American Dreamer: Who Was Jay Gatsby?

By: Blanchard House

Narrated by: Joe Nocera

Was a real life 1920s crook the inspiration for one of the world's most iconic fictional characters, “The Great Gatsby”?

Just before the small-time bootlegger Max Gerlach died, he tried to reveal his secret: he was the inspiration for the mysterious Jay Gatsby. It’s a nice story, but was he telling the truth? Veteran reporter Joe Nocera and producer Poppy Damon investigate this century-old literary mystery and uncover untold secrets about the Great American Novel.

Content Warning:

The Great Gatsby is a book of its time so you will hear racist and anti-Semitic themes and language that some listeners might find offensive. There will also be references to alcohol and drug abuse, depictions of violence and reference to suicide.

Episode 1: Old sport

It’s July 1923 and a scrawled note from a local bootlegger gives celebrity author F Scott Fitzgerald a bright idea… Joe Nocera begins his quest investigating just who this Max Gerlach really was.

Episode 2: Then came the war

Jay Gatsby tells everyone he’s a military man, a war hero. Max Gerlach gives the same impression. But is Gerlach the man he says he is?

Episode 3: Some big bootlegger

Joe explores the shady world of bootlegging and the mob kingpin who bridges fact and fiction.

Episode 4: The golden girl

For many The Great Gatsby is first and foremost a love story. Joe goes looking for Max Gerlach’s “golden girl”. He finds a marriage – but all is not as it seems.

Episode 5: I love you now – isn’t that enough?

Fun fact: most of the ‘Great American Novel’ was written in France. What can the Fitzgeralds’ tempestuous stint on the Riviera reveal about Jay Gatsby and the man who may have inspired him?

Episode 6: He believed in the green light

Joe digs into how Max’s American Dream went sour. Meanwhile, F Scott Fitzgerald’s problems have only just begun.

Episode 7: Forty acres

Joe is forced to ask if he's had the wrong idea all along as he probes the investigation's biggest curveball.

Episode 8: Ceaselessly into the past

As Joe concludes his investigation, they follow every lead to try and get to the bottom of Max and Scott’s relationship. Just how much of Max Gerlach wound up in “The Great Gatsby”?

©2024 Blanchard House (P)2024 Audible Ltd.

Loved it so much

The knowledge and enthusiasm and love of Gatsby made me smile and think about reading it again

Dreamy

Great music, fun investigative/literary journalism. Loved the excerpts from the book and exploring all the theories.

Joe and Poppy bring Fitzgerald and Gatsby to life

Long time fan of The Great Gatsby, and the podcast brought new information and ideas to light.

Well produced, informative and engaging

This podcast opened new elements of Gatsby, Fitzgerald and their era for me, and carried me along in the mystery of it all. Loved this!

Beautiful

Enjoyed learning about all these wonderful characters who made the 20’s so magical yet tragic.

Story and narration

Loved the back story for Gatsby. While a podcast, it seems like a book. I also liked the music and sound effects.

we will never tire of Gatsby

read about the man who Jay Gatsbt was based on. a bootleggers, of course, and one who peppered his dialogue with, "Old Sport." Fascinaing. I could live without the side effects.

Not an audiobook

this is a podcast. it is not a book. very very big difference. please label correctly to avoid disappointment

fascinating

I love the great gatsby and I enjoy nonfiction. this podcast brings up fascinating facts of the inside story of the great novel. well done quick listen

If you like the book, you HAVE to listen to this!

Really interesting stuff! I'm so glad I listened to this. It makes the book so much better knowing all the background info about the author & the book that got worked into the walk through of the investigation.

I can't imagine how much effort it took to track down all that info from the early 1900s, but I'm really grateful they did it!