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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: The 20 Best Thriller Audiobooks to Get Your Heart Racing


Few stories lend themselves to audio better than thrillers. Listening gives you time to play detective and figure out the mysteries with the characters. There’s no way to quickly flip through the tense, nerve-wracking parts—and that’s what makes hearing them so much more exciting. Whether you enjoy classic detective thrillers, or something more sinister, there are endless stories to choose from. Here are the 20 best thriller audiobooks to get you started.

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

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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

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Fun to listen to

Would you listen to Gone Girl again? Why?

No I won't listen again. I don't like repeats.

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

No other book I can compare it to.

Which scene was your favorite?

The last scene was totally unexpected.

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

I was shocked by the ending and would of never believe it. I was expecting other outcomes but not the one the book ended with.

Any additional comments?

Really fun to listen to.

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Made a great first impression with audible :)

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

Romantic, twisted thriller

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

I loved that Amy's voice had such personality. It was a tone that resonated with me.

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

It made me gasp and laugh quite often. There were many playful, funny scenes but also many unexpected events.

Any additional comments?

The story was well written and performed well. I really didn't know what to expect. There were surprises every few chapters and was incredibly entertaining. I could easily re-listen to the whole thing, possibly even read a physical copy :)

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Opt for the Audio Book

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

I definitely recommend the audio version of Gone Girl. There's a certain intonation that comes from this audiobook that I think really helped set the tone of each chapter.

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

I can't imagine loving this book so much had it not been for the excellent narration by Julia Whelan. She's not narrating the Amy sections, she becomes Amy. I Didn't care much for Kirby Heyborne's over enunciation of words though.

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

It started a bit slow but once it got going, it was real hard to stop listening.

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Good Read

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

The plot was very good but it did get slow at some points.

Any additional comments?

I appreciated the twist in the plot and the end was very good.

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One of the best books I've read

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

Yes. Kept me on the edge of my seat!

Any additional comments?

Great book. I've head some people say they didn't like the ending, or they were thinking/hoping it would have ended a different way but I thought the ending was perfect....eerie and spooky!

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Crazy psycho bitch!! lol

Lord this book takes you through it. The psychology of a fucked up relationship. Makes you think twice before dating.

Enjoy! Lol

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I love this book! What a surprise.

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

It is one of the best, kept me interested. It is not the subject matter I usually listen to, but I was ready to try something different and I really loved it.

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

Yes, the characters were so real, I couldn't decide at first which one I liked and which one I disliked, and it changed all through the book.

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

I have never listed to these narrators and I think they did a great job. Not boring at all.

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

Yes, when I realized what had really happened....that was a shock.

Any additional comments?

This was worth the money and I will tell my friends about it.

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Didn't see the movie

This was great. The story was preformed perfectly. I loved how much I hated everyone after it was finished.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Started slow but ended strong.

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

Riveting, Well written, Shocking

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

I liked Go for being a loyal, loving sibling.

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

I was shocked by the great lengths a person will go to seek revenge.

Any additional comments?

I was disappointed by the ending. I didn't want a certain character to get their way.

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SUPERB!

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

N/A

Who was your favorite character and why?

N/A

Which scene was your favorite?

N/A

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

Kept me on the edge of my seat.

Any additional comments?

Great book and wonderfully written! I would recommend this to all.

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