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

Definitely a Cliff Hanger

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

Beware... the language throughout is pretty foul, to an excess I thought. Just not necessary. But I would recommend to people who I knew wouldn't be offended.

What did you like best about this story?

The constant twists and turns were great. The characters really evolved well throughout the story.

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

No, they were terrific!

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

No, I needed breaks. Again the language was really over the top to listen to aloud.

Gripping story, great performance

Would you listen to Gone Girl again? Why?

While I really liked this book, I don't think I'd listen to it again - a big part of my enjoyment was wondering what would happen next. That said, the narration was simply excellent, so it wouldn't be bad to have an encore listen.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked how the author really made me love then hate different characters at different points throughout the book.

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

Fantastic narration and pitch perfect emotions. The narrators made a good book great.

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

There were many points where I could really relate to the characters - I really liked that. Then there were points that were so crazy, I couldn't believe it. Fun ride!

A fun twist

What did you love best about Gone Girl?

It actually really took my be surprise. I love when a story does that and takes you to an unexpected place instead of just following a formula.

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

Yes. I kept wondering how the next part was going to play out. I didn't see the middle or the end coming!

BUY THIS BOOK! DO NOT HESITATE!

Would you listen to Gone Girl again? Why?

YES! This is now in my "BOOKS TO LISTEN TO AGAIN" folder. So complex and constantly entertaining that I look forward to listening again down the road (of time)

This book has more twists and turns than any I have heard in a very long time. It's exciting, interesting and entertaining all the way through. The only disappointment was the end ... BECAUSE it ended!

I'm now going to go check out the authors other books. I can only hope that her earlier work is close to this one. If so, I will be very pleased indeed! GREAT JOB AUTHOR! GREAT JOB NARRATOR!

Couldn't stop listening

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

I have already recommended it to several friends. It starts out so innocently, and then the layers peel back and you realiz all is not as it seems.

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

Absolutely! I listen to audio books in my car since I travel for my job. I rarely bring one in the house to continue listening, but this one I had to. It seemed like every chapter brought another twist and turn, and I could NOT wait to see what happened next,

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

No, I have not.

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

It was, but of course I couldn't. I did finish it in pretty record time though.

Any additional comments?

I cannot stop thinking about the psychological aspects of this book. I just really loved it,

Dark and Good

Would you listen to Gone Girl again? Why?

I enjoy Gillian Flynn's dark, disturbing writing and the narrators did a fantastic job. Just fantastic.

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

I've never listened to anything with these narrators but they made the characters come alive for me. I think it added to the story quite a bit.

Any additional comments?

I did feel that the ending was too drawn out and that made it feel anticlimactic. However, I do love Flynn's way of writing unlikable characters.

Best Book I've heard in a long time

OMG, this was one terrific book. The story as it wound in and out and around the characters of Nick and Amy was as intricate as the fabled Gordian knot. This is far more than the story of a marriage. The psychopathology of both Nick and Amy will remind you of people you know - or maybe it will remind you of a long forgotten episode in your own life (although yours is probably not as involved). I simply can't say any more without ruining the story, and as Sweeney Todd would say "What happened now, well that's the play, and he wouldn't want you to give it away". Just listen to the book. And plan on spending a lot of sleepless nights until you finish it!

LOVED.

I loved to hate the characters in this book! Instantly this became one of my all time favorite stories...I don't want to give anything away for those who haven't read it, but there isn't one character in this story I liked at the end of it. Gillian Flynn has a knack for creating amazingly broken characters and weaving together a fast moving mystery.

Highly recommended, to anyone.

Hard to say something about it without spoilers

The book makes you love and hate the characters through the story, make you anxious about the next chapter, the next twist. It's a great story for sure and very well wrote. It's dark, intriguing and has a great narration. But trying to not spoil much, I just want say that the ending was disappointing, a total anticlimax.

I was surprised

Would you listen to Gone Girl again? Why?

I wouldn't listen to the book again because it’s a very dense story. But that’s not a bad thing.

Any additional comments?

I just bought it because it was a best seller. I didn't even read the review or any description of the book. I was surprised. It was a good listen, especially because of the two narrators. I’m not found of certain books read entirely by the same person. I was also reading the book when I had the time and that’s when It was very clear that what I felt for the story was being influenced by the audio. In a good way. I got addicted to the audio and written book sync.