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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

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Keeps you going

It really draws you in and keeps you wanting more. I have to say the ending wasn't at all satisfying for me though. I had hoped for something different. But that doesn't detract from the ongoing thrill of a great story!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Unbelievable

There has to be a part 2. Nick has to win against her to save the baby.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Can't stop listening

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

The story, the writing

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

I can't tell you. Too many spoilers.

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

No

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

unlikeable characters make this a great book!

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What a page turner!

I could not stop listening to this. Good thing I was on vacation most of the time. My 23 year old daughter recommended it to me and I am almost 60. We both loved it.

The narration goes back and forth between the husband's voice and the missing wife's voice through diaries. Fascinating.

Many plots twists. Some fantastic adjectives that really paint a picture. I don't know if this is Gillian Flynn's only book, but I am going to check.

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Wow...

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

Yes! I listened at work, at home and in the car!

Any additional comments?

There is so much to say about this story, it's just brilliant. There's so many twists and turns. I would have written a WAAAAYYYYY different ending though. I am not going to say what, because I don't want to spoil anything but I really LOVED the story so much and to me the ending was just blah.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Slow and depressing...

but listened to the whole thing. I kept waiting for something good to happen. The characters were portrayed well, but slow.

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Can't say enough about this book!

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

The narration is excellent and the story is s unique and interesting I was looking for any excuse possible to keep listening.

What did you like best about this story?

The male and female perspective in this book is so unique and interesting. It's so true! The male perspective - while the husband in this book has some issues from his childhood he's still a very typical guy...and it's so interesting to read his interpretation of things. The wife is a typical driver personality type....I read so many things that made me question myself and my own personal motivations. Just when you think you have the story figured out they start throwing some curve balls. Extremely entertaining.

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

Because the male and female perspective are presented as part of the story, it's great to have the story elements read by the appropriate sex. Both narrators are excellent.

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

Just when you thought you knew your spouse...

Any additional comments?

I've been recommending this book to all my female friends. This may be my favorite book ever and I read a lot!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Anticlimactic

Overall a good read (listen). I was a little disappointed by the end. The actors were excellent.

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Unusual and entertaining story

I liked this book quite a bit. It's not my usual genre, but I found both the story and narration to be entertaining. A little on the dark side, but I would recommend it.

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I became instantly addicted to this book!

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

Smart, unpredictable, addicting

What did you like best about this story?

I felt the dialogue was very real-to-life and the characters were so well-written, smart and quick-witted.

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

Julia Whelan was awesome!

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

YES!

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