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Gone Girl

By: Gillian Flynn
Narrated by: Julia Whelan, Kirby Heyborne
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Editorial review


By Mysia Haight, Audible Editor

PSYCH OUT—THE JAW-DROPPING GENIUS OF GONE GIRL

Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl is among the all-time best crafted stories told by unreliable narrators—two of them, the perfect couple—and a gripping thriller filled with jaw-dropping twists. This dark mystery novel also shines a critical light on the media-fueled public rush to judge people suspected of crimes who, regardless of the evidence, simply look guilty—an unsettling trend that has only escalated in the decade since the book’s release. Along with its critique of media exploitation, the novel has been widely embraced—and hotly debated—as a manifesto of modern feminism.

Ten years ago, I was approaching that dreaded life stage—middle age. After years of doing my best to be a good wife, mother, aunt, sister, daughter, and friend; a good worker, mentor, and role model; and a good listener, problem solver, and crisis manager, I was feeling taken for granted and restless. What if I did something unexpected, something out of character—something bad?

Happily, I satisfied my yearnings by becoming immersed in the brilliant mind and devious machinations of Amy Elliott Dunne, the hero (or, depending on your perspective, villain) of Gone Girl. When it was published in 2012, Gillian Flynn’s ingenious novel about a missing wife and the husband increasingly implicated in her ominous disappearance stirred up a lot of buzz. As an avid fan of psychological thrillers, unreliable narrators, and contemporary fiction driven by strong, complicated women, I couldn’t wait to read it. And I was blown away! In spite of her questionable (to put it extremely mildly) actions, I found Amy, an amazing woman who was taken for granted—first by her parents and then by her husband—relatable and, yes, sympathetic. I kept rooting for her to get the life she wanted, even when I was appalled by what she did and who she hurt to make that happen.

Has Gone Girl changed my life? Well, it didn’t motivate me to change for the badder—old good habits die hard. Yet, thanks in part to Amy and other remarkable women characters like her, I’ve gradually become better at speaking up for myself and getting heard.

Years after first reading Gone Girl, I haven't forgotten Amy. I love the way Rosamund Pike brought her to life in the 2014 film adaptation, which I've watched in its entirety three times with three different women—my sister, my niece, and my daughter. So when I discovered that one of my favorite narrators, the remarkable Julia Whelan, voices Amy in the audiobook, I just had to go back and listen. Her performance is brilliant—so believable, it's chilling—and even though I know every twist in her twisted story, Amy continues to amaze me!

Continue reading Mysia's review >

Publisher's summary

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The “mercilessly entertaining” (Vanity Fair) instant classic “about the nature of identity and the terrible secrets that can survive and thrive in even the most intimate relationships” (Lev Grossman, Time)—now featuring never-before-published deleted scenes

NAMED ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BOOKS OF THE DECADE BY CNN AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE DECADE BY TIME AND ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Janet Maslin, The New York TimesPeopleEntertainment WeeklyO: The Oprah MagazineSlateKansas City StarUSA TodayChristian Science Monitor

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY San Francisco ChronicleSt. Louis Post-DispatchThe Chicago TribuneHuffPostNewsday

©2012 Gillian Flynn (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Absorbing . . . In masterly fashion, Flynn depicts the unraveling of a marriage—and of a recession-hit Midwest—by interweaving the wife’s diary entries with the husband’s first-person account.”The New Yorker

“Ms. Flynn writes dark suspense novels that anatomize violence without splashing barrels of blood around the pages . . . Ms. Flynn has much more up her sleeve than a simple missing-person case. As Nick and Amy alternately tell their stories, marriage has never looked so menacing, narrators so unreliable.”The Wall Street Journal

“The story unfolds in precise and riveting prose . . . even while you know you’re being manipulated, searching for the missing pieces is half the thrill of this wickedly absorbing tale.”O: The Oprah Magazine

Featured Article: Best Audiobooks to Listen to While Working Out


Need to motivate yourself to work out more? We've all heard that exercise is good for the body, and reading is good for the mind and soul. But knowing these facts doesn't increase the number of hours in the day. Maybe you can eke out a little time for one activity but not the other. Or maybe you are looking for something to motivate you to get those steps in. Why not download a great audiobook and get lost in a listen while breaking a sweat?

Editor's Pick: Best of the Decade

Get to the gone
"I’m a sucker for great story structure, and Gone Girl uses every inch of its narrative to subvert expectations in ways that shock and amuse. The perfectly utilized diary entries fold into a legendary mid-book reveal. The face-turn-heel of a seemingly perfect victim who revels in the way they’ve expertly managed your expectations. The unreliable narrators who reveal so much about themselves by what they don’t say—or how they shape emotional states into origami. And it all feels fair; while most twist-filled stories tend to seem rather flimsy under a microscope, the closer you look at Gillian Flynn’s masterpiece, the more you notice the sheer togetherness of it all, each part working in concert with another, coalescing to form a story that has one finger firmly on the pulse of popular culture, and one on the carotid of a serial killer."—Sean T., Audible Editor

What listeners say about Gone Girl

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    34,696
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    5,290
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    1,583

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Pretty Good!

What made the experience of listening to Gone Girl the most enjoyable?

The narration was spot on, at first I wasn't sure as the editing sound was a bit off but once I got used to it I was amazed at how well these two narrators did.

What did you like best about this story?

Several parts of the story brought on surprise and suspense.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed the story and the twists and turns, the narration was perfect but the only downfall for me was that the ending was a bit of a letdown.

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

disaturbing

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

yes

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes, I was very unsettled about how the book ended. No justice or was their justice???

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

Good until the end

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

This was a great read until the end, I hated the end.... what was Gillian Flynn thinking??

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

Slow early on

Very slow in beginning. But takes off at a certain point. Bla bpa boa black idis jdjdia iDisks iDisk Baha'is

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

Wait 'til you have time, you won't be able to stop

If you could sum up Gone Girl in three words, what would they be?

Addictive, twisted, provocative

What other book might you compare Gone Girl to and why?

People Who Eat Darkness: this book reads like non-fiction, not out of the realm of possibility but just fu*ked up enough to make you scared of falling in love.

What about Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne ’s performance did you like?

The narration is spot on, but still leaves room for your imagination to picture the characters. Whelan and Heyborne are clear and concise, speaking at a perfect pace to let everything sink in as you listen. The give you time to think about the story and understand what is happening.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

"It's always the husband, right?"

Any additional comments?

I haven't been this engrossed by an audiobook since I listened to Bossy Pants. While Tina Fey kept me awake at night in a fit of hilarity, this book kept me up fearing that you can't be sure that your friends and family are not psychopaths.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story.

This is my first book from this author. I actually really liked the story line! My big complaint-slash-dislike is the level of cursing. It actually shocked me that it bothered me so much, I am generally not a prude, nor do I cringe at vulgarity. The level of vulgarity in the book however was more than even I could handle. It occurred so often and got so extreme, that it genuinely started to ruin the book for me.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Twisty dark narrative

What made the experience of listening to Gone Girl the most enjoyable?

The twists just kept on coming. I knew that twists were involved but had no idea how layered they would be throughout the story. Well done and I found myself truly surprised several times throughout the book, and that rarely happens for me.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, and I basically did. I played it while driving ten hours each way for the holidays. Made the drive go by MUCH faster, and I couldn't wait to get back in the car at pit stops to keep listening.

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Couldn't stop listening....

If you could sum up Gone Girl in three words, what would they be?

captivating, interesting,recommended

What other book might you compare Gone Girl to and why?

I cannot think of another quite like it.

What does Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

very easy to listen to - the perfect amount of drama in their voices.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Don't miss it!

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

WOW!

Where does Gone Girl rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I read and enjoy all genres of books, and this book ranks up there in the top 10.

What did you like best about this story?

This story kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Which scene was your favorite?

It scene in the shed when the truth is realized.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I enjoyed the book so much, but I hated the ending. I think if I was writing this story I would have ended it differently. This is the reason I did not give the book a 5.

Any additional comments?

This story would make a great movie!

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

Experience twisted from the inside

Where does Gone Girl rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best! The story unfolds in a unique, insidious and twisted way.

What did you like best about this story?

The way the listener gets to experience the rationalization of the sick mind.

Which character – as performed by Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne – was your favorite?

Nick was my favorite, he is kind of hopeless but you have to root for him since he is being so totally screwed by Amy.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes and I did it in 2 sittings. Perfect for a long drive.

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