I have been thinking for a long time that I should start doing some book reviews on here. I can't say that I really have in talent in this area since I've never done it before, but I do read quite a bit and I know that people are always looking for some good book recommendations. Or at least honest book recommendations. So, here goes my first shot.
Gone Girl is a pretty hot book around many book club circles right now. I actually know three different friends who just read it as part of their book club. I'm not a book clubber (but secretly, or not so secretly now, wish I was...maybe I should add that to the RI checklist) but my friend Kristen had the book already rented out from the library so I took it with me on my trip to the bay area this past weekend. It was a quick read because it is an entertaining, page-turner that really makes you want to know what the heck is actually going on. But, I have to admit that when I got to the end, I still wasn't sure exactly what the heck was going on. I don't want to totally spoil the book, but it involves the pretty rocky and very psychotic marriage of Amy & Nick. Amy disappears at the beginning of the story on their five-year anniversary and we wonder throughout most of the book - did Nick do it?
To be honest, I don't like either one of the main characters. And I don't really think that I am supposed to like them, but even more than that I just don't understand either one of them. One of them, Amy, I am clearly never going to understand. She has psychosis that it actually took a genius author to create. It is definitely a smart book. I wasn't left wondering about any plot elements - all the ends were tied up rather nicely. That is saying something too, since some of the parts you think are true turn out not to be true and some of the parts you thought were false turn out to be true. It gets a little complicated, but in a good twists & turns way.
The part that I just couldn't get over, though, is the characters. They are all just a little too witty for me, especially Diary Amy, but I can see now that was intentional (but I definitely couldn't see it in the thick of things). Nick in particular irked me. I honestly cannot describe his character besides to say that he is a people-pleaser with serious daddy issues. Even though he is seemingly "deep" he is totally unknown. He usually did not do or say what I would have expected of him (see, more of the twists & turns), but maybe this is more of the genius of Gillian Flynn that just goes totally over my head. In the end, I am just left completely baffled by his final decision. It makes absolutely zero sense to me or to what I expected of Nick. I mean, maybe if I try real hard to think very Nick-ish for a bit I could kind of understand what makes him do it. But, it's just not the ending I wanted. For being such a crazy book it turned out just a little too normal, and I use that word in its most abnormal sense.
My favorite character was either Nick's sister, Go (short for Margot?), or Detective Boney. I think I liked them because they were the most relatable. They were both strong, independent women that were equally frustrated and perplexed by Nick's final decision. I liked that. I guess since I'm a lawyer I also have to say that I kind of liked Tanner. I think maybe I should get his job in my next lawyer life - Clamato anyone?
Overall, I think I really did enjoy reading this book. It is undeniably clever and the storyline is just irresistible. You can't really put it down until you finish. But, you have to be okay with the fact that you're probably just not going to understand a lot of it, especially the ending. Again, maybe that is the whole Gillian is a genius and Jessica just doesn't get it thing. I guess the best recommendation I can give it is to say that I now want to read some of Gillian Flynn's other books. She has a mastery of complex plots, a page-turning writing style, and an obviously brilliant mind.
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