Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girl

by Gillian Flynn

'What are you thinking, Amy? The question I've asked most often during our marriage, if not out loud, if not to the person who could answer. I suppose these questions stormcloud over every marriage: What are you thinking? How are you feeling? Who are you? What have we done to each other? What will we do?' Just how well can you ever know the person you love? This is the question that Nick Dunne must ask himself on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, when his wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police immediately suspect Nick. Amy's friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears it isn't true. A police examination of his computer shows strange searches. He says they aren't his. And then there are the persistent calls on his mobile phone. So what did really did happen to Nick's beautiful wife? And what was left in that half-wrapped box left so casually on their marital bed? In this novel, marriage truly is the art of war...

Reviewed by Leigha on

3 of 5 stars

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A woman goes missing on her fifth wedding anniversary in this homage to sensationalized news.

In my early twenties, I loved watched, reading, or listening to sensationalized news. Ripped from the headlines? I'm there. Recounting the acts of twisted sociopaths? Front row seats, baby. Shock and awe stories? Count me in! And Gone Girl? Well, this book is an homage to such stories. So while this story would have been right up my alley ten years ago, now I could barely finish it.

At its core, this story is about a broken and toxic relationship between two problematic people. It makes for a disappointing thriller, an uninteresting mystery, and a deeply disturbing romance. The atmosphere is oppressive, fitting perfectly with the disturbing narrative. You will find very few sympathetic characters here and lots of disturbing imagery. So while I did not like (or even love) Gone Girl, I understand the appeal. If you're interested in reading or re-reading it, I highly recommend the audio book. The production is top notch.

Personally, I'm hesitant to read another Flynn novel. While I really enjoyed the mystery of Dark Places, this novel just left a really bad taste in my mouth. Time for me to go buy some mouth wash.

tl;dr A ripped-from-the-headlines story for readers interested in an oppressive atmosphere and unsympathetic characters.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 1 March, 2018: Finished reading
  • 1 March, 2018: Reviewed