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

Very good performance

This storyline kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the style is storytelling.

I loved it

It certainly kept me guessing about what the ending would be. The performance is great, kudos to the voice actors. They really brought this book to life.

a must read, or listen

AMAZING. Not what i expected at all. I've seen the trailer for the movie but had no idea this is what the book was about. If you can, go into this book blind. It kept me wondering the entire time even till the last chapter

Loved the start, hated the end.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The end was a major let down. I had two really juicy theories about how it was going to go, and they were both better than the non event that was the actual ending

What could Gillian Flynn have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

There are at least 2 ways to end this novel that are appropriately poetic, inevitable, and character defining. and frankly those are just what I could come up with, I figured the author would have something even better up her sleeve. not so apparently.

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

Amy was very well performed. The narrator captured her many sides very well.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

no

Any additional comments?

The beginning was so intriguing I loved the dual perspectives and the emphasis that it's the little things that drive a wedge between people. Small acts and how they are perceived are what make up every single day and every single interaction.

Interesting Storyline

The plot was fresh - not something I have read dozens of times before and the twists and turns were unexpected and interesting. I also really enjoyed the format; one character speaking from their perspective, then going to the other, then back to the first, and so forth. The inflections and tone interjected by the two people reading added another dimension to the story that I really enjoyed. At times, I laughed out loud at the way something was said or at the barb intended for the other person in the book.

I listened to the book over two days while I was painting the exterior of our home. I am not a fan of painting and the time went more quickly because the book kept me engaged. I would have given the book 5 stars across the board, except that the last three hours gravitated in a direction that seemed more twisted and less plausible; like the author was trying to find a graceful way to end the story. While I will admit that the ending had some cleverness to it, it just left me wanting something different.

Wow! Just wow!

Would you listen to Gone Girl again? Why?

Yes, I would most certainly read this novel again! There are so many tricks and turns! It's incredibly entertaining!

What other book might you compare Gone Girl to and why?

That's tough. I liked it as well as I like the Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child "Pendergast" series. They weave a thought-provoking tale that twists and turns from the very first page.

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

Whelan and Heyborne maintain character from beginning to end. They're believable and easy to listen to for hours on end.

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

Surprise and laughter more than anything.

Any additional comments?

This is certainly not a "beach read," but it isn't so deep that you need a lot of background knowledge either.

One of the best books of the year

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

This story was captivating for the many layers and plot twists. The characters are not very likable but are compelling and in the end you find yourself sympathetic. Do people complete each other in other than positive ways? Nick and Amy are somewhat frightening in how they grow to understand each other. The narration was fantastic and a great way to experience the story.

Wow how crazy was that

What did you love best about Gone Girl?

It is a book that you keep wanting more from, will there be revenge, does he figure out his wife's mind, is he really a bad husband. The whole book is so twisted you cant put it down.

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

This book is so twisted you cant pick one particular moment, soon as you finish one chapter your struck with something new so for me to pick one would be hard.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

I don't feel that he was able to give Nick true character. Nick was from Missouri and I didn't get that from him, and he really kind of had no feeling to his reading.

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

Yes this book is such a rollercoaster of lies and betrayal that you just want to see where the author is going with it.

Any additional comments?

This book has gotten many mixed reviews I was hesitate to buy it, but when it went on sale I figured why not give it a try. I'm glad I did, I just hope the author will release a sequel to it because your left at the end with the feeling of really that's it .

An exciting psychological thriller

Loved it. It's subtle nuances of suburbia and middle-class myth tucked inside a black widow's web of deceptions.

Ending was a let down

I really enjoyed this book even though there was a lot of negativity in the characters. I like her style of writing, and have downloaded "Sharp Objects".