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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: The Audible Essentials Top 100


The spirited (but friendly) debate over these titles could have gone on indefinitely. With years of listening, countless customer reviews, and a catalog of seemingly infinite great listens, 100 suddenly felt like a very small number. What we know for sure—each title that made it to this collection is elevated and made special in some way by audio, whether by a layered performance from a single narrator, a brilliantly cohesive full cast, original music, or immersive sound effects. Discover an audio experience for the ages.

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
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    34,612
  • 4 Stars
    15,987
  • 3 Stars
    5,268
  • 2 Stars
    1,814
  • 1 Stars
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Performance
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  • 3 Stars
    3,416
  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
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Story
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    30,678
  • 4 Stars
    13,370
  • 3 Stars
    4,957
  • 2 Stars
    1,874
  • 1 Stars
    1,580

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Very good

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

Top 5

Who was your favorite character and why?

Amy - her transition caught me completely by surprise

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

Both great - the characters were very well done, not over dramatic or dull

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

I read while driving and I was trying to find excuses to go on an errand!

Any additional comments?

Gillian Flynn is an excellent author, have also listened to other works by her and thought they were great as well

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Meh

I have heard that the movie was really good and the book was even better (as it always is). But the book was disappointing. I hope the movie is better. Maybe I just had too high of expectations.

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

What a trip!

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

This author totally had me from the get go. Great story. I like the contrast between the 2 narrators and I think that they did a good job reading this book. This was definitely a nail- biter. I would recommend.

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

Couldnt put it down!

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

This book is in my top 10 list of audio books and I listen to them all the time while commuting to and from work.

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Great story and performance, and

The story is not for the faint at heart. For me it put things in perspective, and made for some great entertainment. The multiple perspective narrative gave me both sides of the story in some cases, though it wasn't redundant. Thank you!!!

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Great Summer Read

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

Couldn't stop listening.

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

The 2 voices really made a difference in hearing the story.
I loved the way Julia said, "Amazing Amy."

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What a ride!

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

Unexpected, original, entertaining.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character shifted back and forth among practically everyone in the story.

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

I liked that each main character was read by a person of the same gender. I couldn't get Kirby Heyborne's voice to go with my mental picture of the main guy, but his actual reading was really good. I liked the way Julia Whelan's tone changed subtley as we got to know more about Amy.

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

Would have liked to. Too long to actually do, of course.

Any additional comments?

This is a very good, well-written novel. The thing I like the best was that as it progressed, I had to revise my attitude toward the characters. Whenever I thought "Aha!", it wouldn't be long until I thought, "Wait a minute . . ." and I would have to rethink that reaction. Twist and turn. Very clever writing.

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Surprise!

This audiobook was my first book away from the only author I ever read. I took the risk on this one and I am so glad I did. Loved the storyline- had me guessing in so many different spots. I can tell the author really thought the story through and had made sure everything would flow correctly. I've listened to this audiobook twice now and wouldn't change a thing. The narration was perfect. The actors fit the parts and I felt like I could see them while I was listening. This audiobook is perfect for the listener that likes twists and turns!

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Frustrating!

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No, I probably wouldn't because I just found it to be so frustrating! I hate the ending!

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

I thought that overall, the story was well-crafted, so I would definitely consider reading something else from Gillian Flynn.

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

I love how Julia Whelan's voice could go from good to evil.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Maybe, but only because I read the book ... I think I would also hope they would change the ending a little for the movie!

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Dark Absurdism

Short version: Give it a go. It's somewhat of crap shoot but you can do worse with a free credit.

The rest:
The first part of Gone Girl is an unflinching look at the nature of a relationship: people aren't perfect, and when they try to form a life together they bring their imperfections with them. It's a complete opposite of the happily ever after cliche, and it's done very well. Witty, insightful writing is complimented by two very capable narrators.

But as the mystery begins to unravel...so does the realistic treatment of the subject. Unbelievable characters are introduced, and the actions of the main characters go so far off the rails that it was hard to follow and impossible to identify with anyone in the book.

Yet, it wasn't necessarily bad. At its best, Gone Girl is an interesting commentary on the role of popular media in modern American culture. Its bit of worthwhile dark satire, and very enjoyable in a Bruce Campbell kind of way.

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