Anna Bobs Her Hair - Silent Reader, Talking Books

The Story…just a little bit

Nick and I fit together. I am a little too much, and he is a little too little. I am a thornbush, bristling from the overattention of my parents, and he is a man of a million little fatherly stab wounds, and my thorns fit perfectly into them.

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Gone Girl is a tangled mystery beginning on day one of a wife’s disappearance. Of course, if you watch any crime drama television show you know it’s usually the husband responsible. Nick Dunne, the husband, is also aware of this fact. He watches crime shows too. Does this mean he’s innocent of any wrongdoing? Is the author trying to trick us with red herrings? Written in first person, Nick and Amy Dunne tempt you with their woeful words, and their story really pulls at you. Their insights into marriage are easily relatable. So, then you wonder if this book is really about family relationships disguised as a ‘ripped from the headlines’ mystery. But it can’t be, right? Readers are buzzing about this book, so it must be somethingmore. It is more! It’s a mystery. It’s a psychological warfare, involving families, sensationalized media, and narcissism. 

You could spend your whole time trying to put pieces of Amy’s disappearance together. Don’t! It would be a waste of time. Ms. Flynn is very clever in avoiding a formulaic plot. Her writing is fast-paced, but there may be times where you’ll feel extremely tempted to read the last chapter. Don’t do it! You would ruin the entire reading experience. 

Amy Dunne

But I’ve always been jealous too, always— seven dead dancing princesses. They get to be perfect without even trying, without even facing one moment of existence, while I am stuck here on earth, and every day I must try, and every day is a chance to be less than perfect.

The most fascinating character for me was Amy, who is introduced via her diary. She establishes an intimacy with her audience by sharing confidences. The dysfunction in Amy’s childhood allows for much sympathy and begs for understanding. And even though her viewpoints regarding her marriage conflicts with Nick’s, her experiences are easily relatable. Well, maybe relatable to women. (What say you, menfolk?) 

Nick Dunne

I was not as big an asshole as I’d thought. An asshole, yes, but not on a grandiose scale.

Nick will tie you knots and have you feeling conflicted. Aha! He is involved! Wait! Maybe not. What?!!! Where is author taking this? “Innocent until proven guilty” is supposedly the way justice is carried out in the United States. The inclusion of biased television journalism turns Nick’s personal trials into a spectator sport. The journalists and their fickle audiences drastically increased the tension. What’s going to happen?!!!Surely, Gone Girl will end with a BANG, right? (No comment.)

There isn’t much more that can be said about Nick without spoiling the story. Well, one thing; he has a twin sister. She provides some comic relief in an otherwise twisted mystery-suspense- thriller.

Conclusion

Love should require both partners to be their very best at all times. Unconditional love is an undisciplined love, and as we all have seen, undisciplined love is disastrous.

Gone Girl is a hypnotic book. Sometimes it’s overwhelmingly tense and other times frustratingly unforthcoming. It may not haunt you, but you’ll enjoy the ride. And, boy, what a ride it was!

Buddy read with Stacia (3.5 stars) and Michelle (3 stars)