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

Makes me glad for my normal, boring, life.

I spent the first half of the book disliking all the characters and thinking this was just a story about two people who never should have gotten married. I spent the last half thinking "how far will they go?" It was better than I thought it would be. Seriously messed up but engrossing. I think I can watch the movie now (which I had no desire to before).

Could Not Wait to Pick it Up Again

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

This is a wonderful audio book. It's a wonderful book period. But it unfolded before my eyes as I walked on my treadmill. i wouldn't allow myself to listen unless I was on the treadmill. I started walking over an hour each day! That's how good this book is.

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

There were so many unexpected things in this book. Usually I know just where the plot is going. This one is a shocker and it caused such strong emotions in me. I would talk back to the characters all the time, which startled my sleeping dog!

War of the Roses, had Stephen King written it!

Just finished Gone Girl for January 2013 Book Club - and it is the creepiest - creepy GOOD - book I have read in decades. Were I the author's husband, don't think I'd ever fully sleep soundly again. A woman who can craft the ingeniously evil marriage saga that Flynn does here is a woman to be approached verrrry carefully!

That being said, it took me FOREVER to get into this novel and I think it was the back and forth chapters between the two protagonists - husband Nick and wife Amy - that initially drove me crazy since the stories each told were so totally out of sync. But once the plot thickened - the way dried blood curdles - it was easier to follow.

The book will push your limits of believability that anyone - much less two twisted souls - could be that crazy or crazy-in-love or just plain twisted. Buckle your seat belts, readers, you are in for a WILD ride!

AMAZING - I will read the author's other works

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

Just by luck, I found a review in a magazine after I had purchased it here - by the advert here on Audible~
I do NOT regret this purchase in ANY way!~

Who was your favorite character and why?

I refuse to write more on the actual writings as I do not want to leave any HINTS,

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

I laughed, I cried, I yelled in anger, I curled up tighter in my chair as I listened.
I smiled and was sad as the last words were spoken.

Any additional comments?

I would gladly of listened for another 19 hrs.

Lifetime Original Movie on Acid

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

PsychoticPredictableUnsatisfying

Would you be willing to try another book from Gillian Flynn? Why or why not?

I'm not sure - I thought this book was really well presented. I felt like it was a predictable book that was pretending that it wasn't.

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

Bleaker, the cat.

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

This book really frustrated me. It did make me laugh at some parts - both at and with the book.

Any additional comments?

Despite my feelings on the story, I did feel that the audio book was well performed. I think that I would've been a lot more frustrated if I read the hardcover version.

Twists and turns

Any additional comments?

A great tale with unexpected twists and turns. After reading other reviews I had my sleuth hat on and anticipated most of the "surprises", but not all. Well done!

Disappointing

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

The story line was good and kept you interested.

Would you recommend Gone Girl to your friends? Why or why not?

No, I did not like the ending....as it felt ...undone

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

No

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

No

Any additional comments?

No

Great story with an unsatisfying ending

What did you love best about Gone Girl?

Gone Girl is a great story that is excellently narrated by it's two narrators. Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne bring the characters to life in a way that is seldom heard in audibooks. The story for the first 2 of 3 acts is gripping and keeps the reader wanting to learn more.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character had to be Nick. When you are immediately placed in his shoes you feel for the character but at the same time you question the behavior and motives that he may have, and you get a feeling that he isn't quite telling the audience all the information he has. This makes the character straddle the line of being likeable and unlikeable at the same time which makes him all the more compelling.

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

These two narrators are able to tell the same story in two different view points in a way that makes the reader see into the world Flynn has created with a different perspective. Both narrators bring the characters to life in a way that is seldom heard in audiobooks. Their delivery honestly makes you feel like you're watching a movie.

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

Most definitely, as the story progresses you can't help but continue to listen.

Any additional comments?

The only real issue that I had was the ending of the book is completely unsatisfying. You invest 18 hours into listening to only end up feeling let down by the end, while you get a resolution it's not what the audience hopes for, which is a shame because the rest of the book is incredibly well written. It feels that when you reach the last act Flynn has just tired of her own characters and ran out of steam. It was the equivalent of watching an Olympic 100 yard dash where the runners are going full steam for 90 yards and then all of a sudden at yard 91 they decide to stop and walk off the track. And the worst part is that the reader can see what is most likely going to happen when they reach 91st yard marker. Overall I enjoyed the book, I just wished for a stronger ending.

Great narration

I really enjoyed this book, the story wasn't water proof, but the narration was
the best I've heard yet!

Could not stop listening!

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

The realistic conversations and misunderstandings in communication between married people. Funny and shocking at the same time.

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

When the other woman was revealed.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved the change in tone and perspective when Amy starts being the real Amy.

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

Laughed out loud.

Any additional comments?

I keep going back over the story looking for clues and also wondering how the author made up this great plot.