Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
By now I'm sure most of the world has heard about Gone Girl. The book's popularity exploded at the end of 2012, landing it on the New York Times' bestseller list. Now with the film in cinemas and getting rave reviews, I decided to see what all the fuss is about.
The Basics:
The protagonist is Nick Dunne, and the book is about the events just before and then following the disappearance of his wife, Amy. The police suspect Nick, but he has no knowledge of some of the evidence they're bringing forward. It becomes clear that this isn't going to be straightforward as the search for Amy begins.
The Review:
I agree with the recommendations; it's quite a compulsive read. I managed it in three days when reading in short bursts. It's quite easy to read, and doesn't take a lot to really get in to the flow of the story. I have to admire Gillian Flynn for her ability to give tiny clues and still keep the story interesting. I got pretty frustrated trying to figure out what would happen next, but I knew if I threw it across the room then I would still pick it up and continue reading straight away. Besides, I could pick up a new clue in that time!
It became clear pretty quickly that I am terrible at piecing together clues, and that I was right not to pursue a career in the police.
It became clear pretty quickly that I am terrible at piecing together clues, and that I was right not to pursue a career in the police.
I don't usually read many thrillers, so I wasn't sure what to expect going into this. I warmed to Nick quite quickly from his honest voice, although it seemed like he was holding a few things back from other characters. He seemed trustworthy, but this could have been a default of him being the narrator. I wanted to shake him a few times and tell him what to say, but for me his flaws made him the underdog I wanted to root for. That's exactly it, he was like a puppy that I just wanted to defend!
The story morphs continuously, as did my attitudes towards various characters. Nick's sister Margo (Go) was one of the few who remained a constant for me (consistently unsure of her). None of the characters morphed in my head quite as much as the illusive Amy. I didn't know what would happen on the final page until I arrived there because of the amount of plot twists. One particular bombshell had me put the book down for half an hour to just absorb what had happened. I don't do well with tension, and Gone Girl completely set me on edge here.
I was actually scared by the media in Gone Girl. It was scarily realistic, and the more they looked into the investigation and chose suspects, the more I could understand how awful that would be. The media controls how much of the story gets out. Its influence and the hatred it created were quite chilling, and it made me want to curl up away from everyone for a while.
However with all that I loved about this story, there was bound to be a hint of disappointment. To be fair, this wasn't all Gillian Flynn's fault. The copy I own contains the first chapter of Sharp Objects (also by Gillian Flynn). I always like things like this, a little bonus for me as a reward for reading the book. However, I didn't know this book contained one, so I didn't realise at first that I'd reached the end and was ready for a little more. This left me a bit unfulfilled and waiting for the real end.
The book has a running theme of justice, and how difficult it is to achieve a balance. Punishing someone can prevent someone else's proper punishment and so on. The problem with this is that I really wanted some good old fashioned, black-and-white justice. I get really irritated when characters get away with even minor offences in books (it feels like unfinished business!), so this messy and tangled conclusion was tricky for me.
BUT: I completely get what Gillian Flynn was trying to show. Her book included real world elements, and in the real world things aren't just neatly sewn up and presented so that it fits within 500 pages. Some things are going to be left unresolved and there IS injustice in the world, so I just have to deal with that. I don't have to like it though...
The Verdict:
I can ignore my slight issues with the ending since Gone Girl is such a refreshing change. I loved this overall, and writing about it makes me want to read it again. I would honestly recommend it even if only for its honest depiction of crime in the media, but what really sells it for me is Nick. Whereas one usually outweighs the other, Nick is a rare blend of likable and greatly flawed that actually works. A little puppy dog I just wanted to protect from everyone else. Almost as soon as you begin the book, you'll care what happened to Amy; by the end, you'll care for different reasons.
