The Greatest Gift audiobook vs book: which should you choose?
On Christmas Eve, George Pratt stands on a bridge and wishes he had never been born. A stranger grants the wish.
Short answer: for The Greatest Gift audiobook vs book choice, we say either works (50% confidence, close call). No check could be confirmed from a named source on either side. At 50 minutes on audio or 55 short pages in print, either way takes one sitting.
Either works
A 50-minute story with nothing confirmed either way, so either format works.
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Confidence 50%, which puts it in the close call band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above.
The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK and US, our verdict | UK only (Transworld download) |
|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Edward Herrmann | Edward Herrmann and Madeline Maby |
| Length | 50 minutes, unabridged | 48 minutes |
| At 1.5x | about 33m | about 33m |
| At 2x | about 25m | about 25m |
| Audio publisher and date | Simon & Schuster Audio, 28 October 2014 | Transworld Digital (Penguin UK listing) |
| Audiobook price | £3.20 on Audible UK; $4.49 on Audible US | Not checked |
| Kindle price | £3.99 on Amazon UK (Transworld ebook) | Not confirmed |
| No UK print edition found. US: Simon & Schuster illustrated gift edition, 55 pages | UK ebook only (Transworld) | |
| Listener rating | Performance 4.76 from 187 ratings on Audible US (UK: 4.67 from only 9) | Not checked |
The Simon & Schuster recording includes the afterword by Stern’s daughter, Marguerite Stern Robinson. Penguin UK also lists a 48-minute download read by Edward Herrmann and Madeline Maby; what she reads is not confirmed, and whether it is the same recording is not confirmed.
Ratings and prices checked 30 October 2026. They change often. Amazon US does not show Kindle prices outside the US, so US Kindle prices are not given.
Lengths checked 30 October 2026. Speed times are calculated.
The Greatest Gift
Philip Van Doren Stern
- Genre
- Christmas classic
- First published
- 1943, as a private booklet
- Length
- 55 pages, about 4,100 words
- On audio
- 50 mins, Edward Herrmann
- On screen
- It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.
No listening or reading criterion could be confirmed from a named source, so neither format is favoured. Confidence is 50%.
The recording in detail
- Scored
- Edward Herrmann, Simon & Schuster Audio, 2014, 50m, unabridged
- Critic review
- None found
- Alternatives
- Transworld download, Edward Herrmann and Madeline Maby, 48 min (UK, not checked)
- What you miss
- Andrew Davidson’s illustrations in the 2014 edition
What this book actually is
The Greatest Gift is Philip Van Doren Stern’s short story about George Pratt, who on Christmas Eve wishes he had never been born and is shown the town without him. It is the story behind Frank Capra’s film It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). The story opens with George on a bridge thinking of ending his life; it is handled gently, and the ending is not covered here.
Stern finished it in 1943, could not find a publisher and printed 200 copies of a 21-page booklet to send as Christmas cards. RKO bought the film rights in 1944. The story was also printed in a magazine as The Man Who Was Never Born.
The case for reading it
At about 4,100 words it is a single sitting in print. The 2014 gift edition has Andrew Davidson’s illustrations, though no source says the story depends on them.
The case for listening to it
Edward Herrmann’s reading runs 50 minutes, about 33 minutes at 1.5x, and includes the afterword by Stern’s daughter.
It is short enough for Christmas Eve itself, before or after the film.
The audiobook in detail
Simon & Schuster Audio publishes the unabridged recording, read by Edward Herrmann, at 50 minutes on Audible UK and US (28 October 2014). It includes Marguerite Stern Robinson’s afterword.
Penguin UK lists a 48-minute Transworld download read by Edward Herrmann and Madeline Maby. Her part is not confirmed. No PDF companion is listed.
Who should ignore this verdict
Lean towards the printed gift edition if you want the illustrations, or a copy to give. Lean towards audio if you want it as a 50-minute listen on Christmas Eve.
Audiobook
- Read by Edward Herrmann
- 50m, or about 33m at 1.5x
- Unabridged; with the afterword
Read differently from most people? The app, coming soon, will let you switch off any of the thirteen checks. Get notified →
Related verdicts
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One narrator and praised narration, against a story that moves between past, present and future.
Skipping Christmas
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The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
A Christmas classic with the opposite pick.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
Questions people ask
Who narrates The Greatest Gift audiobook?
Edward Herrmann.
How long is it?
50 minutes, or about 33 minutes at 1.5x.
Is it abridged?
No, it is unabridged and includes the afterword by Stern’s daughter.
How many pages is it?
55 in the 2014 illustrated Simon & Schuster edition. The story is about 4,100 words.
Is It’s a Wonderful Life based on a book?
Yes. It is based on The Greatest Gift, a short story by Philip Van Doren Stern, first printed privately in 1943.
Should I read or listen?
Either works, at 50%, a close call. Nothing could be confirmed on either side.
Do you agree with this verdict?
We said either format works. One tap, no sign-up.
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How this verdict was reached
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.
- The criteria: read the thirteen questions in full.
- What we checked for this book: Audible UK and US, Amazon UK, Penguin UK, Simon & Schuster, Open Library and Wikipedia (for the publishing history).
- Verdict last reviewed: 30 October 2026. Editions and narrators change, so verdicts are rechecked annually.
- Prefer different criteria? The app, coming soon, will let you change which of the thirteen questions matter to you.
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