Gone Girl

A Novel

By: Gillian Flynn

Narrated by: Julia Whelan, Kirby Heyborne

Length: 19 hrs and 57 mins

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 Times • People • Entertainment Weekly • O: The Oprah Magazine • Slate • Kansas City Star • USA Today • Christian 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 Chronicle • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • The Chicago Tribune • HuffPost • Newsday

©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

Frustrating

I enjoyed it for the most part, but hated the ending...

Buggin hbibj. N be hv I u if j

A Very Good Read

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

Engrossing, Outrageous, Twisty.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Gone Girl?

To say would be to give something away. There were many, many memorable moments throughout the book.

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

Margo, Nick's sister. It would be easy to say Nick or Amy as well but there was something about Margo...

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

"Nothing is as it seems" or "Judge not lest you be judged."

Any additional comments?

Fiction is about weaving a story that holds your attention and leaves you thinking about characters long after you have put the book down. Ms. Flynn has done both. This book will challenge your perceptions of what is true, what should be true, whether your instincts are spot on and what you consider to be a "just" ending for characters that you have invested in.

Awesome MindF*@k!

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

This is one of the best! Maybe right behind Inferno by Dan Brown.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Nick was my favorite. I could just feel his frustration! I hate that "nothing you can do about it" feeling.

Have you listened to any of Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Nope, first one. Cherry popped!

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

True love never did run smooth.

Any additional comments?

My favorite parts were the little bits of truth and comparison throughout the story. There were so many things that were relatable about all of the characters that I found myself saying, "yea, that's just like me" to all of them. Such great backstory and character development! Loved it to pieces!!!

Wtf did I just read?

[*No* spoilers!] Before I purchase this book, I read that it got really messed up in the second part, or some of the writing wasn't as believable, but stick with it, it all comes together, and the writing is insightful of the human conditions and of psychological disorders. This book is outstanding, the characters are twisted, they get inside your head and make you think the best and worst (mostly the worst), and you really feel effected by them as they progress. I'm so glad I read this before the movie so that the way Gillian unraveled the story wasn't spoiled for me, hopefully the movie will be okay.

There are two voice actors for this book and both do a great job of communicating tone and relaying which character is being spoken for. More work went into the audio of this book than most, and it really shows.

Can't wait to see the movie....Gone Girl

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

Interesting, twists and turns

What did you like best about this story?

Was very interesting how Amy's mind works.

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

Nick

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

When it was revealed that the disappearance was a set up.

Any additional comments?

Hope there is a second book, as it was left with more to come

Sad that I wasted my credit

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I thought this would be much better because everyone has been talking about it. Terrible ending and it was slow to start. I hope they doctored it up for the movie.

If you’ve listened to books by Gillian Flynn before, how does this one compare?

n/a

Could you see Gone Girl being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

There are so many other books that are more movie worthy.

Intriguing story told really well.

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

This falls right behind The Help in my all time favorites list. Great plot told well. I was engaged the whole time and the end left me thinking days after I'd finished it.

Interesting story but...

Great story but I for those of you who don't prefer offensive language, you probably want to skip this. The narrative was infused with offensive wording that added nothing to the story.

Loved it

What did you love best about Gone Girl?

This psychological thriller will keep you up all night. Both myself and my husband devoured it in a single sitting. I enjoyed that in keeping with the spirit of the writing the narration was split by Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne, who both did a great job bringing it to life.

Twisted. Unpredictable. Addicting. GREAT NARRATION

Would you listen to Gone Girl again? Why?

Yes I probably would--just to hear Kirby Heyborne narrate the "I know more than you think"-voice of Detective Bony.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Gone Girl?

The first turning point. I don't want to spoil this book. But there is much suspense and rising action--with many climaxes and an ending that you won't expect. The book just gets weirder and weirder. You won't leave dissatisfied.

Have you listened to any of Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not but am about to purchase one.

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

Yes. I felt like I was at a game--an intense one, but one in which I kept forgetting or changing who I was rooting for.

Any additional comments?

Many many books BORE me. I couldn't get enough of this one.