Gone, Baby, Gone

A Novel

By: Dennis Lehane

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

The tough neighborhood of Dorchester is no place for the innocent or the weak. A territory defined by hard heads and even harder luck, its streets are littered with the detritus of broken families, hearts, dreams. Now, one of its youngest is missing. Private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro don't want the case. But after pleas from the child's aunt, they open an investigation that will ultimately risk everything - their relationship, their sanity, and even their lives - to find a little girl-lost.

©1998 Dennis Lehane (P)2011 HarperCollinsPublishers

Lots of twists

Keeps you listening! Grizzly in parts. Kept me awake. Well read! The author knows the Boston area. Am looking forward to another of his books

Not very happy with the story line

The story seemed to drag on that I began to loose interest. Was disappointed maybe the TV show will be better

Close to the movie

Helped me understand the movie as I found it a complex and interesting story.
Recommend both.

Quite a twist

Dennis Lehane is a very talented writer, and this is one of his best. The narrator is a favorite. I can’t imagine listening to a Dennis Lehane book without him.

I am deeply ambivalent about Dennis Lehane.

Would you consider the audio edition of Gone, Baby, Gone to be better than the print version?

This is kind of a goofy question. I have almost stopped reading with my eyes, as I have discovered that the audiobook format is so much richer than just words on paper. Therefore, the audio version is always better than the print.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Gone, Baby, Gone?

I think that there is a very clear winner here. It is the scene(s) in the quarry where the massive force of the good guys is arrayed against the sneaky power of the bad guys. All are searching for Amanda, who has "gone missing." The setting is wonderful: the quarries are full of water, dark even in the daytime, very cold, full of mysterious channels, etc. Patrick and Angie have joined forces with the good guys, lawmen from all over Massachusetts, in a desperate attempt to trade the missing child for $200K. That is, if the missing child is even alive. The tension is heightened in a way that Mr. Lehane specializes in: anything can happen at any moment, and it frequently does. I will leave it to you to learn whether Amanda is dead or alive, found or kidnapped, etc. This is truly a marvelous mystery, written by a guy who knows his characters well, and who loves them. I am now glad that there is so much of Dennis Lehane to read, although my standing objection still rules: the full-size novels are too long by half. Hard to argue with serious success, though.

Which character – as performed by Jonathan Davis – was your favorite?

Jonathan Davis is truly marvelous, in many ways. The stock answer to this question is probably Patrick and Angie, who have a relationship which has held my interest through several novels. There are a whole bunch of ancillary characters whom Mr. Davis does in a masterly way: the repulsive Cheese Oleman, the slimy Chris Mullen (not the basketball player), the absolutely marvelous Bubba...I could go on. Mr. Davis's talents as a narrator are almost limitless. I would be disappointed to find another Dennis Lehane book that was not narrated by Jonathan Davis.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There are quite a number of scenes in which Patrick and Angie's relationship lifts up off the pages and soars. These two are trying very hard to live sane, sensible lives, but they are surrounded by the worst of Boston thuggery, at every level. Each case draws them into the mesh of those lives, and the palpable tension between wanting to leave to have a simple life versus staying in the Boston they know: they just can't decide.

Any additional comments?

I am now a confirmed Dennis Lehane fan. It has taken me a few books to fully appreciate the partnership between him and Jonathan Davis, but I do believe I have it now. I hope they keep doing this for a very long time.

Bubba, is that really you?

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This story is populated by people from working class Boston neighborhoods, but only a couple of them have any trace of the accent, and that inconsistently. The main characters sound like they grew up in the midwest, and even Bubba -- dear gawd, Bubba -- sounds off. He's got almost a southern tinge. Massachusetts in general and working class Boston in particular stand out for allegiance to the regional language features. I don't know if this was the producer's call or if the narrator made the decisions, but either way, the performance was severely compromised for me. I know the story well, have read the book multiple times, so this was a very big disappointment.

What did you like best about this story?

The story itself is very dark, but in a way that encourages thought about difficult subjects.

How could the performance have been better?

These characters should sound like they were born and raised in Boston. Consistently.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Amanda's uncle finally realizes there's no more hope, and comes clean over a double Scotch.

Any additional comments?

The people who produce audiobooks should have a linguist or two on staff -- a sociolinguist (which yes, I am a trained academic linguist specializing in sociocultural language issues) could set them straight when they go off course like this. It happens far too often, and needn't happen at all.

I love Dennis and this story does not let me down

This is not a story to listen to when distracted, otherwise, you'll be going back to hear what you've missed several times. It can get intense. Otherwise, a very entertaining story and I loved it!

excellent

the book is by far better than the movie. I know everyone says that but it's true.

A lot of twists once you got into the plot.

Hard to get into, but once you do, wow. a lot of "he said, she said" as well. I am eager to see the movie.

Excellent

Good book that is well worth the time spent listening to it. It bogs down a bit with a lot of exposition at times but a wonderful story.