The Greatest Gift Audiobook By Philip Van Doren Stern cover art

The Greatest Gift

A Christmas Tale

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The Greatest Gift

By: Philip Van Doren Stern
Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
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About this listen

The heartwarming story that became the Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life, now available in audio for the first time!

For almost 70 years, people the world over have fallen in love with Frank Capra’s classic Christmas movie It’s a Wonderful Life. But few of those fans know that Capra’s film was based on a short story by author Philip Van Doren Stern, which came to Stern in a dream one night.

Unable at first to find a publisher for his evocative tale about a man named George Pratt who ponders suicide until he receives an opportunity to see what the world would be like without him, Stern ultimately published the story in a small pamphlet and sent it out as his 1943 Christmas card. One of those 200 cards found its way into the hands of Frank Capra, who shared it with Jimmy Stewart, and the film that resulted became the holiday tradition we cherish today.

Now fans of It’s a Wonderful Life, or anyone who loves the spirit of Christmas, can own the story that started it all in a charming audio edition that’s perfect for holiday giving. It includes an Afterword by Stern’s daughter, Marguerite Stern Robinson, that tells the story of how her father’s Christmas card became the movie beloved by generations of people around the world.

©2014 Philip Van Doren Stern (P)2014 Simon & Schuster Audio
Anthologies & Short Stories Classics Fiction Holidays Literary Fiction Celebration Winter Christmas Short Story Heartfelt Romance
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Featured Article: Tune into the Best Christmas Movies Based on Books


What's just as satisfying—or maybe even better—than curling up under a blanket with a big bowl of popcorn and a mug of hot cocoa to watch one of your favorite holiday films? Listening to the audiobook that it's based on! Many of the most iconic movies we watch every year during the holidays were inspired by books, some well-known and some eclipsed by the fame of their adaptations. These listens are worth revisiting time and time again.

What listeners say about The Greatest Gift

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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So WONDERFUL to listen to the original short story

It was so WONDERFUL to listen to the original short story, after watching the movie this Christmas.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderful Indeed!

it's such a privilege to be able to hear the origins of one of my most beloved Christmas movies, Its a Wonderful Life! I will for sure be gifting this to people this holiday season.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Needed this

To feel ready for Christmas as an adult. Beautiful timeless American story telling. Only an hour long.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

It's a Wonderful Life Primer

The story is good, even better is the afterward, when Marguerite Stern Robinson, the author's daughter, tells how the story came about, was finally published, discovered by Frank Capra and made into the movie. In a time in America when a feel-good story was greatly needed, when many people were feeling like George . . . downtrodden, a failure at life, and broken in spirit . . . along came this story. Don't miss it!

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5 people found this helpful

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A must-read for any fan of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

If you love learning about the story behind the story, this book is well worth the money (or credit). I only wish the story itself and the afterword (by the author's daughter) could have been longer!

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5 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Short and sweet

Totally worth the listen and listening to all of it. The story about the writing is good too.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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I love this backstory about my favorite movie. It’s a wonderful life.

I particularly like the voice of Edward Herman, and the commentary from the original author’s daughter puts it in perspective for modern day. Thank you, Audible.

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Great for learning the story behind the movie

Any additional comments?

As a fan of It's A Wonderful Life, it was great to learn the story behind the movie. How the tale evolved and how the short story struggled to find an audience and eventually was made into one of the most popular movies of all-time.

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1 person found this helpful

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fantastic

loved the movie and cherish this story. I didn't discover this u till I became a adult. but now this is a family tradition

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Listen to the afterward

I love the movie, It's a wonderful life and it was a joy to listen to the story that inspired it. Especially as read by Edward Herman, he will always be one of my favorite readers and actors.
By listening to the afterward, I learned much about the beginnings of the story and the making of the movie. This may have been my favorite part, but one must read or listen to the story first in order to have a real appreciation for the afterward.
I have a friend who claims to have never seen the movie and is determined to never do so, because it has become such an icon. this is sad to me because, It's a wonderful Life is a beautiful story that can inspire any of us to be better, treat others with more respect and find hope in even the most uneventful life.

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