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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: Hang On to Every Last Word of These Romantic Suspense Listens


Who says romance has to be all sweet and cuddly? Mystery and suspense romance books force the protagonists to wade through personal trials, physical dangers, and all manner of other terrors to earn their happily ever after. We've gathered a list of pause-resistant listens where the romance is exciting and the suspense is intimate. Each of these suspenseful romances make for the perfect escape whenever and wherever your life needs a little extra spice.

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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Disturbing and delightful

This book is full of things I love. Dark intelligent flawed characters, unapologetic insights, and superb narration. It's neurotic attention to detail about societal expectations was dizzyingly accurate.

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Very similar to the movie, it fills in all the missing details, I really enjoyed it!!

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Not for me

I was really excited to listen to this book and came into it expecting a great mystery/thriller. While there were elements of that in the book, it was not really what the book was about. For me, both of the main characters were extremely unlikeable, and the story really ended up boiling down to trying to one up each other in terms of how much they could be terrible to/ruin the other's life. I stuck with it through the entire thing because I did want to hear how it turned out in the end, and that ended up being by far the most frustrating part. It seemed like the writer had worked out exactly the story she wanted to tell up until that point and then just stopped trying and gave up. The narrators were both pretty good, but they did struggle a bit with voicing the other gender. I know there are some people who just love this book, but it really ended up not being the type of thing I enjoy reading/listening to.

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The Bad Seed Grows Up

This is a well written book. It could almost be the story of The Bad seed as an adult. Not for the faint of heart.

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Great narrators, amazing story.

Shortly after the book to its genre to effect, I was spellbound by the progression of the events, the story telling done by each character, and the excellent reading by the narrators. Finished it in 3 days.

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Sickening!!!

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Most definitely the ending. Nick might not have been the greatness husband every, but even he did not deserve that horrific ending. Why does Amy get to be the winner?!

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

Probably, I mean why not? However, I do have to admit I mostly only want to read a follow-up book to Gone Girl. For closure purposes.

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

Although, I loved both Julia and Kirby's performances, I however did not care for any of the characters. Especially, Nick and Amy, those two were like the symbolism for vampires and werewolves. Both have there pros and cons, one being cleverly smart, right for wanting justice, however completely psychotic. The other being clumsy, rough around the edges, and overall wanting to be like the other but failing each time.

Do you think Gone Girl needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

YES! I literally cannot repeat that enough. Nick and Amy's story needs to overall be resolved. Amy needs to be brought down, especially for the sake of their child. Who knows what will become of him.

Any additional comments?

Dear Gillian Flynn,

Follow-up Book Please!!!

Sincerely,
Young Adult Reader

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Dark, dramatic, and dangerous!

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

Highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a guilty pleasure with endless suspense.

What did you like best about this story?

Twists and turns, and mind games like no other!

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Excellent narrators

The story was ok, probably a bit overhyped , but quite cleverly written. I enjoyed the choice of narrators. Worth listening to:)

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Great plot

It took me some time to get used to the narration but after that I loved it. Great plot and narration

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What a mind-bender!

I don't usually read main-stream fiction/crime genre but this book changed my mind about the genre - it was awesome! I can't wait for the movie.

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