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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: We’re Booked—The Best Literature Podcasts for Every Bibliophile


Love everything books and literature? Of course, you do—that’s why you're here! Don’t worry, you’re in good company. If you're a book aficionado who loves chatting about literature with like-minded people, literature podcasts are the perfect addition to your listening lifestyle. There’s no shortage of great book podcast options to choose from. Here are just a few of the best literature podcasts, covering many different genres and styles of podcasting.

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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Story
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  • 3 Stars
    4,957
  • 2 Stars
    1,874
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    1,580

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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing story

Lots of twists and turns leaving the reader on the edge of their seat. A must read for anyone who likes mystery novels

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

Great book, such a fun read!

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

This is one of my all time favorites. What a great and creative book. Be kind to your spouse.... Jump in for a great ride.

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

Good plot pace, awful ending, awful characters

While the book was interesting enough and had enough momentum to finish, I was sincerely disappointed in the ending. It did not feel like the book was over. Why create such awful characters and invest readers in the story if it goes nowhere? Wonderful voice performance though.

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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

Interesting with a twist.

Many possible endings. Bet you don't guess correctly the first few times, stick with it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Riveting

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

I recommend this book to any person that can afford to do without a little sleep..I listen to audiobooks at night because I like having someone "read" me to sleep, but I was so fascinated by the story that I could not fall asleep! Even after turning it off for the night, my mind would race around the story trying to guess what came next until I finally turned it back on.

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

This was a plot that I absolutely could not figure out before the end...and that is rare for me, even in books I enjoy.

Any additional comments?

This author really knows how to create a story...hope they make it into a movie one day!

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

Yuck!

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I wish I could have the time back. This book had so much positive hype that I came in expecting a lot, maybe that was the issue. This book was so incredibly frustrating! It had a ton of twists and turns, it kept me guessing, but this book was terrible to me. I gave it an overall 3 star review because it is well thought out and well written, the story just didn't do a thing for me. 3 stars was generous, I wouldn't waste the credit.

What was most disappointing about Gillian Flynn’s story?

The ending was terrible

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A Must Read!!

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

This was a GREAT listen. From beginning to end it keeps your attention! The performers doing the readings were excellent and really brought the voices and thougths of characters to life. I'm not sure what more I can say besides you will not be disappointed!

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What a story

This was such a great listen, there were moments in this book where I was truly unable to sleep because I had to keep listening. The authors insight into the differences of the male and female psychosis was truly insightful. And if you like a story where you don't know what's going to happen next, you'll love this book.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Sooo good!

What did you love best about Gone Girl?

The twists in this book were unbelievable!

What did you like best about this story?

The truly sociopathic ways.

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

Amy

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

Part two of this was shocking.

Any additional comments?

Loved it!!

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I loved it... even the ending

What did you like best about this story?

*Spoiler Alert* So many people seemed disappointed in the ending, but I wasn't. How many times do you see situations where the devil you know is preferable to the one you don't? It may not personally be the way you would go, but I always find myself shaking my head at choices people make, which made this ending pretty realistic for me.

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