I love reading when I travel. For me, a travel plan includes a good mindless book, and snacks.
When I knew I had at least 8 hours on an air plane to look forward to last weekend, I knew a good book was going to be key.
I was pretty bummed when my book, Insurgent, didn’t make it from Amazon by Thursday night. I had been banking on that and knew that I would now be stuck paying way more than I should for a book in the air port.
I knew if I was going to be paying crazy airport prices, my choice needed to be a good one. Enter: Gone Girl
I picked up the book for 25 dollars at the Denver Airport, and began reading right away. By Sunday night when I returned home, I had finished. That’s right. 72 hours, and 48 of those JAM PACKED with wedding festivities. This one is a page turner.
Plot Summary
Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn, introduces us to the story of Nick and Amy Dunne and their troubled marriage. As two journalists/writers in the active New York writing scene, Nick and Amy have what seems like a picture perfect marriage. That is, until the both of them find themselves unemployed and unhappy.
Amy and Nick are able to survive for awhile in New York thanks to Amy’s trust fund from her families Amazing Amy book series money. When Amy’s parents come to them needing the money, and Nick’s parents come to them very ill, the pair uproot their New York life and move back to Nick’s hometown in Missouri. Much to Amy’s distaste. Nick now co-owning a bar with his sister, and Amy staying at home while they both take care of his ailing parents.
The story quickly jumps into a mystery of Amy’s disappearance from their Missouri home. We jump back and forth in time (with Nick narrating current day and Amy narrating the past through diary entries), learning more of their back story while also following Amy’s missing persons case. As a reader in the first half of the novel, you are left confused and unsure as to Nick’s involvement in the disappearance as he is made the prime suspect in the case.
Enter the second half of the novel, and you learn that both narrators were hiding secrets as we are both brought to current day.
SPOILER ALERT: STOP READING UNTIL THE NEXT BREAK IF YOU PLAN TO READ THE NOVEL
Quickly in the second half we find out that Nick has been hiding an affair with one of his young students, and Amy is actually alive and well in hiding after faking her own death to spite NIck’s affair.
The story now follows Amy current day, where we learn more about her elaborate planed fake death and watch her crumble as she lives in hiding on very little. As for Nick, he attaches himself with a high profile scumbag lawyer known for previous cases of very similar circumstances. It is with this lawyers help that we learn much more about Amy, Nick, and how this very twisted and convoluted story may resolve itself from here.
Personal Review
Considering I finished this book in less than 72 hours, it’s fair to say this book is a page turner. Especially as the plot thickens and you get deeper into the mystery. I constantly finished a chapter saying “just one more” but still kept going.
I loved the twist between parts 1 and 2 of the book. For me, it made the story very unique and interesting versus falling into the trap of just another murder mystery. It was a very intelligent twist and actually done VERY well.
Ironically enough, while I loved reading the story each character was telling, I did not like the characters themselves. I did not connect to either of the main characters but I found that it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the novel.
I did NOT like the end of Gone Girl. I actually found myself very frustrated and confused when I finished the book. Not only did I feel it ended suddenly, I feel the resolution did NO justice to the story that had been told. I know the novel is meant to be a bit of a psychological thriller and dig into a troubled relationship, but I still would have appreciated a different resolution. From what I understand I am NOT along in this feeling.
Would I Recommend the Book?
Honestly, yes. It’s a fun read and I can see why it’s just such a hit in the main stream. I was highly entertained while reading, and recognize that it is perfect for travels or quiet slow times. If nothing else, read it to see why the ending frustrates so many…or just maybe don’t read the small last section 3 ; )
Footnote:
Gone Girl is being adapted for the big screen and produced by Reese Witherspoon in 2015!
Question of the Day: If you’ve read the book, what are your thoughts on the ending?
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