Book review: Gone Girl

Gillian FlynnI feel like the last person to read this book by Gillian Flynn. I don’t know why I didn’t read it earlier, I like clever thrillers, but somehow I just didn’t get around to it. I was partly put off by the range of reviews of Amazon, I must admit, from 5 stars to 2 stars. This is definitely a Marmite book: love it or hate it. But then the publicity for the film started and I always like to read the book before I see the film, so… I got it from the library.

Gone Girl is about the fracturing of a five-year old marriage. We get both points of view: Nick the husband, Amy the wife. Basically one day, Amy disappears. There are signs of a struggle in the house. Nick goes predictably quickly from being lost husband to prime suspect. I have to admit. I did not like Amy from page one of her diary, her language is so OTT and flowery. “I am fat with love! Husky with ardor! Morbidly obese with devotion! A happy, busy bumblebee of marital enthusiasm.” Ugh. Neither was I overly keen on Nick, I guess overall I found it overwritten and both characters seemed self-indulgent.

It’s impossible to review this book without spoilers, so I will stop there. Suffice to say, I raced through it, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it enough to read more by the same author.

Gone Girl practically spawned a new genre: twisty marriage thrillers. To understand the genre, you have to start with this book. I bet Gillian Flynn [below] didn’t know what she was starting.

Gillian Flynn

[photo: gillian-flynn.com]

Click here to visit Gillian Flynn’s website. Gillian FlynnTo watch the trailer for the film [above] starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike, click here. Gillian Flynn wrote the screenplay.

If you like ‘Gone Girl’, try these thrillers:-
‘Wolf Winter’ by Cecilia Ekback
‘Stolen Child’ by Laura Elliot
‘Wolf’ by Mo Hayder

‘Gone Girl’ by Gillian Flynn [UK: W&N] Buy now

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn http://wp.me/p5gEM4-Yp #bookreview via @SandraDanby

Comments

  1. My book club read Gone Girl… and I probably wouldn’t have encountered it otherwise. But it was a success, the characters getting under our skins and eliciting vehement responses. Clever.

  2. Thank you for this review, Sandra. This book wasn’t even on my TBR list. It is now. I must confess that it will not be high priority read, however I’ll give it a chance.

    • That’s what I did, I gave it a chance and liked it better than I expected. Just go into it with realistic expectations. 🙂 SD

      • Gone Girl will have its chance to be read. This might well be an autumn read as there are books with a (review) deadline. 🙂

  3. I’ve read all of Gillian Flynn’s novels, and while I enjoyed “Gone Girl,” it’s probably my least favorite. I feel like it had so much potential to be an incredible novel, but it just fizzled at the end. “Sharp Objects” is my favorite of her books. I could hardly bring myself to put that one down until I finished it.

  6. Nope, you’re not the last one. And I’ve got several books higher on my list so it will still be some time before I get around to this one. I got the last Mo Hayder book…finally. And I’m busy rushing through my current read to get started on it. 😉 I just love, LOVE Jack Caffery.

  7. I wasn’t keen on the character of Nick either, but I still enjoyed the book, which is unusual if i can’t identify with the protagonist on some level. I don’t think I’ll see the film though, I mean once you know the ending what’s the point. 🙂

  10. Finally a book I may have read before you, ha ha! I too enjoyed the book but I really did not like the characters – they probably deserve each other, but you do feel sorry for the impending baby! I must admit the author sucked me right it at the start and my sympathy went out to Amy, until I read on.

  12. You’re not the last person to read it – I still haven’t read it! Iwill try & get to it before the film, like you I prefer to read the book first. Your review has encouraged me!