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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
    34,604
  • 4 Stars
    15,983
  • 3 Stars
    5,266
  • 2 Stars
    1,814
  • 1 Stars
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Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    35,201
  • 4 Stars
    12,100
  • 3 Stars
    3,416
  • 2 Stars
    924
  • 1 Stars
    742
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    30,672
  • 4 Stars
    13,367
  • 3 Stars
    4,957
  • 2 Stars
    1,874
  • 1 Stars
    1,580

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

SO good!

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

Top 5 audiobooks of all time (if I count the Harry Potter series as one book. HA!).

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

The chapter that starts with her narrating! The moment you realize that she isn't dead!! I screamed and almost drove off the road!!!

Which scene was your favorite?

When the husband walks into the shed and finds of the purchased goods and realizes that 100% he's been framed.

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

Yes. Absolutely.

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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

Edge of your seat thriller

This was a fantastic, edge of your seat, nail biting thriller! I kept guessing and getting it wrong, then right through out the whole book. Just when you think you've figured it out, a twist throws you totally off. Then you have that "ah ha" moment when you feel like, I knew it! Was awesome right up until. . . . . the terrible, worst ending ever!! I was so angry I wanted to smash my kindle!! That being said, as much as I hated the ending, if a book evokes those kind of emotions (even if they're not good emotions) you know it's a great read.

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

OMFG

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

The author knows what a woman goes through to catch a man. I'm only half way through but oh my gracious.

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

The day of ... Amy

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

Intonations and expirience

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Amy explains it all to you

Any additional comments?

Dont want to spoil anything but being 52 years old but I've been Amy and Andi and Go.

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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.... rushed ending

What did you like best about this story?

Amy's diary.

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

Julia does a superb job! I love the way the she reads in different tones for all of "Amy's characters" while still being recognized as Amy.

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

Not for the first two parts, you need a little time to think about what has happened and appreciate how clever this book is.

Any additional comments?

I demand a re-write for the end. That just sucked! The story was so detailed so many twists, so unpredictable. You couldn't even guess what was coming next. Then the third part... rush rush rush. It felt like Ms. Flynn was told she had to fit 25,000 words into a 1000 word essay. The end could have been so much better had there been more substance to it. I guess she left an opening for another book, maybe. I just couldnt believe that was it.

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

Kept me guessing

Never, while listening to this book, was I sure I had the mystery figured out. I found myself swinging wildly between belief and skepticism. Even at the very end, I was stunned by the outcome.
Although I found the narrators' voices somewhat annoying, having the characters represented with gender-correct readers added to the book's authenticity. I rarely take time from my day to sit just to listen to a book, but this one kept me doing just that.
I'm glad I bought this book in the audible format, because I think I'd have had trouble resisting sneak peeks to learn what was coming. Since I was forced to wait in suspense, the novel kept me spellbound.
I'm in awe of Gillian Flynn's ability to mess with the reader's mind!

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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

Hooked!

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

This book started off slow for me, then I was hooked. Truly splendid twist(s). Highly recommened.

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

Revenge is a four letter word.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Even better than the movie

The voice actors are amazing and they sell the excellent story. I would recommend to everyone.

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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

loved it!

I loved most of this book with exception of Amy who wrote quizzes for a living so this was a common thing throughout the book when she was trying to make a point she'd turn it into a quiz. Very annoying. The story itself was good, with turns I didn't see coming and that's why I rated it 4 stars.

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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

Engaging

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

Well written mystery

Who was your favorite character and why?

Amy

Which scene was your favorite?

Telling his story in bar

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I realized this could be any couple not really knowing each other

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Edge of seat listening

Brilliant! This was the best ever in the mantra of being "one step ahead." I love hearing both sides female and male voices. It brought me right into the characters.

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