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

Grabs You, Keeps You, Surprises You!

This one's a keeper. No wonder it's been on the best seller list so long! I was totally hooked, twisted around, compelled to keep listening. The readers were perfect; the story was original, and the writing was exceptional. I was sorry to hear it end.

Messed up...

This book was a great read/listen. I was hooked and interested in the characters rather quickly. I couldn't stop listening. 18 hr book done in 3 days. Would have listened faster if I could lol. I definitely recommend this psychological roller coaster. I'll definitely be looking into more books by this author too.

I couldn't stop listening!

Would you consider the audio edition of Gone Girl to be better than the print version?

Don't know. Haven't read the print version. The performance, however, was marvelous.

What did you like best about this story?

The psychological angles and unexpected turns.

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

Their own interpretation of the text, I assume.

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

Neither. I thought it was an intelligent and entertaining book, well written and well read. I was surprised and pleased with the insights into the relationships and personalities of the characters, and thought it a grabbing, smart, and very pleasurable book.

Any additional comments?

Nope.

Loved the story. The ending? Not so much.

Would you consider the audio edition of Gone Girl to be better than the print version?

For me, audio is the only version due to vision issues.

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

Yes, it was very engrossing. The character twists and turns really sucked you in.

Which scene was your favorite?

Nick's on-air appeal for his wife to return.

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

Really gone. In more ways than one.

Any additional comments?

Up until the end this book was engrossing. I was disappointed in the ending. The narrators, Julie Whelan and Kirby Heyborne did an excellent job!

Brilliantly crafted

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

It's hard to write about the book without spoiling it. This book is a fantastic mystery with many twists and turns. It is thoughtfully crafted and smartly designed. I couldn't stop listening. This book held my attention right up to the last line, where I felt like I was left hanging. I wanted the story to keep going; it felt unfinished. That being said, it is a great story and worth a read/listen.

Gone Girl say what?!

Would you consider the audio edition of Gone Girl to be better than the print version?

I wouldn't know, as I didn't try to read the print version of the book. In fact, I've only listened to all of Gillian Flynn's novels and haven't attempted reading any of them.

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

Well, considering I don't want to ruin anything for anyone, the twists in this plot are ridiculous. Nick and Amy's story is captivating and darkly twisted. The narrators were AMAZING.

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

No, but not because it wasn't amazing! I couldn't listen to it all in one sitting because after some of the plot twists, I just needed to take a break.

Any additional comments?

SUCH a good book, though I personally abhorred the ending. Gillian Flynn has a gift, I didn't know whether to love or hate Nick, and Amy was amazing.

Decent mind game

Would you try another book from Gillian Flynn and/or Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne ?

Definately Julia Whelan

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

n/a

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

I generally do not care for more than one speaker in the story but the mix of Ms. Whelan and Mr. Heybourne was very entertaining. Neither voice overpowered the other.

Was Gone Girl worth the listening time?

No.

Any additional comments?

Even though the details of this lengthy story were tied into the final outcome, there were too many slow parts to the book with regard to the drawn out investigation.

CRAZY TWISTED MINDS

CRAZY TWISTED MINDS THE WORLD HAS I LOVED IT
It had everything thing a crazy person wants and thinks about

Good book and refreshing writing style...

I did like this book, though I’m not sure it is quite worth all of the hype and the mountains of 5 star reviews it is receiving. The one characteristic of this author’s writing style that I really found appealing was her ability to reference so many pop culture events, etc. from her formative years. I’m guessing we are similar in age (41) because so many of them were extremely familiar and things I remember growing up. Many twists and turns in the book, and very interesting characters—that’s about all I can say without ruining the plot. The narration was adequate, though I’ve listened to other books with the same male narrator and scored them very low; the female voice was fine.

Suspense

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

YES.THIS BOOK HELD MY INTERET FROM BEGINNING TO END. GREAT STORY WITH TWIST AND TURNS.

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

BETTER VISUAL

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

WATCH YOUR BACK