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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 Audible Essentials Top 100


The spirited (but friendly) debate over these titles could have gone on indefinitely. With years of listening, countless customer reviews, and a catalog of seemingly infinite great listens, 100 suddenly felt like a very small number. What we know for sure—each title that made it to this collection is elevated and made special in some way by audio, whether by a layered performance from a single narrator, a brilliantly cohesive full cast, original music, or immersive sound effects. Discover an audio experience for the ages.

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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    34,698
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    16,018
  • 3 Stars
    5,290
  • 2 Stars
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Story
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  • 3 Stars
    4,971
  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
    1,584

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

Awesome "performance" of the story

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

Mystery, Story Twist

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Getting to the ending was more enjoyable than the ending itself. Really bummed about the ending.

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked the "Amy" narratives, especially half way through the story when her cynical side shows. The readers voice fit the character perfectly!

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

You don't know what you have until it's gone

Any additional comments?

Worth the listen. I've been trying to read this book for months, but life just gets in the way. This was my very first book with Audible, which allows me to "read" a book while I work my computer job. This book made me a huge Audible fan and I convinced a number of friends and family to join.

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

Never saw that ending coming.

This book really kept my interest. I also enjoyed the way the chapters went from his perspective to his perspective. It really made it hard to put stop listening to the book. I started to figure things out through out the book and I just knew I had it all figured out. I never in a million years thought it would end how it did.

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

Great book had me all the way up until the end

I really liked this book. I really felt connected to the characters in both ways, however at the end I was super irritated with the way it ended. I felt like the author just gave up and said there you go.

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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

Definitely Different

had trouble starting this book..thought it was too weird ..decided to stay with it..glad I did.
Many twists & turns..plot changes constantly

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

Psycho bitch

Truly a study into a dysfunctional marriage. Nick naïve and gullible and Amy definitely a psychopathic bitch. Amy is always at least 10 steps ahead of Nick. Which he feels he's betrayed her and doesn't treat her the way she deserves she set him up to make him look like he killed her. The cat and mouse game between Nick and Amy is the least of it. Is the cat mouse game she's played with so many people before Nick. It's how she think she's one in the end but somehow you get the feeling that Nick will come out on top but that's with the book ends. And extremely could read great narration good story. The movie while very good did not do this book justice. You get such a deeper look inside the heads of Nick and Amy. Well worth the credit you spend to get this book.

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

Good book; very entertaining.

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

The two narrators did a great job. You could almost put a face and personality with each of them. I give them 2 thumbs up.

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

There were times in the book where I just hated "Amy". Snotty little rich girl. But that's what made the story.

Any additional comments?

I would recommend this book to a friend.

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

Keep Listening

If you're just starting this book, its a tad slow. But...keep listening--at least until you get to Part II. I won't give anything away, but it is worth the wait. I still haven't finished the book but now, instead of being a way to pass the time, I look forward to listening. Hang in there! Its worth it!!

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

Perfect timing on the plot twist

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

I liked it - the 2 voices for the characters were great and they did a great job voicing the other characters in their naration.

What did you like best about this story?

Loved that the plot twist came just about when my interest started waning.

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

Seriously tied. Julia's was a bit tougher of a role, but enjoyed both.

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

Intense, dark. , exciting.. Then a Dud!

Great story .. Terrific character development. Lots of twists. Great narration. But then. "Spoiler" Nick becomes spineless? Story goes flat. All characters go flat.. Author didn't even intend to set up for a sequel.. And there is none. It's like a rocket that just fizzled!

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

The readers were EXCELLENT!

What did you love best about Gone Girl?

Male and female readers filling the roles in the book.

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

Presumed Innocent because it has a similar interesting twist.

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

They became the character and made the story more interesting

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

Secrets between partners, a deadly choice.

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