Gone Girl Review

Considering how many books I read, I don't really write about many of them.  I just finished Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

This book sucked me right in, and I finished it in about 3 days (6 30 minute commutes, and an occasional lunch).  It was by no means an amazing book filled with lots of thought and intrigue, but what I liked about it was about a couple, their problems, revenge, and a little craziness.

The below will spoil the book for you if you have not read it.

Right away, page 29 "They're baffled by my singleness.  A smart, pretty, nice girl, like me, a girl with so many interests and enthusiasms, a cool job (this I don't have), a loving family."  This is me...why would I not want to read on? She caught my attention, I am Amy.

The story rotates each chapter between Amy and her husband, Nick.  I love stories that rotate like this, it keeps my interested and makes me read faster.

So how the story goes is that the first chapter opens up with Nick...on the day of.  I wondered, on the day of what? but that soon becomes apparent - Amy is missing and it also happens to be their 5th wedding anniversary.  The Nick chapters tell you about the investigation and the progress of the days Amy is missing, it is 'current' day, and sheds a lot of light on what Amy is like, and a bit about Nick too.  The Amy chapters are diary entries  over the last few years, and explain about their relationship, which sheds a lot of light on Nick.  As the reader starts to figure out which of these two people they can relate more too...part 2 comes.

Part 2 starts a few twists.  First, an affair...not really a surprise if you read part one, it was clear this is where it was leading.  And then you get into a new twist on the rotating stories.  In part 1, you started to feel really bad for Amy, based on the story she was telling in the diary, and based on some of the things Nick said in his part, but in part 2, this flips around.  The twist? Amy planted the whole thing - although if you read as much as me, you knew this was coming from super early on in the book.  Amy starts to explain a whole other side of their relationship...one that she is portrayed as psychotic.  Things are revealed about Nick that makes you wonder how he put up with this for so long.

Part 3 Amy comes home and continues to manipulate Nick.

So, what did I like about this book?   First, what kind of woman wouldn't want to get revenge?  Second, Amy's stories about her feelings about the husband reminded me all to much of SI.  She nailed some of the thoughts, even if they were fabricated to set him up.  Examples include how you can love someone so much but yet fear them; constantly wondering if today was the day he was going to snap and kill you; the emotional abuse; the exhaustion of knowing the person you share a house/bed with hates you; the amazement of the mistress being your opposite; realizing how stupid you seemed in the eyes of the man that you love - when he knows how he can play you and manipulate you and therefore looses all respect for you; trying so hard keeping something to work; and giving up a lot for the other person.

I can't say that when I found out about the deceit  I didn't think the things Amy did.  How amazing would it have been to set him up for something - I mean, I wouldn't fake my own death, but wouldn't i like to see him suffer?  Of course.  Amy, unfortunately, was a little crazy, but that is what I loved  - she planned and thought of everything to set him up and hurt him back.  It was genius and psychotic but there is no doubt I had a little respect.  [don't judge me, whenever I hear of any spectacular crime, don't we always say WOW at some point after we shake our heads in disbelief].

So there it is, a very incoherent babbling about a recent book I read.  I have to remember if I do this again, to jot down notes or write the blog posts in parts as I read the book.