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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: We’re Booked—The Best Literature Podcasts for Every Bibliophile


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

Good story, bad language

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

Fascinating, scary, entertaining

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

I thought both of the readers did an amazing job. They were both very believable.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed the creativity of this author, although the story was really dark and kind of depressing. But the language was horrible. I would have enjoyed the story more if the language hadn't been so coarse. I think you can tell a great, even horrifying story without so much profanity.

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

Sadistic!!

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would have liked to see a certain character screw up a little bit!!

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

I would have tried to put in a mistake that psycho wouldnt have thought about and let that character being completely taken by surprise by it and in a public setting

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

Kirby's and Julia's performances were brilliant and a bright spot to the story, when the 2nd part of the book started it sent me to the floor as they had me picturing something totally different. It reminded me of the book called the Collector and intill you see the point of view from someone else you actually start feeling for the psycho

Did Gone Girl inspire you to do anything?

Recheck my wifes background!!!

Any additional comments?

This stroy deserves a five I just wanted it to end differently, but it ended as it should have and it's psychological insights were scary. We do put on a different character thoose first years of marriage, and as the divorce rate suggests when that facade is gone most marriages can't handle it. Are we always pretending. Amys quote that love should have conditions will haunt me for a long time to come

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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

Wow

Could there be any more of a f'ed tale? Awesome narration and performance. Highly recommend.

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

Love to hate these characters!

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

The story is complex, but fantastic! I thought the narrators did a great job portraying all of the characters.

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

I just loved that I couldn't anticipate the next twist! I thought I had it all figured out at one point, and then... nope - you're wrong.

Which scene was your favorite?

That would be giving away too much. :)

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

It made me want to hug my husband and hope that our 5 year anniversary doesn't unfold that way.

Any additional comments?

Check this book out - it was a great story with substance. Still "light enough" for a great beach read/listen.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Scary!

An exploration of the mind of a very frightening psychopath and her victim. Just like a huge spider playing with its next meal. A more vicious remake of Scarlett O'Hara. I hope there is not a sequel; it would be too troubling to read I almost feel like throwing up. Poor Nick.

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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

A Great Adventure

This was a great buy for me. I was in the mood for a suspense thriller mystery who done it. and every review compared the books that I was looking at in the genre to this one so i gave it a try. and nearly listened to it straight through, it was supposed to last me the week but I couldn't stop listening.

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

Entertaining

A bit predictable in places but very addicting to see through to the end.

Her style and voice is fun and I'm getting another book of hers.

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Great story!

I did like the narrators. Even though the voice for nick I was expecting to be a bit deeper? Just my opinion and preference. The beginning was a bit hard to keep up with because the timeline jumped back and forth but give it a few chapters. You'll catch on. It's worth it!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Riveting!

Would you listen to Gone Girl again? Why?

I would listen to Gone Girl again. The plot was so clevery laid out, which would make listening again a real pleasure even though you would know the ending.

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

Yes! I was certain at one point that a particular character would somehow play a pivotal role in the resolution. How wrong I was. Even the ending was unexpected and unusual.

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

I felt like the voices gave me a feeling for whoeach character really was.

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

I would have loved to keep listening to this book until the end; however, it is quite lengthy and that would be quite difficult.

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

18 hours flew by!

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

The narrators were amazing! I thought at one point it was more than 2

Which scene was your favorite?

Too many to choose just one

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