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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: Whodunit Whizzes—A Shortlist of the Best Mystery Authors


Who doesn't love a good mystery? Listening to mystery audiobooks is a great way to feel some semblance of order in an often chaotic world. The clues are there for you to solve along, and by the end, it will all come together in an incredibly satisfying manner. There’s a formula to the genre, sure, but the best mysteries still surprise you and often subvert expectations. These mystery writers take the genre to a new level. Here's our pick of their best listens.

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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    34,696
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    5,290
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful suspense book

Enjoyed the plot of the story
Gotta go check out the movie now with Ben Affleck.
Great book to read

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

Great

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

Quite a ride!

What did you like best about this story?

The switch from his story to hers.

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

Everything, they were both great.

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

Probably something more exciting than I could think of.

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

narration rocked!

What did you love best about Gone Girl?

I loved that i couldn't wait to hear more.

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

It had me thinking one way in the beginning and a total change by the end.

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

The readers were fantastic! I love a girl for a girl and a guy for a guy, but they made the story! They were each so good at fostering their character!

Any additional comments?

I recommend the story and the narrators.

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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

Knew the Plot Twist Yet was Still Entertained

I watched the movie several years ago so I knew about spoilers and what not, but it was still an entertaining read. I wish during the Amy parts where Nick is speaking the voice actor for Nick would speak and vice versa I found that a bit distracting when the Amy voice tried to pull off Nick and Nick tried to pull off sounding like Amy. but besides that God story, such a page Turner, well written and read

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Everything was perfect except for one thing so 4* on story

What a nail biter, page turner etc. what in the world will Amy do next? The tension is real, your dislike of Amy and Nick goes back and forth, hate her, no, hate Nick, now.... both! Perfect production. Narrations had you feeling you "know" Amy and Nick. Sadly, I HATED the ending! Lol, bet I'm not the only one! This NEEDS a sequel!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Despicable Characters Make for Delightful Listenin

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

I suspect I would be more willing to listen to this story than to have read it.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Wanted more and more, until the ending.

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

It's a good listen, narrated by both male and female voices.

What did you like best about this story?

It's intricate and dark.

Have you listened to any of Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Haven't heard them before, but they are talented.

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

Pay attention or else.

Any additional comments?

No.

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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

EXCELENT!!

Would you listen to Gone Girl again? Why?

Yes I would! it was Great!

What did you like best about this story?

I liked all the twists and turns this book made! It was a great read!

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

I liked both! you had to admire the smarts and intelligence Amy had! and you fell maddly in love with Lance! :)

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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

Author did a great job...loved this book...

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

Crazy, exciting, amazing...

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

When Amy came back. Even I wanted to strangle her, she is soo crazy and over the top.

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

Performance was some of the best i've heard so far, great job...

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

When Nick found out Amy was really pregnant. The manipulation that Amy puts Nick through is just crazy, but he’s also just as crazy because he stayed with her. Although, at the end I felt that Nick was a puppet stuck in a box, an Amy box.

Any additional comments?

Overall great book and great performance.

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

A love story for the era

What did you love best about Gone Girl?

I enjoyed the smart writing in this book... the brutal honesty, the character portrayals, and the interesting plot. It kept my interest. Also, the performances are first-rate.

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked when Amy described what it was to be a "Cool Girl."

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

Ultimately, this book was upsetting. In Amy and Nick's world, raw intelligence is more important than morals, virtue, and goodness. Amy and Nick do not think that their actions reflect who they are. They have no concept of sin.

Any additional comments?

The book is very thought-provoking. It's cleverness, combined with morally repugnant subject matter, reminded me of Lolita. High praise, I know!

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