Published by Penguin Random House Audio, Crown Publishers on June 5th 2012
Genres: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense, Psychological Thriller
Pages: 419
Format: Audiobook
ISBN: 030758836X
ASIN: B0088UT8IO
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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?
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This week’s review might, facetiously, be entitled “Harry Potter, Part 2”. While all of you are saying “Whaaat?” and picking yourselves up off the floor, let me explain. Remember how I said last week that I more or less dismissed the Harry Potter books until my fellow bloggers shamed me into listening? Well, my downloading and listening to Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is in that same category except, this time, it wasn’t my fellow bloggers who shamed me, but all the glowing reviews and all the references in reviews of other books implying Gone Girl is the benchmark by which all psycho thrillers must be measured. Plain old curiosity and the latest reference to a book being “the newest Gone Girl” finally snatched my finger out of my control and pressed the download button. It wasn’t that this highly touted book didn’t appeal to me . . . I thought it sounded intriguing. I just kept being sidetracked with other books I wanted to read and several series I wanted to follow. Finally, the right moment came and the book that has been around for awhile, that a lot of other people have read, reviewed, praised, loved and honored was the book I needed to read. I. Loved. This. Book. If I wrote a 10-page review, the bottom line would be I. Loved. This. Book. I love an author with a convoluted mind and the courage to take on the arduous task of writing the mind of a psychopath. Poor Nick Dunne…you are no competition for Amazing Amy! Or are you? 😀
There are two narrators for this book I loved which is appropriate since the story is told by switching points of view between Nick Dunne and Amy Elliott Dunne. Kirby Heybourne, who is new to me, performs Nick’s character and a narrator with whom I’m very familiar, Julia Whelan, is the voice of Amy. Both of these artists capture the essence of their characters and portray them as the complex creations they are. There are so many facets to both Amy and Nick – they are, at times, ordinary but they are also smart, witty, attractive – anyone would like to be part of this couple. As the story line unfolds and each of them descends into a unique form of madness, they are angry, devious, manipulative, calculating and downright psycho-nutty-crazy! The narrators give voice to all of these versions of Nick and Amy with equal skill. Click on the link for a fascinating interview with Mr. Heybourne and Ms. Whelan about narrating Gone Girl.
Now then . . . how about that ending? I really should just stop the review right here because there isn’t any way to discuss the ending without giving spoilers and, for that small fraction of people who haven’t read the book or seen the movie, I won’t give anything away. All I’m going to say is this whole book will mess with your mind and the ending just falls right in there with the rest of the story! ? If you loved the book or the movie, you will find the audiobook an entertaining listen. If you don’t know the story, you should run right out and get the audio version. Just tell them Harry Potter sent you! ?
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