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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


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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
    34,603
  • 4 Stars
    15,982
  • 3 Stars
    5,266
  • 2 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    30,671
  • 4 Stars
    13,366
  • 3 Stars
    4,957
  • 2 Stars
    1,874
  • 1 Stars
    1,580

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

Great narration

I really enjoyed this book, the story wasn't water proof, but the narration was
the best I've heard yet!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Could not stop listening!

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

The realistic conversations and misunderstandings in communication between married people. Funny and shocking at the same time.

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

When the other woman was revealed.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved the change in tone and perspective when Amy starts being the real Amy.

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

Laughed out loud.

Any additional comments?

I keep going back over the story looking for clues and also wondering how the author made up this great plot.

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

Wow

What a twisting turning plot... and I loved every minute of it. Once started it was hard to put down. Liked the way the narration/story went back-and-forth between characters. Narrators did an excellent job. Highly recommend.

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

Twist after twist

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

Great story that keeps you guessing. I liked having 2 narrators too. And they both did a great job!!

What did you like best about this story?

The twists!

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

I don''t want to give anything away. But I liked both narrations.

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

I couldn't stop listening. Normally, I listen only at work. This one had me listening to and from work, at home, at the store, on walks... :)

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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

Good Read...

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

The alternating narrators made the characters more relatable.

Who was your favorite character and why?

They were all awful in their own way!

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

Amy was the more complex character. As her personality disorder is slowly revealed you question your own sanity a little.

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

Fantastic Book!

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

You'll never guess!

What other book might you compare Gone Girl to and why?

Not sure.

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

All were really good.

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

If you think you know what is really going on, guess again!

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

What happens next?

The ending sucked, left u hanging and waiting to hear what happened to them. Does she ever get caught, do they end up happy, what happens to the baby. I mean left so unanswered questions. Good overall

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it!

I loved the book! it was amazingly written and performed. I will definitely read/hear more books of the author.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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GREAT STORY, but the language?

I loved the story, the characters,the plot the twists everything. But I did not enjoy the extreme vulgar language.

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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

Fun read

Any additional comments?

This was a fun read. It was a good mystery novel. It kept my interest. It was light listening though compared with some
More intense novels of this genre.

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