Gone Girl

I just finished reading Gone Girl.  First, I’d like to start with the fact that I apparently started this book on Audio, some time ago, got through the first couple of chapters and the book had to be returned to the library and I wasn’t able to renew it.  I didn’t realize this until I attempted it again.  I had totally forgotten about it all together, so I obviously wasn’t on the edge of my seat.

I think my problem with this book is the fact that I saw the movie first.  This ruined the book experience for me by taking away the suspense.  I knew what was around the corner, so I wasn’t left hanging much.

But beside from that, overall, it is a pretty good read.  I really enjoy the dual story telling so that the read gets the plot, as it develops, from both sides.  However, very few, if any, of these characters are likable.  I found myself siding with the sociopath the most.  (Not sure what that says about me).

One part that I felt like didn’t really mesh with the rest of the book begins around page 92 with the introduction of Stucks and the “Blue Book Boys”.  I found the whole plot line with the Blue Book Boys Gang utterly ridiculous and juvenile. It’s like Gillian Flynn turned her manuscript in to her editor and they said “Now, we need you to add 10 more pages” and so she went back and put this little jewel in.  This is one aspect of the story that I am glad they left out of the movie.  The did in the movie what should have been done in the book and that was just show the cops going and checking out the empty mall themselves.  The whole part where Nick and three guys names Stucks, Mickey and Joe (not to mention Amy’s father) get into the back of a pick up at midnight, with baseball bats to “go get some Blue Book Boys” who they believe have information about Amy, let me checking the cover of the book to see if I was readying an adult novel or if I had accidently picked up a copy of the Hardy Boys Mysteries.

But besides the whole ridiculousness of The Blue Book Boy Gang, the book flowed nicely.  As I mentioned before, I found myself siding with Amy most of the time.  I mean, your husband who was so charming and sweet and romantic towards you in the beginning becomes distant, rude, angry and self absorbed as soon as you get married.  I mean, the book begins on their 5th wedding anniversary.  FIFTH.  If it is so bad that early in the relationship, why even bother?  I would be pissed too, though, if my husband confided more in his twin sister then he did me and was cheating on my for over a year and then wondered around, after my disappearance, essentially just shrugging and being like “eh, what can you do?”  The husband character, Nick, is so unlikable with his complete lack of emotion that its difficult to even remotely empathize with him.  I mean, at least shed a tear! Your wife is MISSING!

And then there is the twin sister, Margot. or “Go” as she is referred to in the book.  Every time her name comes up, it makes me cringe about as much as the Blue Books.

I found Amy’s attention to detail in her set up completely fascinating.  Sure, she’s crazy, but she was also brilliant.  Which left me with a few lingering question.  Would she have gone back to Nick had she not been robbed? She seemed to be enjoying her freedom.  Or was she just simply intrigued since he seemed to be stepping up his game in the Chess match that is their marriage.  Was Nick ever remorseful of any of it? Or was he simply the thief who is not sorry he stole but that he got caught?  Is Amy now stuck with her BFF Noelle Hawthorne now that she’s back? I mean, that girl is CLINGY.

All in all, on a scale of 1 to National Book Award winner, I would recommend this read.  Don’t let me review jade your opinion.  Like I said, my experience with this book was tainted by the movie.  It’s a good book, about a bunch of crazy people who are out for revenge against each other and call it “Marriage”.  Honey, marriage is not that much work.  Had Amy and Nick already had kids, they’d know.  Ain’t nobody got time to frame people for murder, when you’ve got kids.