When You Finish Saving the World Audiobook By Jesse Eisenberg cover art

When You Finish Saving the World

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When You Finish Saving the World

By: Jesse Eisenberg
Narrated by: Kaitlyn Dever, Jesse Eisenberg, Finn Wolfhard
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From playwright, author, and Oscar-nominated actor Jesse Eisenberg, When You Finish Saving the World tells the moving and evocative story of three individuals working to understand each other and themselves: Nathan, a father learning to connect with his newborn son; Rachel, a young college student seeking to find her place in a relationship and in life, before marriage to Nathan; and Ziggy, their son, a teenager hoping to figure out where he came from, and where he’s headed. The shifts between time frames in these characters’ lives span more than a decade and eloquently capture the complexities of growing up, having children, and fitting in.

Eisenberg - the star of The Social Network, The Squid and the Whale, and Zombieland - stars as Nathan; Kaitlin Dever, star of Booksmart and Unbelieveable, is the voice of Rachel; and Finn Wolfhard, star of Stranger Things, plays Ziggy, their son.

©2019 Jesse Eisenberg (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC. Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Neurodiversity Funny Inspiring Suspenseful Witty Feel-Good Heartfelt Thought-Provoking

Jesse Eisenberg Answers the Audible Questionnaire

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Watch Jesse Eisenberg answer questions on Audible Live

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Audio Drama

Our favorite moments from When You Finish Saving the World

When You Finish Saving the World
"It's not work when you love the person, right?"
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When You Finish Saving the World
"Sorry to brag or whatever..."
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When You Finish Saving the World
"I wanted to say something very, very serious."
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  • When You Finish Saving the World
  • "It's not work when you love the person, right?"
  • When You Finish Saving the World
  • "Sorry to brag or whatever..."
  • When You Finish Saving the World
  • "I wanted to say something very, very serious."

About the Creator and Performer

Jesse Eisenberg is an Academy Award-nominated actor and an acclaimed playwright and author. Eisenberg’s film credits include Roger Dodger, The Squid and the Whale, Adventureland, Zombieland, The Social Network, Now You See Me, The Double, Night Moves, The End of Tour, American Ultra, Louder Than Bombs, Batman v. Superman, Now You See Me 2, Café Society, Justice League, The Hummingbird Project, The Art of Self Defense, Zombieland: Double Tap, Resistance, and Vivarium.
Eisenberg has written four plays, including The Spoils, which recently completed a box office record-breaking West End run. He also wrote and starred alongside Vanessa Redgrave in his play The Revisionist, and in 2011, he wrote and starred in the play Asuncion. His play, Happy Talk, starring Susan Sarandon and Marin Ireland opened last April at the Signature Theater in New York. Born in New York, Eisenberg is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker, the author of the collection, Bream Gives Me Hiccups from Grove Press and the forthcoming Audible Original When You Finish Saving the World.

Kaitlyn Dever
Finn Wolfhard

About the Performer

Kaitlyn Dever is best known for her dynamic roles in the popular movies and television series such as Booksmart, Bad Teacher, Last Man Standing, Justified, and Unbelievable. Dever’s standout performance in Unbelievable has earned her nominations for the Lead Actress in a Limited Series categories for both the Golden Globe Awards and Critic’s Choice Awards, and a Television Critics Association Award nomination in the Individual Achievement in Drama category. Additionally, she was recognized by the Hollywood Critics Association as the 2020 Breakthrough Artist Under the Age of 23, and was named an EE BAFTA Rising Star nominee for her performance in Booksmart. Dever voices one of the three leads in the Audible Original, When You Finish Saving the World, alongside Jesse Eisenberg and Finn Wolfhard. Directed by Eisenberg, the audio-only story focuses on three separate, but interlocking monologues told at different times from different perspectives.
Next, Dever will co-star in the half-hour, live-action comedy series, The Wildest Animals In Griffith Park, Hulu’s upcoming anthology series, Monsterland, and HBO’s anticipated satiric special, Coastal Elites. Dever will also begin production on the film adaptation of the six-time Tony-award-winning-play, Dear Evan Hansen and has finished production on the pilot of B.J. Novak’s upcoming anthology series for FX Networks. Dever’s additional theatrical credits include Them That Follow, The Front Runner, Beautiful Boy, Detroit, and Short Term 12. Her previous television credits include CBS’s crime drama The Mentalist, Starz’s comedy Party Down, ABC’s Modern Family and Private Practice, and critically acclaimed HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm.

About the Performer

Actor Finn Wolfhard is best known for his starring roles in the Netflix original series Stranger Things, as well as the blockbuster horror film IT. He can be seen next starring in the highly anticipated film Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which is set for release in March 2021. In addition to acting, Wolfhard has a passion for music and formed a garage-rock band The Aubreys. The band recently released their first EP entitled Soda & Pie.

Kaitlyn Dever Answers the Audible Questionnaire

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Finn Wolfhard Answers the Audible Questionnaire

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All stars
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This book was decent. Laced with profanity, but decent. I think I enjoyed Nathan‘s part the best. When Ziggy started talking, I really couldn’t get into his 2032 lingo and when Rachel started talking, there was just too much profanity for my taste. It was interesting hearing from all three characters and seeing how this whole story tied together.

Pretty good

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this book. changed my view as a traveler, psychologist, and anthropologist. it means more to the evolutionary minds in school today than I thought by reading the description.

world changing

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How real is it glimpsing into the mind of people struggling to understand themselves and the worlds in which they live. How their spheres grow and change. It's a touching tale of a family at different points in time at some of their toughest times and how they will change just by talking out the words in their hearts. Congrats Jesse Eisenberg this one touched me like Nathan when he saw his son in his future mind.

Real to the core

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I was CRYING during Wolfhard's reading of Ziggy's conclusion so I was so disappointed.

The Rachel character already comes across as a quintessential over-privileged BLM-marching fake-woke basic Marsha from Parts 1 and 2, so I was excited for what was sure to be some huge reveal/twist that made her suddenly relatable and sympathetic. Dever's voice and reading made me VIOLENTLY ANGRY. Between the "like omg" intonation and the "I'm such a pumpkin-spice latte white girl" I actually couldn't sleep that night I was so pissed off. I had to fast forward to make it through, and only because I kept waiting for the reveal that made her not the most annoying person on earth.

But it never came.

I can't tell if Eisenberg can't write likeable female characters, or if it was Dever's pubescent portrayal of what should have been a university student (likely a combination), but it ruined what would have been an otherwise hilarious and nuanced piece.

Part 3 Story + Narration Ruined a 5-Star Play

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This came up in my free selections for the month of August. I was familiar with two of the actors and the title intrigued me. This rapidly became something that I couldn't put down, so to speak.

When You Finish Saving the World was an emotional joyride. I found myself relating to each of the characters for different reasons. It takes you to the present, the future, and the past through the lenses of the characters. Admittedly, Ziggy's slang grated on my last good nerve (more because I spent so much time looking for context clues to figure out what the hell he was saying as well as the fact that it felt like listening to my son talk and trying not to stare blankly).

I found myself annoyed with Rachel's vulnerability because it mirrored my own. I found myself mentally screaming at Nathan for not doing more, for not *saying* more. I found myself wanting to hug Ziggy, ask him if he'd eaten a vegetable today, and listen to him prattle on about his highs and sighs.

More than anything, I found myself wanting to hear more. I could easily have listened to this selection if it were fifteen hours rather than five. Even at five hours, I found myself mentally staging it in my head. Free selection or not, I can't recommend this enough.

Like reading someone else's diary

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The book tells the stories of 3 family members, a son, father, and mother. The timeline jumps around when you hear from a new character and you really have to listen closely and connect the dots between timelines and family member’s lives and perspectives. I enjoyed it and found it interesting, but in a way it almost felt like a big build up to a moment that never really came. When it ended I thought, “Dang, that’s it?”

Interesting and unique

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Hard to believe this was free! Fantastic listen. Intimate upclose engagement with the three main family during three separate eras. Sad that it ended. Satisfying ending but left me wanting more.

Fantastic!

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not a fan of the ending, too many loose ends. lay out was a little odd

interesting

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I was surprised at how much I really enjoyed this program. The first two thirds were great and really pulled me in. The last third, with the voice of Rachel, kind of dragged for me a little bit and I found myself getting a little impatient for it to end. Overall, though, it is a really good listen. Leaves the listener with quite a bit to think about.

A couple of things really stood out for me: in the first part, Dad talks about his newborn son, Ziggy and the difficulties he is having trying to connect with the young infant. He also talks about his difficult issues with his wife, Rachel. All this through recorded tapes he sends to his therapist. A lot of interesting insights emerge during this portion.

I part two, we have Ziggy, now a teenager, in the year 2032. Ziggy also talks through tapes to a “therapist”, albeit a bot(!!!!). I loved the sequence of the listener now seeing baby Ziggy, in a future world, as a teenager. I loved Ziggy, and the actor who does the voice of Ziggy was great!

Rachel comes along in part 3 and we get a glimpse of her as a very young adult in college. Again the use of communicating through tapes is utilized, this time with Rachel sending tapes to her beloved boyfriend, Zack, who is serving in the hotbed of a war in the Middle East. This was my least favorite part. I thought Rachel to be an idealistic, overly dramatic young lady given to prolonged and intense histrionic episodes.

Overall, however, I thought this to be a very good listen and, for what it’s worth, would recommend it.....☺️

Very, very good!!

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Jesse Eisenberg's part was absolutely AWESOME! The 2nd part w/Ziggy was a mishmash of rambling & teen angst that took 6 episodes (chapters) to get to the point & I found myself fast forwarding through. The 3rd part, Rachel, I have absolutely NO idea who she's supposed to be talking to because it's not her husband who started this book off & we get no resolution or conclusion about who he is or what happened, why she married who she did, or her feelings about her son at any point in his life - especially after making a huge stinck about him "not connecting with baby Ziggy. Just my personal feelings and please don't let it dissuade you from enjoying this book - as many people most certainly did! - Lady Anne (Jessica M. Kandal, PhD)

First part was Fantastic!

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