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The Great Gatsby - Chapter Five | Full Audiobook · Chapter by Chapter — The Lost Library

0:00
Welcome back to chapter by chapter, the audiobook
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experience. We're continuing The Great
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Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald. If this is your first time here,
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start from the beginning of this season and follow Nick
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Carraway's story from the very start.
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And if you've been with us since Chapter 4, welcome back.
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Follow the show so you never miss a chapter and drop a
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comment with the classic you want us to read next.
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Now sit back and let's continue the story.
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Chapter 5. When I returned to West Egg that
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night, for a moment I feared my house was on fire.
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It was 2:00, and the entire corner of the peninsula was
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ablaze with light, casting an unreal glow on the shrubbery and
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creating thin, elongated reflections on the roadside
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wires. As I turned a corner, I realized
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it was Gatsby's house, illuminated from tower to
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cellar. At first I thought it was
0:58
another party, a wild gathering that had turned into a game of
1:02
hide and seek or sardines in the box with the entire house open
1:06
to the fun. But there wasn't a sound, only
1:09
the wind in the trees, which swayed the wires and made the
1:13
lights flicker on and off, as if the house had winked into the
1:16
darkness. As my taxi groaned away, I saw
1:20
Gatsby walking toward me across his lawn.
1:23
Your place looks like the World's Fair, I remarked.
1:26
Does it? He glanced at it absent
1:29
mindedly. I've been peeking into some of
1:31
the rooms. Let's head to Coney Island, old
1:34
sport. We can take my car, It's too
1:36
late. Well, how about a dip in the
1:39
pool? I haven't used it all summer.
1:41
I need to get to bed, all right. He paused, watching me with a
1:46
restrained eagerness. I spoke with Miss Baker.
1:49
I'm planning to call Daisy tomorrow and invite her over for
1:52
tea. Oh, that's fine, he replied
1:55
nonchalantly. I don't want to inconvenience
1:58
you. What day works for you?
2:00
What day works for you? He quickly corrected me.
2:03
I don't want to inconvenience you, you see.
2:06
How about the day after tomorrow?
2:08
He thought for a moment, then somewhat reluctantly.
2:12
I need to get the grass cut, he said.
2:14
We both gazed down at the grass. A distinct line marked where my
2:18
unkempt lawn ended and his darker, meticulously maintained
2:23
stretch began. I had a feeling he was referring
2:26
to my grass. There's something else, he said,
2:30
hesitantly, pausing. Would you prefer to discuss it
2:33
in a few days? I suggested.
2:35
Oh, it's not about that, at least.
2:38
He stumbled over a series of false starts.
2:41
Well, I thought, listen, old sport, you don't earn much, do
2:45
you? Not really.
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This seemed to put him at ease, and he continued with more
2:50
assurance. I figured you didn't.
2:52
If you'll excuse my See, I run a little business on the side, a
2:56
kind of side venture, you know? And I thought that since you
2:59
don't make much, you're in the Bond business, right?
3:02
Old sport, trying to be. Well, this might interest you.
3:06
It wouldn't take up much of your time, and you could make a nice
3:09
sum. It's a rather confidential
3:11
matter. Looking back, I realized that
3:14
under different circumstances, that conversation could have
3:17
been a pivotal moment in my life.
3:20
But since the offer was clearly and awkwardly for a service to
3:23
be provided, I had no choice but to cut him off there.
3:27
I'm really swamped. I appreciate the offer, but I
3:31
can't take on anymore work. You wouldn't have to deal with
3:34
Wolfsheim. He seemed to think I was
3:36
avoiding the connection mentioned at lunch, but I
3:39
assured him that wasn't the case.
3:41
He lingered a moment, hoping I'd start a conversation, but I was
3:45
too preoccupied to engage, so he reluctantly headed home.
3:49
The evening had left me feeling giddy and content.
3:52
I think I drifted into a deep sleep as soon as I stepped
3:55
through my front door, so I have no idea whether Gatsby went to
3:59
Coney Island or how long he wandered through rooms while his
4:03
house shone brightly. The next morning, I called Daisy
4:06
from the office and invited her over for tea.
4:09
Don't bring Tom, I cautioned her.
4:12
What? Don't bring Tom.
4:15
Who is Tom? She asked, feigning innocence.
4:19
The day we planned was drenched in rain.
4:22
At 11:00, a man in a raincoat pulling a lawn mower knocked on
4:26
my door and said Mr. Gatsby had sent him to cut my grass.
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This reminded me that I had neglected to tell my Finn to
4:33
return, so I drove into West Egg Village, navigating through
4:37
damp, whitewashed alleys to find her and to pick up some cups,
4:41
lemons and flowers. The flowers turned out to be
4:44
unnecessary, as at 2:00, a delivery from Gatsby's
4:48
greenhouse arrived, overflowing with countless arrangements.
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An hour later, the front door opened with a nervous creak, and
4:55
Gatsby entered hurriedly, dressed in a white flannel suit,
4:59
a silver shirt, and a gold colored tie.
5:02
His face was pale, with dark circles under his eyes,
5:06
betraying a lack of sleep. Is everything all right?
5:09
He asked immediately. The grass looks fine, if that's
5:12
what you're asking. What grass?
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He asked, confused. Oh, the grass in the yard.
5:18
He glanced out the window, but from his expression I doubted he
5:22
saw anything at all. Looks very good, he commented
5:25
absently. One of the papers mentioned they
5:28
thought the rain would stop around 4.
5:30
I think it was the journal. Do you have everything you need
5:33
for the tea? I let him into the pantry, where
5:36
he cast a slightly reproachful glance at the fin.
5:39
Together we examined the dozen lemon cakes from the
5:42
delicatessen. Will these work?
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I asked. Absolutely, absolutely.
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They're perfect, he replied, adding a hollow old sport.
5:52
By 3:30, the rain had eased into a damp mist, with occasional
5:57
thin drops drifting like dew. Gatsby stared vacantly at a copy
6:01
of Clay's Economics, his attention divided between the
6:05
finished footsteps shaking the kitchen floor and the blurred
6:08
windows, as if unseen but unsettling events were unfolding
6:12
outside. Eventually he stood and in a
6:16
wavering voice announced he was heading home.
6:19
Why is that? No ones coming for tea.
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It's too late. He glanced at his watch as
6:24
though there was an urgent call on his time elsewhere.
6:27
I can't wait around all day. Don't be ridiculous, it's just
6:30
two minutes to four. He sank back into his seat
6:34
miserably, as if I had physically pushed him down, and
6:37
at that moment the sound of a car turning into my lane reached
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us. We both.
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Sprang up and. Feeling a bit anxious myself, I
6:45
stepped out into the yard under the dripping bare lilac trees.
6:49
A large open car rolled up the drive and came to a halt.
6:53
Daisy's face emerged tilted beneath A3 cornered lavender
6:57
hat. Her smile and ecstatic as she
7:00
looked at me. Is this truly where you live, my
7:03
dearest? Her voice was a wild,
7:06
invigorating tonic in the rain, and I found myself following its
7:09
melody up and down with my ear before her words fully
7:13
registered. A damp strand of hair lay like a
7:16
stroke of blue paint across her cheek, and her hand was wet with
7:20
glistening drops as I helped her out of the car.
7:23
Are you in love with me? She whispered close to my ear.
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Or why else did I have to come alone?
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That's the secret of Castle Rack Rent.
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Tell your chauffeur to disappear for an hour.
7:35
Come back in an hour. Ferdie.
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Then with a serious murmur. His name is Ferdie.
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Does the gasoline bother his nose?
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I don't think so, she replied innocently.
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Why? We went inside.
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To my utter surprise, the living room was empty.
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Well, that's amusing, I said with a hint of surprise.
7:56
What is? She turned her head just as a
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polite, measured knock sounded at the front door.
8:02
I went to open it. There stood Gatsby, as pale as a
8:05
ghost, his hands buried deep in his coat pockets like anchors,
8:10
staring at me with a tragic intensity.
8:13
Without removing his hands from his pockets, he brushed past me
8:16
into the hallway, pivoted sharply as if on a tightrope,
8:20
and vanished into the living room.
8:22
It was anything but amusing. My heart pounded loudly in my
8:26
chest as I closed the door against the relentless rain.
8:30
For a moment, silence reigned. Then from the living room came a
8:34
sort of choked murmur and a half formed laugh, followed by
8:38
Daisy's voice, bright and unnaturally clear.
8:42
I truly am delighted to see you again.
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A pause followed, stretching unbearably.
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With nothing to occupy me in the hall, I entered the room.
8:51
Gatsby, hands still pocketed, leaned against the mantelpiece
8:55
in a tense imitation of nonchalance, even indifference.
8:59
His head was tilted so far back it rested against the face of an
9:03
old Mantel clock, and from this awkward position his troubled
9:07
eyes fixed on Daisy, who sat both frightened and poised on
9:12
the edge of a rigid chair. We've met before.
9:15
Gatsby muttered. His eyes flicked briefly to me
9:18
and his lips parted in a futile attempt at laughter.
9:23
Fortunately, the clock chose that moment to lean precariously
9:26
under the weight of his head. He turned quickly, catching it
9:30
with shaky fingers, and carefully set it back in its
9:33
place. Then he sat down stiffly, his
9:36
elbow resting on the sofa's arm, his chin propped in his hand.
9:40
I'm sorry about the clock, he said.
9:43
My face had turned a deep shade of red, and I couldn't summon a
9:47
single ordinary phrase from the countless ones swirling in my
9:51
mind. It's an old clock, I said,
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sounding foolish for a brief moment.
9:56
We all seem to believe it had shattered on the floor.
10:00
We haven't seen each other for many years, Daisy said, her
10:04
voice as straightforward as ever.
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Five years this coming November. Gatsby's automatic response
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pushed us all back into an awkward silence.
10:13
I hurriedly suggested they join me in the kitchen to make tea
10:17
just as the demonic fin appeared with a tray.
10:21
In the welcome chaos of cups and cakes, a certain physical
10:25
decency took hold. Gatsby retreated into the
10:28
shadows, watching Daisy and me with tense, unhappy eyes as we
10:32
talked. But since calmness wasn't the
10:35
goal, I seized the first opportunity to make an excuse
10:38
and stood up. Where are you headed?
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Gatsby asked, his voice tinged with immediate concern.
10:45
I'll be back soon. I need to talk to you before you
10:48
leave. He trailed me anxiously into the
10:51
kitchen, shut the door, and whispered Oh God, with a deep
10:55
sense of despair. What's wrong?
10:58
This is a huge mistake, he said, shaking his head repeatedly.
11:02
A huge, huge mistake. You're just feeling awkward,
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that's all, I reassured him, adding Daisy feels awkward too.
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She's embarrassed. He echoed, disbelief in his
11:14
voice. Just as much as you are.
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Keep your voice down. You're.
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Behaving like a child, I snapped, losing patience.
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And you're being rude, Daisy, sitting in there all by herself.
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He lifted his hand to silence me, his eyes filled with
11:29
unforgettable reproach, and cautiously opened the door to
11:32
return to the other room. I exited through the back, just
11:37
as Gatsby had done during his nervous pacing half an hour
11:40
earlier, and dashed toward a massive black tree, it's dense
11:44
leaves forming A canopy against the rain.
11:47
The downpour continued and my uneven lawn, meticulously
11:51
trimmed by Gatsby's gardener, was dotted with small muddy
11:54
patches and ancient marshes. There was nothing to see from
11:58
beneath the tree except Gatsby's vast house, so I stared at it,
12:02
much like Can't contemplating his church steeple for a full
12:06
half hour. A Brewer had constructed it
12:09
during the height of the period craze about 10 years prior, and
12:13
there was a tale that he promised to cover five years
12:16
worth of taxes for all the nearby cottages if the owners
12:20
agreed to have their roofs thatched with straw.
12:23
Perhaps their refusal drained the enthusiasm from his ambition
12:26
to establish a family legacy. He quickly fell into decline.
12:30
His children sold the house with the black mourning wreath still
12:33
hanging on the door. Americans, though willing, even
12:37
eager to embrace a servile role, have always resisted being
12:41
reduced to mere peasants. After half an hour the sun
12:46
reemerged and the grocer's car pulled up, Gatsby's Dr.
12:49
delivering the ingredients for his servants dinner.
12:52
I was sure he wouldn't touch a bite.
12:54
A maid began opening the upper windows of his house, appearing
12:58
briefly in each one, and from the large central Bay she leaned
13:02
out and spat thoughtfully into the garden.
13:05
It was time for me to return while the rain persisted.
13:08
It had seemed like the murmur of their voices, occasionally
13:11
rising and swelling with bursts of emotion, but in the newfound
13:15
silence I sensed that quiet had settled inside the house as
13:19
well. I entered after making every
13:23
conceivable noise in the kitchen, stopping short of
13:26
toppling the stove, but I doubt they heard a thing.
13:29
They sat at opposite ends of the couch, gazing at each other as
13:33
if a question had been posed or lingered in the air, with all
13:37
traces of awkwardness vanished. Daisy's face was streaked with
13:41
tears, and when I walked in, she sprang up and began dabbing at
13:45
it with her handkerchief in front of a mirror.
13:47
But there was something about Gatsby that was utterly
13:50
bewildering. He seemed to radiate light
13:53
without uttering a word or making any triumphant gesture.
13:57
A new found vitality emanated from him, filling the small room
14:01
with its presence. Oh, hello, old sport.
14:04
He greeted me as though we hadn't crossed paths in years.
14:08
For a moment I thought he might reach out to shake my hand.
14:12
The rain stopped. Has it?
14:14
When he grasped what I meant, noticing the playful glimmers of
14:17
sunlight now dancing in the room, he smiled with the
14:20
satisfaction of a weatherman, like a delighted admirer of the
14:24
returning sun. And.
14:25
Shared the news. With Daisy.
14:27
What do you think of that? The rain stopped.
14:30
I'm glad, Jay. Her voice.
14:32
Rich, with a poignant, sorrowful beauty, conveyed only her
14:36
unexpected happiness. I want you and Daisy to come
14:39
over to my house. I'd like.
14:41
To show her around. You're sure you want me to come?
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Absolutely Old sport. Daisy went.
14:47
Upstairs to freshen up Too late, I realized with embarrassment,
14:51
thinking of my towels while Gatsby and I waited on the lawn.
14:55
My house looks good, doesn't it? Look at how the entire facade
14:59
catches the light. I agreed.
15:01
It was magnificent, yes. His gaze swept over every arch
15:06
and tower. It took me just three years to
15:08
earn the money. To buy it.
15:10
I thought you inherited your wealth.
15:12
I did, old sport. But I lost most of it during the
15:16
big panic, the war panic. He doubtless wasn't fully aware
15:19
of his words, for when I asked about his line of work, he said
15:23
that's my business, before realizing it wasn't the right
15:26
response. Oh, I've been involved in
15:29
various ventures, he corrected himself.
15:31
I was in pharmaceuticals, then oil, but I'm no longer in
15:35
either. He looked at me more intently.
15:38
Have you been considering what I suggested the other night?
15:42
Before I could respond, Daisy emerged from the house, the
15:45
brass buttons on her dress shining in the sunlight.
15:48
That enormous place, she exclaimed, pointing.
15:52
Do you like it? I love it, but I can't imagine
15:56
how you live there all by yourself.
15:58
I always fill it with fascinating people day and
16:01
night, people who do remarkable things.
16:04
Famous people. Instead of taking the shortcut
16:07
along the sound, we went down to the road and entered through the
16:10
grand side gate. With delightful murmurs.
16:13
Daisy admired this or that feature of the castle like
16:17
silhouette against the sky, praised the gardens, the
16:20
sparkling scent of Junkwills, the frothy fragrance of
16:23
Hawthorne and plum blossoms, and the pale gold aroma of Kiss Me
16:27
at the Gate. It was odd to reach the marble
16:30
steps and find no flurry of bright dresses moving in and out
16:34
of the door and hear nothing but the voices of birds in the trees
16:38
inside. As we wandered through rooms
16:40
styled after Marie Antoinette and Restoration salons, I felt
16:45
as though guests were hidden behind every couch and table,
16:48
instructed to remain breathlessly silent until we had
16:51
passed. As Gatsby closed the door of the
16:54
Merton College library, I could have sworn I heard the Allied
16:58
man burst into ghostly laughter. We went upstairs through period
17:03
bedrooms draped in rose and lavender silk and vibrant with
17:07
fresh flowers, through dressing rooms, pool rooms and bathrooms
17:11
with sunken baths intruding into one room where a disheveled man
17:15
in pajamas was doing liver exercises on the floor.
17:19
It was Mr. Clipspringer, the border.
17:22
I had seen him wandering hungrily along the beach that
17:24
morning. Finally we reached Gatsby's own
17:27
apt, a bedroom and a bath and an Adam's study, where we sat down
17:32
and drank a glass of chartreuse he retrieved from a cupboard in
17:35
the wall. He hadn't stopped gazing at
17:38
Daisy, and I believe he reassessed everything in his
17:41
home based on the reaction it elicited from her cherished
17:44
eyes. At times, he looked around at
17:47
his belongings with a bewildered expression, as if in her
17:51
astonishing presence. None of it felt real anymore.
17:54
Once, he almost stumbled down a flight of stairs.
17:58
His bedroom was the simplest of all the rooms except for the
18:01
dresser, adorned with a set of toiletries made from pure, muted
18:05
gold. Daisy picked up the brush with
18:07
delight and smoothed her hair, prompting Gatsby to sit down,
18:11
cover his eyes and start laughing.
18:14
It's the funniest thing, old sport.
18:16
He said with a burst of laughter.
18:18
I can't when I try to. He had visibly transitioned
18:22
through two emotional States and was entering 1/3.
18:26
After his initial embarrassment and irrational joy, he was now
18:30
filled with awe at her presence. He had been consumed by the idea
18:34
for so long, dreaming it through to the very end, waiting with a
18:38
kind of fierce intensity. Now, in the aftermath, he was
18:42
unwinding like an over wound clock, regaining his composure
18:47
in a moment. He opened two large patent
18:49
cabinets for us, revealing his collection of suits, dressing
18:53
gowns and ties with shirts stacked like bricks a dozen
18:57
high. I've got a man in England who
18:59
buys my clothes. He sends over a selection at the
19:02
start of each season, spring and fall.
19:05
He pulled out a stack of shirts and began tossing them before
19:08
US1 by one. Shirts of delicate linen,
19:11
luxurious silk, and fine flannel.
19:14
As they fell, they lost their creases and spread across the
19:17
table in a vibrant, chaotic array.
19:20
While we admired them, he continued to bring more, and the
19:23
soft, opulent pile grew higher. Shirts adorned with stripes,
19:27
scrolls, and plaids, and shades of coral, apple green, lavender,
19:32
and pale orange, each marked with monograms in deep indigo.
19:37
Suddenly, Daisy buried her face in the shirts and began to cry
19:41
uncontrollably. There's such beautiful shirts,
19:45
She sobbed, her voice muffled by the thick fabric.
19:48
It makes me sad because I've never seen such such beautiful
19:52
shirts before. After the house, we were
19:55
supposed to explore the grounds, the swimming pool, the
19:58
hydroplane and the Midsummer flowers.
20:01
But outside Gatsby's window, the rain started again.
20:04
So we stood in a line, gazing at the rippled surface of the
20:07
sound. If it weren't for the mist, we
20:10
could see your home across the Bay.
20:12
You always have a green light that burns all night at the end
20:15
of your dock. Suddenly, Daisy linked her arm
20:18
with his, but he seemed lost in his own words.
20:22
Perhaps, he realized, the immense significance of that
20:25
light had now disappeared forever.
20:27
Compared to the vast distance that had once separated him from
20:31
Daisy, it had seemed so close to her, almost within reach.
20:35
It had once seemed as close. As a *.
20:37
To the moon. Now it was just a green light on
20:41
a dock again. His collection of magical
20:43
objects had dwindled by 1. I began to wander around the
20:48
room, inspecting various indistinct items in the dim
20:51
light. A large photograph.
20:53
Of an elderly man in a yachting outfit caught my attention
20:57
hanging on the wall above his desk.
21:00
Who's this, that that's? Mr. Dan Cody, Old.
21:04
Sport the name Reyna Faint. Bell.
21:07
He's. Passed away now.
21:08
He was my. Closest friend years ago.
21:12
There was a small. Picture of Gatsby, also in a
21:14
yachting outfit on the Bureau. Gatsby with his head thrown.
21:18
Back defiantly, apparently taken when he was about 18.
21:23
I love it, Daisy exclaimed. The pompadour.
21:26
You never told me you had a pompadour or a.
21:29
Yacht, look at this, Gatsby said quickly.
21:32
Here's a bunch of. Clippings about you.
21:35
They stood side by side, examining it.
21:38
I was. About to ask to.
21:39
See the rubies. When the phone rang and Gatsby.
21:41
Picked up the receiver. Yes, well, I can't talk right
21:45
now. I can't talk now, my friend.
21:48
I mentioned a small town. Surely he knows what a small
21:52
town is. Well, he's no help to us if he
21:55
thinks Detroit qualifies as one. He hung up the phone.
21:59
Come here quickly. Daisy called from the window.
22:02
The rain continued to fall, but the darkness had broken in the
22:06
West, revealing a pink and golden.
22:08
Swirl of clouds. Above the sea.
22:11
Look at that, she whispered. And after a pause added, I'd
22:15
love to take one of those pink clouds, put you in it and push
22:19
you around. I attempted to leave then, but
22:22
they wouldn't allow it. Perhaps my presence made them
22:25
feel more contentedly alone. I know what we'll do.
22:29
We'll have clips. Bringer play the piano.
22:32
He left the room calling Ewing and returned shortly with an
22:36
awkward, slightly disheveled young man wearing shell rimmed
22:40
glasses and sparse blonde hair. He was now dressed respectably
22:44
in a sports shirt. Open.
22:46
At the neck. Sneakers and duck trousers of an
22:49
indeterminate color. Did we interrupt your workout?
22:53
Daisy asked politely. I was asleep.
22:56
Mr. Clipspringer exclaimed, caught in a wave of
22:59
embarrassment. I had been asleep, but then I
23:02
woke up. Clipspringer plays the piano?
23:05
Gatsby interjected, cutting him off.
23:07
Isn't that right, Ewing? Old sport.
23:10
I'm not much of A player. I barely play at all.
23:13
I'm really out of. We'll head downstairs, Gatsby
23:17
interrupted again. He flipped a switch and the Gray
23:20
windows vanished as the house burst into light.
23:23
In the music room, Gatsby turned on a single lamp beside the
23:27
piano. He lit gazy cigarette with a
23:30
trembling match and settled with her on a couch far across the
23:34
room, where the only light came from the gleaming floor,
23:37
reflecting the glow from the hall.
23:40
After Clipspringer played the Love Nest, he turned on the
23:43
bench, searching unhappily for Gatsby in the dimness.
23:47
I'm really out of practice, you know.
23:49
I told you I couldn't play. I'm all out of practice.
23:53
Don't talk so much old sport, Gatsby commanded.
23:57
Just play in the morning. In the evening.
24:00
Ain't we got fun? Outside, the wind howled and a
24:04
faint rumble of Thunder echoed along the sound.
24:07
Lights were flickering on throughout West Egg.
24:10
Electric trains carrying men were rushing home through the
24:14
rain from New York. It was a time of deep human
24:17
transformation, and excitement was thick in the air.
24:22
One thing is certain. And nothing is more.
24:24
Certain the rich keep getting richer, while the poor keep
24:27
having children. Meanwhile, in the space between,
24:31
as I approached to say goodbye, I noticed a look of confusion
24:35
had returned to Gatsby's face, as if a subtle doubt had crept
24:39
in about the nature of his current happiness.
24:42
Almost five years had passed. Surely, even that afternoon,
24:46
there were moments when Daisy fell short of his dreams, not by
24:50
any fault of her own, but because of the immense vitality
24:54
of his illusion. It had surpassed her.
24:57
Surpassed. Everything he had invested
25:00
himself with it a fervent creativity, constantly
25:03
embellishing it with every bright detail that came his way.
25:07
No amount of reality or novelty can compete with what a man and
25:11
can hoard in his ethereal heart. As I observed him, he seemed to
25:16
adjust himself slightly, visibly.
25:19
His hand clasped hers, and as she whispered something softly
25:23
in his ear, he turned to her with a surge of emotion.
25:26
I believe it was her voice that captivated him most with its
25:30
shifting, feverish warmth. Because it was beyond the reach
25:34
of dreams. That voice was an eternal
25:37
melody. They had forgotten my presence.
25:39
But Daisy glanced up and extended her hand.
25:42
Gatsby no longer recognized me at all.
25:45
I looked at them once more and they returned, my gaze distantly
25:49
consumed by an intense vitality. Then I left the room, descended
25:55
the marble steps into the rain, leaving them there together.
25:59
And that brings us to the close of Chapter 5 of The Great Gatsby
26:03
by F Scott Fitzgerald. Five years of longing and it
26:08
came down to an awkward afternoon in a living room, a
26:11
ticking clock nearly falling off a mantelpiece, and a man who
26:15
couldn't stop shaking. We watched Gatsby fall apart and
26:19
put himself back together in the span of an hour.
26:23
We saw the green light lose its magic the moment it was no
26:27
longer something to reach for. And we watched Daisy bury her
26:31
face in a pile of beautiful shirts and weep, not because she
26:35
was sad, but because after all this time, it was real.
26:40
But there's a line that stays with you.
26:42
Gatsby had dreamed of this moment so completely for so long
26:47
that the real thing could never quite match what he had built in
26:51
his mind. The dream was always going to be
26:54
more perfect than the woman. And somewhere in that gap
26:58
between the dream and the reality, the tragedy of this
27:01
story is already quietly beginning.
27:04
Thank you for listening to chapter by chapter the audiobook
27:08
experience. If this story has its hooks in
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