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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: Listening Well Is the Best Revenge—The Best Revenge Thriller Audiobooks


No one among us hasn't imagined what it would be like to right a wrong. And even though it's better to turn the other cheek, forgive, and forget, it's still fun to listen to fictional characters enact their revenge. If you need a balm for a slight you’re still seething over, we’ve created this handy list of the best revenge thriller audiobooks to add to your library. Whether you're rooting for the story’s hero or antagonist, these tales of revenge will have you glued to your seat.

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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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Insane

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

I can't really determine that but I did enjoy the audio version

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

On the edge of my seat and ready to jump off a bridge. This book took very unexpected turns.

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

I listen to books at work, so I could never listen to in one sitting, but this book made me anxious to get to work again.

Any additional comments?

This story started out like the Laci and Scott Peterson story, so I hated the male role, but WOW Plot twist kept me on edge and unable to predict where this was going.

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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

I had a feeling where it was going....

Near the beginning of the story I had a feeling about what direction it might go... and, well, I was right.... I just didn't realize how far it was going to go in that direction...
Well performed and very well written.
Definitely recommend this book.

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

I couldn't stop listening!!!

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

Yes!! because it keeps you waiting on the edge of your seat!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Amy- she is a genius

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

they bring the story life!

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

Expect the unexpected

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Bad ending

What a terrible ending. I don't know if they are looking for a sequel or just non climactic endings. Great book until the last few minutes.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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Great story, bad narration

Really captivating story! I'm looking forward to read more from this author. I wasn't a big fan of the performance. I found both voices to be a little annoying, but maybe that was the point.

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One of the best

Would you listen to Gone Girl again? Why?

Yes, I will listen again in a year or two.

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

The last couple of lines made me howl with laughter, but the whole book was great.

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

Never listened to her books before.

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

I wasn't sure about the story and had a completely different reaction to the characters as the story unfolded. First, I didn't like Amy. Later I was on Amy's side. But THEN, bam, I figured out where the story was headed and was in complete shock. I couldn't put the book down. Toward the end I was sure I had the outcome all figured out, but I didn't. But seriously, the last two lines of the book made me laugh and howl with delight.

Any additional comments?

I recommend this book highly. I have listened to many audiobooks and this is one of the best so far. It was chilling with surprises at every turn. Look out Fatal Attraction, there's a new girl in town.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing book!

If you like psychotic characters and lots of twists and turns then this is the book for you. I never knew what was going to happen next and I couldnt put the book down!

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good until the end...which seems to be missing.

The book starts out incredibly slow and uneventful, but picks up steam until you're constantly wondering whodunnit. Both of the main characters are twisted in their own way and I wish she would have capitalized on that to make a better ending. She seems to just leave the story hanging without its last chapter.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Fascinating story...unsatisfying conclusion

An exquisitely crafted page turner. Reader's emotions swing wildly until the conclusion that makes you wish you wish for a different ending. Still strongly recommend it.

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amazing

loved it. amazingly told would love to see the next chapters in the amy and nick story. looking forward to more.

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