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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: Listening Well Is the Best Revenge—The Best Revenge Thriller Audiobooks


No one among us hasn't imagined what it would be like to right a wrong. And even though it's better to turn the other cheek, forgive, and forget, it's still fun to listen to fictional characters enact their revenge. If you need a balm for a slight you’re still seething over, we’ve created this handy list of the best revenge thriller audiobooks to add to your library. Whether you're rooting for the story’s hero or antagonist, these tales of revenge will have you glued to your seat.

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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This Book Has Been Kidnapped by Hype

What did you like best about Gone Girl? What did you like least?

I saw "the big twist" coming nearly immediately, and so while I liked that part the least, watching how the author would pick the threads out of that knot to form a nice yarn was entertaining.

If you’ve listened to books by Gillian Flynn before, how does this one compare?

I've listened to two other G. Flynn audiobooks. Both are worth reading more than this one.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

This is one of the first books I've listened to with more than one narrator, and I didn't altogether love that experience. Not only did it make it different to align with the internal picturescape that one naturally forms while reading, but it was... distracting. The female narrator overplayed the main role so far that she landed on caricature, looped around cartoonish, and shot back around to narrator under the power of her own unintentional irony.

Was Gone Girl worth the listening time?

Sure. It was entertaining, if transparent.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Twisting story line

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

I enjoyed the separate characters telling their side of the story. It made for an interesting read/listen.

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

They brought the book to life in their performance

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

At first the foul language was a little offensive and if I was reading this I could have mentally skipped over this, however when you are listening it blurts it out to you. Surprisingly this was part of the storyline, and it was effective and I got used to this being part of the characters. I just couldn't listen to it in the car with the kids. :(

Any additional comments?

Really liked the twisting plots. It kept my attention.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent

One of the best stories I have ever read/heard. Highly recommended, and watch the movie also - it's basically faithful to the book.

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

Ugh..the ending.

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

Yuck.

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

Thought the performance was excellent.

Any additional comments?

I found parts of the book to be pushy and some felt as if they were stuck there as an after thought when the author couldn't let them go. The end was a complete let down. I was waiting for witty and smart and got oh-hum.

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Would highly recommend - especially on audible

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

Yes. It was very captivating, one of those books that keep you up all night saying to yourself "only 30 more minutes" and you end up staying up all night.

Which scene was your favorite?

When you find out more about Amy's diary from her own voice.

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

Yes, but you won't get anything else done!

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend this book. The only thing I didn't like was that it clearly calls for a sequel. I like to know what I'm getting into with books. I don't like having to wait for the next book to be written.

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Amazing Amy

Loved the movie but the book is even better. The narrator for Amy was outstanding. She made me laugh out loud!!

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Crazy...

This book kept me thinking most of the time. It got me caught up in the emotions...all kinds of emotions. I really appreciate story lines that can effectively change your opinion about a character as the story progresses.

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Oh my gosh

This is the most twisted story I have every read! I love it Girl was gone in the head and never came back.😃😃 I will read this book over and over again

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Wow

Not at all what I was expecting....great book! Very recommended and look forward to her other books. Can't wait

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Could not put it down!

Would you listen to Gone Girl again? Why?

Yes. Such a great story with alot of twists

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

Yes. When you think you have it figured out you don't

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

The father

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

The ending.

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