Title: Gone Girl
Author: Gillian Flynn
Genre: Crime / Thriller
Published by: Phoenix
Originally Published: 2012
Page Count: 463
"Who are you?
What have we done to each other?
These are the questions Nick Dunne finds himself asking on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, when his wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police suspect Nick.
Amy's friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears this isn't true. A police examination of his computer shows strange searches.
He says they weren't made by him And then there are persistent calls on his mobile phone.
So what did happen to Nick's beautiful wife?"
I picked this book up on a whim, I needed a third book in one of those 3 for 2 deals, and this was the most appealing. I do not regret for one second picking up this book.
'Gone Girl' is divided into two perspectives, Nick Dunne's and his wife, Amy's, alternating between each perspective with each chapter. Nick's perspective begins on the day of his wife's disappearance and charts his life as the mystery unravels about his wife's disappearance. Amy's perspective is a series of diary entries throughout the couple's relationship, from their first encounter and onwards. It follows Nick and Amy as they have returned to Nick's former home in Missouri, to help his sick family and to recover after their failing careers in New York.
Through these perspectives we get a real sense of annoyance and aggravation with these characters, especially Nick. Nick is a lying, beautiful-on-the-outside, ugly-on-the-inside narrator. It becomes very obvious that he keeps withholding information from the reader and all you are left with is a sense of sheer hatred for this main character; almost the protagonist is the antagonist. This isn't down to Gillian Flynn's poor writing, but down to her excellent writing. Nick is supposed to be unlikeable, it makes him more interesting, it makes you turn each page as a new plot twist is revealed, one that churns your stomach and makes you wonder who the hell are these people?
Amy's diary entries are so deliciously enticing. They're filled with crude language and brilliant description. Amy and Nick were both writers in New York, so it works well that they are both brilliant storytellers.
The novel starts off fairly slowly, lets the reader adjust to these characters' minds, as it does take quite a while to get your head around them. The slowness of the opening and the complex minds of the protagonists makes it a struggle, almost. However, after that the novel takes a turn, a fascinating one, one filled with plot twists and shocking moments, and it works really well. It has brilliant references to pop culture that make the novel all the more satisfying as you delve deeper into these sick characters' lives. (It also makes reference to one of my all-time favourite films, Vertigo, by Alfred Hitchcock, and reminded me of Vertigo's different narrative structure).
What is brilliant about this book is its comment on the media. The media is a force to be reckoned with inside this novel, they forge the rise and fall of the characters in this book. Flynn's comments depict the intrusiveness the press is, not only to these characters, but to the public's minds, and because of that the novel acts as a fantastic allegory.
I can't really say too much when it comes to the plot without giving away any spoilers. So I shall keep this review reasonably short. (Although, I already see it becoming fairly lengthy). Like I said, the beginning was slow, but after that you are launched into a domino effect of circumstances that shock and make you shiver. The jargon of some characters can be offensive and vile but it is great at creating character development and allowing the reader a deep insight into the minds and personalities of that character.
The ending really hindered this book, although it is also understandable why Flynn decided to end it in such a way. It again further exemplifies the personalities and egos that she has set up and reinforces that the novel is a captivating read that makes you want to read more and more until there is nothing left but acknowledgements and enticing adverts for the author's other books.
'Gone Girl' is a book that demands to be discussed. Flynn's impeccable writing stems a deliciously page-turning book that afterwards leaves you feeling unnerved about the human psyche and curious about that lovely commitment that is marriage.
5 out of 5 stars.
