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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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    34,697
  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
    5,290
  • 2 Stars
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    30,752
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  • 3 Stars
    4,971
  • 2 Stars
    1,882
  • 1 Stars
    1,584

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

Terrible ending.

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

Interesting twists with disappointing ending. No payoff.

Has Gone Girl turned you off from other books in this genre?

I don't understand the fuss & great reviews? No more Flynn for me.

What didn’t you like about Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne ’s performance?

Readers read what the writers write. Poor conclusion.

Could you see Gone Girl being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Made one mistake, Won't make another watching it.

Any additional comments?

Again, awful, disappointing & unsatisfactory anti climax.

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

Very well written an read - can't listen with kids

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

Marriage from Hell

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

Yes - I knew what the end result would have to be but I wanted to see how the author got us there- clever

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

Don't Know

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

Yes

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

Entertaining, but draining

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

Yes, although I don't think Kirby Heyborne personified Nick's character enough for me. Nick sounds like an "all American" handsome jock type, but Kirby's voice didn't do it for me.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I enjoyed the character development in this novel. The main characters were very authentic and flawed, fun to listen to. It was very suspenseful and entertaining. I continually speculated about the ending, but wasn't successful in predicting the outcome, as it took some interesting turns. I love books that have different perspectives. Although the story was solid, I found that it was a bit long. Wen it ended, I felt somewhat drained because it took so much energy to follow the details and the ending was sad.

Was Gone Girl worth the listening time?

Yes because of the creativity of the story line and the characters.

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

full of suspence and unanswered questions!

I couldn't put it down. I was not happy when the questions I had come up didnt get answered. The end is a little open and left up to me to stew with. Story was awesome.

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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

Better than the Movie (as usual)

I broke my own rule and listened to this book after seeing the movie. While there were some obvious spoilers, I still enjoyed the details and thought process of Nick and Amy immensely.

Great storytelling from a twisted mind!

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

Wow! I was not disappointed! Very talented author!

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

.

What did you like best about this story?

No one thing.

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

.

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

Yes I found myself lost in the book and realized that I had stopped doing what I had been doing while listening- multi-tasking. I was sitting there staring at the wall completely engrossed.

Any additional comments?

Any other readers with suggestions of more selections like this please clue me in!

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

Entertaining

it was an entertaining read, one that kept me coming back for more. the characters were awful, which made the book pretty hard to relate to, but made it easier to enjoy as a spectacle. the narration was pretty great, only a few times did I have trouble distinguishing characters, but context easily cleared that up.
All in all, I would recommend this book.

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

Amazing!

This book was so thrilling and I could not stop listening. These characters are so different from any others I've read about. They are tragically each others best self and each others downfall.

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

SLOW AT FIRST BUT ULTIMATELY BRILLIANT!

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

AFTER THE FIRST FEW CHAPTERS IT WAS HARD TO STOP.....

Who was your favorite character and why?

MOST, IF NOT ALL, OF THE CHARACTERS WERE DESPICABLE AND INCREDIBLY FLAWED HUMAN BEINGS......TO BE ABLE TO PAINT SUCH A PICTURE, THOUGH, IN WORDS, IS BRILLIANT.

Which scene was your favorite?

IN HINDSIGHT, THE WHOLE BOOK. BUT, THE FIRST FEW CHAPTERS, NOT KNOWING WHAT EXACTLY WOULD HAPPEN LATER, WERE VERY SLOW.

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

YES, IT MADE ME CRINGE WITH DISGUST...ENTERTAINING DISGUST.

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

not a fan

wow sucky way to end it. but it definitely will keep you involved... too life like I might have night mares now.

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