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Gone Girl: A Novel
Unavailable
Gone Girl: A Novel
Unavailable
Gone Girl: A Novel
Audiobook19 hours

Gone Girl: A Novel

Written by Gillian Flynn

Narrated by Julia Whelan and Kirby Heyborne

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Marriage can be a real killer.    One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed that her work "draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction." Gone Girl's toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn.    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 from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. 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?    As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?   With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.


From the Hardcover edition.

Editor's Note

Destructive domesticity…

Chilling not just for its cutting depiction of domesticity, but for how connected readers feel to Amy and Nick despite witnessing the whirlwind of their destructive marriage from the inside.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJun 5, 2012
ISBN9780307990402

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Reviews for Gone Girl

Rating: 3.8849084590994374 out of 5 stars
4/5

8,528 ratings909 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book kept me guessing constantly. Is she dead or isn't she. Did he do it or didn't he. I kept wanting to flip to the end because the suspense was too much. There were so many twists and turns that I just really never knew who did it for quite a while. And the ending....didn't see that coming.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This story has as many twists and turns as Lombard Street in San Francisco.Nick and Amy Dunn were the golden couple; the couple everyone wanted to know, but after losing both of their jobs in New York the marriage started to wane. Nick finds out that his mother dies which prompts them to move to Missouri to run the family bar. To Nick's surprise Amy disappears and the investigation uncovers all kinds of secrets that point to Nick as the abductor and killer.See my complete review at The Eclectic Review
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. Nothing fantastic, but a good twisted read with nuggets of truth about the lives we lead.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I liked it. I'm confused why so many people were shocked by it - people are smart and devious and terrible.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Phew - this one messes with your head skillfully, but the characters are so unlikable, I felt a bit more irritable than usual when thinking about the story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a great thriller. Flynn delivers punch after punch, surprise after surprise. She leaves you in the lurch, making you want to turn page after page to get to the heart of what is happening. I read this book in one long sitting, but it was well worth the effort. There is much to be lauded here- it is one of the best thrillers I've read in quite some time. This is not one to be missed.4 stars!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This has been on my To Read list for years, but I just now read it because it was a book club pick. The suspense was amazing, and the twist at the halfway point was one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever read. It all built up to a somewhat lackluster ending, though I can’t say I wanted it to end any other particular way. I love the psychological madness in this book - and how realistic it all seems. It was fascinating to read things one way, and then have the rug pulled out from under you. This is one book I can say I never had a clue what was coming next. Highly recommended!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I thought I had this book pegged. I almost didn't finish reading it. I am so glad I didn't give up. I have never felt so betrayed by a fictional character. This book was truly a work of art never giving away its secrets until the very end.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Very clever. The story spools out like a set of Ukrainian nesting dolls, with details within details of each plot twist. I don't normally like mysteries but once in a while I read one that doesn't feel cookie cutter. Is it fair to penalize the author with 4 stars because I didn't like the ending?
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this it was a great read. It was a real page turner.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Did not live up to the hype, but okay.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I finally FINISHED this book. It took me so long because I recently went back to work, so when I do get to read its barley a chapter or 2 then bed time haha. Well anyways, on to the review...I love when books are way better than the movie. But I do love the movie from beginning to end. At first when you start reading this novel it took me awhile to even get into it. I don't know why but it was a slow read for me. But I did LOVE it. I had already seen the movie before I even thought about reading this book. In which I regret cause I already knew the turn out. BUT NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS MOVIE is correct. The movie is never better than the book. Like most novel turned movies, it kept alot out of the movie that was in the book. Still was shocked as I kept reading. But all in all I give the book a 4.5 star rating. I love anything written by @thegillianflynn I recommed this book to anyone who hasn't seen the movie yet. PLEASE READ THIS FIRST haha. Plot twist and Thriller, YES PLEASE. •
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I couldn't stop reading
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    For the first portion of this book, I loathed both characters. Nick, with his constant complaining about his love life and the way he'd just run away from every problem. Amy, with her inability to understand that other people have feelings too and that the world doesn't revolve around her. I don't know if Gillian Flynn's aim was to make me hate her characters at this point, but if it was it worked. If it wasn't for the fact that I was doing this as a buddy read, I would have probably given up here. Since I had back up, I read on.

    Once Amy went missing, and her journal entries started, I was swayed to keep reading. I thought I might actually make it through because now I had a reason to forgive Amy. Could it be possible that Amy was just misunderstood? Maybe she really was a great wife, and Nick was just an ass. Maybe her whole persona was just a product of a bitter husband and parents who set the bar too high. Amy could be good, right? This was loving, pancake making Amy, who was afraid of her husband. I kind of warmed to her, but my feelings for Nick were still nothing but fierce anger.

    Then, oh look, a twist! Suddenly I was right back where I started. With two characters who drove me absolutely mad. Except Amy was so much worse now. Then, oh look, another twist! At this point, my brain refused to be shocked anymore. I was a reading zombie. By the end of this story I was absolutely ready to be done with Gone Girl. I honestly kind of hoped Amy and Nick would both just disappear off the face of the earth. Sadly, they didn't. Even worse, the ending was just so utterly disappointing. Zero closure my friends, zero.

    The thing that gets me is that this book is really well-written. I know that sounds completely contrary to what I've written above, but it really is done well. Everything Gillian Flynn puts onto the page lures you into wanting to read more, even when you're bitter about where things are going. The writing is solid, the plot twists (although a little bit predictable) are where they should be, and I can see why some people actually liked this book. I just can't count myself in that number.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    My goodness - what a roller coaster ride! This book totally messes with your head, but is a real page-turner with so many twists that I was left spinning. Just when I thought I might have an idea where the book was heading, the author delivers another revelation, totally changing direction. Nick and Amy Dunne are the most disturbed, self-centred, manipulative and unlikeable characters that I have come across in a long time, and I can't believe I enjoyed the book as much as I did. As for the ending - it took my breath away, it is so subtle and clever. The over-use of the 'f' word quickly annoyed me, but overall an incredible read!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is a book that will make you question your own sanity. The book starts off slowly by introducing us to Nick and Amy: a "Kodak moment" couple. Then Amy goes missing and Nick is identified as the #1 suspect. Flynn takes you on a suspenseful journey trying to figure out exactly WHO Nick and Amy are, something neither seems to be sure of themselves. By the end of Gone Girl you will definitely be saying "what the hell just happened" and questioning if you really know who anyone is, let alone yourself.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The writing and the suspense definitely held my interest until the very end. However, the entire time I was reading it I felt as if I had already read or seen this story before.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was really well written and all the situations worked out in this gripping mystery. The author had the reader not knowing who to side with. But the ending left me feeling cheated! It just ended and I wanted more. That is why I could only give it 3 stars. I was sooooo disappointed when my Ipod said "The End."

    Here is a non spoiler snynopsis:

    Just how well can you ever know the person you love? This is the question that Nick Dunne must ask himself on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, when his wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police immediately suspect Nick. Amy's friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears it isn't true. A police examination of his computer shows strange searches. He says they aren't his. And then there are the persistent calls on his mobile phone. So what did really did happen to Nick's beautiful wife? And what was left in that half-wrapped box left so casually on their marital bed?
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Popular fiction. No redeemable characters!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It’s been a while since I’ve written a book review, and I’m probably the last person on earth to have read, Gone Girl the 2012 break-out mystery novel by Gillian Flynn. I’m writing this review mostly to complain about it since this book and the subsequent movie starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike were so popular. This is a short review and I promise (for those that haven’t read the book or seen the movie) I will not include any spoilers.This book is well over 400 pages long. I feel as if Ms. Flynn was told that her story had to be that long in order to be worth publishing. There are run-on sentences; long, rambling narratives, and excessive and repetitive descriptions. Writing “experts” say to be as brief as possible. They tell writers to use the smallest number of words to convey your ideas. They also tell writers to “know the (writing) rules and then break them when appropriate.” I guess Ms. Flynn really knows the rules because she breaks them left and right. Fortunately, the text is relatively easy to read (and skim).The following is not a spoiler because the table of contents lists these. The story is told in three parts named: Part 1 - Boy Loses Girl, Part 2 - Boy Meets Girl, and Part 3 - Boy Gets Girl Back (Or Vice Versa). The chapters in each part alternate points of view between Amy (the gone girl) and her husband, Nick. The two threads progress through two different timelines to provide background and plot progression.Part 1 takes up about half the book and moves slowly as it gives the reader insights and background on Amy and Nick. Their childhoods. How they met. Their married life (from each of their perspectives) leading up to Amy’s disappearance.The action in Part 2 picks up considerably. This was the most interesting part of the story for me, providing more suspense as we follow Amy’s exploits during her disappearance. The only suspense in Part 1 is: Is Amy dead or alive? Given the titles of the parts in the table of contents, it’s clear she isn’t dead.Part 3 drags on as it describes how Amy is reunited with Nick.I am thoroughly impressed by the intricacy and complexity of the plot Amy (and Ms. Flynn) concocts to frame Nick. The final twist is remarkable. That is all I’m going to say about that since I said this review would be spoiler-free. Amy is clearly a genius sociopath and Nick is a doormat. She plays him and the police like a puppeteer plays his marionette.I give this book four out of five stars because of the writing style issues and I didn’t like the ending. Again, that’s all I’m going to say—no spoilers!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Loved this. It was shocking and grippping in a good way.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book was a great read as far as mysteries go and Gillian Flynn did a wonderful job crafting it. However, the main female character (Amy Elliot Dunne) is psychotic . Everything she says and does is honestly f***ed up. There were points I didn't want to keep reading because her actions were that disturbing. Also, it's just really hard to read a book in which the main character is annoying.

    However, the ending was truly a surprise. A lot of the book was predictable if you're a mystery lover (or perhaps even if you've only dipped your toes in mystery novels). But there were enough twists and turns and truly gripping story development by the author that held my interest.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    This will teach me not to peak up "easy reads" for audio books. I have not read, sorry, heard such garbage in a while. The first part was annoying, second almost entertaining, but the ending killed it all. How can you pretend to write a book about a "cool girl" and yet end with the most used cliche of all times? I could forgive the never ending movie-esque public declarations lust, boring "too smart for you" criminal minds, childhood-based "deep" psychological clues and expected "unexpected" twists. But a child will save even the most dysfunctional marriage? That takes the cake. Even dedicated brainless "gym listen only" books should be better than this.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I ke[t seeing this book on so many "Must Read" lists that I had to find out why it's seen as this amazing work. The book is meh or worse. I don't see what the big deal is. He's very self centered and selfish. The way he's written, I get the sense you're not supposed to like him, which is good because I don't. She is something altogether different. In fact, let me break down the major characters here. Amy is a scorned sociopath. Spoiled rotten, only child, sociopath. Nick is an idiot, a disappointment of a man, who seems to want his sister as much as he wants any other woman. Desi is another sociopath, more stalker and malcontent momma's boy. Boney and Gilpin are a mixed bag of cops, but who are stuck on one answer. Not sure why a book this ... meh... is on so many to be read lists.Very anticlimactic ending. Seemingly pointless story. I was expecting an epilogue or something. Epilogue: Kid determines both parents crazy as loons, shoots both in self defense. No. Just no. Glad I got this from the library and can give it back.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A great psychological thriller. The two main characters, as well as their relationship, are beautifully described and brought into clear focus with deft and humour. The story alternates between his perspective and hers, which helps keep the story interesting. I know opinions are divided in regards to the ending, but I personally think it fits well into the narrative of a truly screwed-up marriage.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A nonstop story that is hard to put down with a main character you like immediately and feel a sense that you know him. Full of moments that make you smile and at points laugh, and full of twists and a wanting to know what happens next.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is a thriller that keeps the reader turning pages throughout its unpredictable plot until the conclusion. Flynn tackles the subject of the delicate balance of marriage and what is takes to keep a relationship going long-term through inevitable ups and downs. Highly recommended read for an original story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    ** spoiler alert ** Gone Girl took me on a roller-coaster ride of feelings toward the two main characters, Nick and Amy. As Amy's diary entries begin to reveal more and more of Nick's 'dangerous' marital behavior, I began to feel that Nick was, in fact, the bad guy. Then it became obvious that Amy was a true psychotic, sociopathic person who was up to something. About halfway through the book it was revealed that Amy was alive and well. For about a hundred pages thereafter, my opinion of Nick changed negatively. Amy almost led readers to believe that she was right in making Nick suffer to such an extreme. Even as a male reader, I thought for a while that Nick was the one who caused everything and that he actually married her for her money. After a while though, it became clear that Amy was a very devious and controlling woman. Her ability to plan her demonic scheme for a full year is evident that she really is a mental case.Gillian Flynn has an incredibly dark imagination which has led to the creation of this story about marriage. Is this a revenge story? Is it a story of simple psychosis? Men (and women) cheat in their marriages for many different reasons. Nick says its because he could never make Amy happy. Amy took Nicks cheating as a complete surprise and never found fault in herself. I mean, it takes two to tango and vice versa. The elaborate plan to frame Nick for his wife's murder is a bit extreme, but what else could you expect from a sociopathic crazy woman from hell.So, in the end, the couple remain together and Amy gets away with murder! Nick is truly addicted to his wife in a sick way because any man that is fully in control of his faculties would never stay with a woman like Amy. For Amy, the whole charade of planning the frame job and seeing it through to the end is, in her mind, the equivalent of completing a beautiful symphony. Amy really is 'Amazing Amy' after all and Nick is just the timid weak-willed husband on a leash. At least that is what Amy has manipulated them into believing.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    unlikeable characters; there are people like Amy, and I wonder what motivated this story
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Nick's wife disappears and he becomes the primary suspect. Excellent read, with many, many twists!