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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: Best Audiobooks to Listen to While Working Out


Need to motivate yourself to work out more? We've all heard that exercise is good for the body, and reading is good for the mind and soul. But knowing these facts doesn't increase the number of hours in the day. Maybe you can eke out a little time for one activity but not the other. Or maybe you are looking for something to motivate you to get those steps in. Why not download a great audiobook and get lost in a listen while breaking a sweat?

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
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    34,614
  • 4 Stars
    15,987
  • 3 Stars
    5,268
  • 2 Stars
    1,814
  • 1 Stars
    1,494
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    35,210
  • 4 Stars
    12,102
  • 3 Stars
    3,416
  • 2 Stars
    924
  • 1 Stars
    742
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    30,681
  • 4 Stars
    13,369
  • 3 Stars
    4,957
  • 2 Stars
    1,874
  • 1 Stars
    1,580

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

Fun

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

Just plain fun

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

I can't write without spoiling the book.

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

The wife.

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

Good question - I do not know.

Any additional comments?

A must read.

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

Riveting

I don't use that word lightly. I've stopped listening to audio books that didn't keep me interested, and this one literally kept me riveted to my headphones. Kirby Heyborne is great as Nick, his narration is truly what makes this book so listenable. He uses a variety of different voices for the different characters he voices, and a few times I thought to myself that it was yet a third narrator, but no, it's just the remarkably versatile voice of Heyborne. Julia Whelan is excellent as well, and definitely conveys the dark side of her character convincingly. The story with it's twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat and scratching my head as to how Flynn was going to convincingly pull all the threads back together. The four stars for the story is because I wanted a different resolution to the story...I wanted justice. But ultimately, the ending is in keeping with the events and feel of the book. If you enjoy a dark psychological thriller with characters that are more like real people with multiple dimensions both good and bad, I highly recommend "Gone Girl". You will not be disappointed.

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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

Great Story - Awful Language

Great story - very unpredictable. It kept me reading, although at times I was tempted to quit. I still don't understand why writers feel they need to fill their word count with the f-bomb. This one does it way too much. Totally unneccesary since the overall story is good. If you don't get offended by language, its a good book and I recommend it.

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

Gone Girl

did not care for this book. too predictable,. Girl on the train much better read!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Audio Book

I watched this movie first and did not like it. I appreciated the artistry of the story, but I could never suspend my disbelief. Maybe knowing how the plot unfolds helped me while listening...I don't mind spoilers. I don't think that's it, though. The audio version of the book feels real. The narrators bring the characters to life. I'm glad a friend convinced me to give the book a try because it's easily one of my favorites of the year.

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

It was alright

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Yes. The storyline. It was an intriguing topic with a lot of potential but very anticlimactic.

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

Probably not. Her story was engaging in that you thought it was building up to something...but it wasn't. kKnd of a let down. Probably indicative of her other work.

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

Yes. They are good performers.

Did Gone Girl inspire you to do anything?

Find another book to listen to...

Any additional comments?

Not overly impressed.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Review of Gone Girl

What did you like about this audiobook?

Yes, excellent story with surprise ending! I would definitely recommend this audiobook to my Book club friends.

How has the book increased your interest in the subject matter?

No

Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does he achieve this?

Yes, by weaving both person's story together.

What did you find wrong about the narrator's performance?

Nothing

Do you have any additional comments?

No

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

Great summer read!

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

n/a

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

Once I was into the book, I couldn't stop listening! At night, I stayed up wondering what Nick would do... What Amy would say... I finished it yesterday, and I can't stop thinking about it!

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

n/a

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

Yes! Too long to do in one sitting, but I made the time. Great for a road trip - you really do lose a sense of time while reading this!

Any additional comments?

Loved the way the readers said the transitions POV in the mood of the entry that followed. For example, if Nick was upset, he said his name with that same attitude. Really made them feel like the actual characters, as opposed to just speakers.

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

Great story but ...

Any additional comments?

I liked listening to the book and It got my attention all the time but I was very disappointed by the ending of the story. It doesn't make sense to me.

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

Great Story But Not So Great Ending

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

Yes, the voice acting was amazing!

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I thought the ending although keeping with the book was kind of a lame. I think the Author took the easy way out. I'm conflicted, although I see where she's coming from I didn't think it had the gravitas required to make folks satisfied with the ending.

Any additional comments?

The book is a good read but some may be disappointed with the ending, I know I was. That being said I would recommend.

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