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Gone Girl  By  cover art

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

Average customer ratings
Overall
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    34,616
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  • 3 Stars
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Story
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

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

Interesting and full of twists and turns

Flynn's tale about Amy and Nick and what happens on their 5th wedding anniversary is full of twists and turns that will keep you on your toes. Written from each perspective, it is impressive how Flynn so fully speaks from Amy's perspective one moment, and then quickly jumps to Nick's.

There is quite a bit of foul language, so those sensitive to that should use caution in choosing this book.

The audio version is outstanding, with male and female narrators for Nick and Amy. The different voices add to the story and the narrators do an excellent job.

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

Slow start...but wow!

What did you love best about Gone Girl?

It was so clever...every step of the way....

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

I was hanging on the edge of my seat during the second half of the book. Just waiting to hear more of what she did and how she did it.

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

They both did a great job

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

Not at first...

Any additional comments?

This book was really slow during the first 1/3...but then...wow! I'm so glad I hung in there - it was well worth it. Great story. I'm a little disappointed at the way it ended...I guess I'm just very vindictive :)

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

Dropped Me

What did you like best about Gone Girl? What did you like least?

I enjoyed that we heard both sides of the story.

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

Not sure as I was truly let down by the end

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

I believe the narrators did an excellent job and captured the personalities of the characters.

Was Gone Girl worth the listening time?

Yes TIL I reached the end!!! It's like foreplay with no climax

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

Great 'til the end

What did you love best about Gone Girl?

the twists. I changed what I thought of the characters many times

Who was your favorite character and why?

Amazing Amy - never knew what was coming next

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

Good book terrible ending

This book starts slow, but heats up about a third of the way through and I couldn't stop listening. The ending almost ruined the book for me. It left me mad for days, hell I'm still a little pissed over it.

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

Gone girl

It took me a while to finally get into the story. It seemed to start slow. I hated the ending.

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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

So twisted!!!

Great book. Interesting story line, the ending was not the best in my opinion but again is my opinion. Great read overall!

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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

What a roller coaster of a story!

Any additional comments?

Fabulous! The first part of the book was a bit tedious but it sets the foundation for the roller coaster. Its the chug chug chug up the incline and then BAM you tip over the top and WOW! Perfectly done.

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

Until the Very the End

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

Yes, I was interested in this story and enjoyed the twists an turns along the way. I do not usually write reviews but after listening to this story I left so flat that I just had to say something. I really enjoyed this crazy book so I gave it a good rating, the end felt forced and just blah to me.

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

Yes, I listened to this story every spare moment and I really liked it until the end.

Any additional comments?

I won't spoil the end of the book by sharing it. I just thought the book was leading up to something big but it didn't.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

a must read

This is my first time reading anything by this author. I loved the flow of the story was nice.

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