Book Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Genre: General Fiction > Mystery & Suspense > Thriller

On the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick’s wife, Amy, has disappeared. Nick is weak, Nick is a liar, and maybe he’s not the very best of husbands — but is he a killer? Amy’s diary reveals turmoil over their marriage, strange sicknesses, and her deep wish to be a mother — but is she telling the whole story? As the evidence slowly mounts, and the police investigation deepens, Nick is incriminated in horrible ways. He swears he didn’t murder his beautiful wife and goes on the offensive to clear his name. The mystery of Amy’s disappearance only gets more tangled as secrets unfurl from the web of their knotty marriage, and it becomes clear that something may have happened more disturbing than death.

Literary Awards: Barry Award Nominee for Best Novel (2013), Anthony Award Nominee for Best Novel (2013), Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award (RT Award) for Suspense/Thriller Novel (2012), Shirley Jackson Award Nominee for Best Novel (2012), Edgar Award Nominee for Best Novel (2013), Goodreads Choice for Best Mystery & Thriller (2012), Women’s Prize for Fiction Nominee for Longlist (2013), Grand Prix des lectrices de Elle – policier (2013)

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Is it wrong that I am rooting for Amazing Amy? Dear me, I enjoyed the craziness of this book!

Ben Affleck (a.k.a Nick Dunne in the upcoming movie) is going to get his ass kicked.

First half of the book and I am already condemning the husband, Nick, to hell. You would, too. But it was too early to have done that. Waaay too early. 😀

I don’t like Nick. With his incessant testament that he loves his wife Amy while having furtive glances on his phone, I thought that he is a class-A douche. And when his secrets are revealed one after another, goodness I was electrified with triumph that I should really hate this guy.

But.

The second half of the book turned the story upside down, and how I loved it! The intentional wickedness behind the diary entries was too much glee, I was exhilirating with delight on the freaking twist of events. Oh, Amy. I envy your brilliant mind. Let’s be friends, yes? *winks*

I get that some of my Goodreads friends abhorred Gone Girl. Maybe on a different reading mood, on an alternate time, I would, too. But the desperation from Nick and Amy that borders to insanity was too hard to resist. Thriller and Mystery/Suspense readers will thrive on the nasty environment that Gillian Flynn has created.

And the much talked about ending… let me tell you that while I absorb the subtle, brutal reality of it, my reaction went from being incredulous to shocked to wonder to being impressed. I remembered the slow, slow smile that began to spread on my face while experiencing those emotions. It was such a mindf*ck, I tell you.

They say that readers are split about that ending.

Well… I am married, and I was not personally offended by Gillian Flynn‘s story. I did not feel violated by the emotional blackmail mercilessly thrown back and forth between Nick and Amy, or by the atrocious acts they did to themselves and to each other. My thought is: why be bothered by it? It was not written to degrade.

And I was entertained. Didn’t you?

Ha! Enough of the debate whether Gone Girl is insulting or not. It is amazing, just ask Amazing Amy. 🙂

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GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn

Paperback, 555 pages

Published May 24th 2012 by Crown

4/5 stars