the story's dreamlike quality and underlying melancholy.