Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn) - Page 2

Non-spoiler note to all readers: Part one is easily the hardest to get through because Nick just seems to despicable to the humorous, light-hearted woman introduced via these diary entries. It is 215 pages of soul crushing poignancy as the marriage dissolves before your eyes, the plot does moving forward (however quietly) at an even pace. Part two I read in one sitting because it pulls this carefully laid foundation out at the root.

PART ONE

Nick's cryptic, seemingly unreliable voice is equal parts fascinating and frustrating. He has a face you want to punch, and a life that's pretty punch-worthy as well. His malaise makes a bad first impression, which just gets wearying with time. It's clear that he's smart on many levels, the internal charm and wryness comprising a nice counterpoint to the chapters in between.

For his passages to end with phrases like "It was my fifth lie to the police" (37) or "my second cell phone that I really should be getting rid of keeps going off in my pocket but I'll just not go into that until the chapter that reveals my affair" (Various) was the grating part. How can you trust what he says when those asides are thrown in there like that? Though I will forgive this somewhat it because it's made for an truly thrilling unraveling tale.

I loved Amy's diary entries. I fell right into the mushy idealism of "Oh, here is the rest of my life. It's finally arrived" (30) because dammit, that was nice. These selections are all about characterization, and Flynn does an excellent job of conveying her character's mind. She's victim to her suitor's charm at first, then later his opaque coldness. Her star appears to dim when connecting toward his life, the entries pointing directly to inevitable emotional and increasingly physical abuse.

Both viewpoints of the story have confirmed that they had a couple good years in Manhattan. It just seems that they both were playing roles and had the advantage of jobs and a trust fund. They're also both frustrated under-achievers - neither a successful writer, losing even the media careers that they seemed to have settled for in place of, as Amy puts it: "Fine, I don't write about the Great Issues of the Day, but I think it's fair to say I am a writer." (10) This trait is, to me, what makes them so identifiable as characters. Also, the resentment Nick and Amy both harbor toward their parents is telling. I don't need Bill Dunne to have much of a character in present to know he's bad news. Marybeth and Rand equally so, in a more upper-class, passive aggressive way.

I have to say, this writer has an excellent grasp on portraying the media frenzy aspect of the story (besides nailing the prose/tone/pacing/etc.) - I felt as rapt as if it were non-fiction.

PART TWO

Something less simple was going on than what part one teased. What a delight to find a story that I definitely haven't heard before. For what it's worth, my hunch was that the treasure hunt would lead to Amy's dead body. It's much easier to continue the story if Amy is still alive though, and it lets it hurdle toward a proper conclusion.

In light of part two, I have mixed feelings about the first part's inclusion of the diary entries. It's a little manipulative to have these completely false musings establishing the character of Amy only to have this completely turned on its head on the first page of part two.

Among my favorite passages were the phone calls Nick made to Amy's alleged 'tormentors' of youth, only to hear back quite a different story. Just because what they portray, whether or not they're 100% accurate, sounds truly like developing psychopathy, right down to the anonymous typed notes relating disappointment. I can't tell whether I'm siding with Nick or transfixed by Amy.

"I am a thornbush, bristling from the overattention of my parents, and he is a man of a million little fatherly stab wounds, and my thorns fir perfectly into them" (353).

Make no mistake, these characters are both psychopaths. At the end of part two Amy would seem to have the edge because it is still, after all, Nick's move as far as the central struggle is concerned. However, his repeated assertion of "Come home so I can kill you" (359), each more vicious than the last and new his internal dialog as of the later portions of part two, is possible the most shocking revelation to this twisty story. I wonder if Amy knows quite what she'll be in for after falling for Nick's trap, and who will actually survive the end of this.

Nick's first chapter talks about his wife's head. Amy talks about her life in a bubbly, self-deprecating way that charms you into loving her on the spot. We have all been framed by our own expectations, and probably never had a chance.

Whoops: turns out the "rest" of part two was a chapter and a page of one. I'll delete that post later.

Quick question Golden Miru warrior - how are you recounting notes so specifically? Did you jot down in your book, mental reference, etc?

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It is 215 pages of soul crushing poignancy as the marriage dissolves before your eyes,

I'm glad this was mutual. I read before work and for about a week I was turning up "What's the point in living anymore?" to staff confusion.

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How can you trust what he says when those asides are thrown in there like that?

One of the final things I said in my Part One recap was that I didn't trust Amy. It's interesting to me that you picked up on this when, from the get-go and still up until this point, I've trusted Nick fully. That's possibly me being naive considering what we've been through so far though. I mean you also mention in Part Two this mental battle of picking sides; that you're still caught rooting for Amy. I think this is where we contrast and I'm too much Nick: I hate Amy. I am completely with him. Where you see a psychopath in his I'll kill her, *bleep*ingbitchbitch, I see sensibility. Just course. That bitch getting tricked.

I was actually hoping there would be more to Nick getting her back; more media appearances and so on, to build a stronger illusion to reel her in with. Almost from the start of Part Two I'd decided the only way I'd approach the situation back is to beat her at her own game, but I get he only needed minimal effort when Desi did all the work for him.

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right down to the anonymous typed notes relating disappointment.

What're they sorry? Don't remember.


Adding an additional answer to your quiz, this is what I want and the optimist in me foresees: the happy ending. They are made for each other, they always were. They've both got about as stability as a baby trying to walk for the first time and they fit. As your thornbush quote proves.

Forgot my own opinion here, right:

GOD damn what a rollercoaster. I absolutely sped through this and all of me wants to keep going. The pacing is unparalleled: it never stops a lets a point linger and draws out the wait, every new chapter moves forward. Forward to the ultimate sabotage. I don't think any of us were expecting this come Part One and we all got officially duped. Unless the ending lets me down now, I can comfortably say this is one of the best books I've read purely complete craft and originality.

There's some quotes I wish I'd taken out now really, I'll come back to it.

Probably my biggest disappointment in the entirety of this chapter was even Go falling through. The relationship those two have (and rightly so as twins) is the most desirable thing to me in the world. Unconditional trust and love, symmetrical understanding, that has never wavered. And then, in her brother Go sees a killer, albeit for just a second. Really? Really? *bleep* that man. That made me wanna rip the pages up and set them alight; that Amy performed so well she turned the unbreakable foundation into plates slipping and sliding over each other.

I also think poor Andie.

Not sure how it will finally end but it's certainly going to be an amazing climax.

^all I've got at the moment on my head, will come back.

As soon as I have a computer I'll respond properly, but the ending was perfect for me. Relate to it a lot.

Well, I fly home from work tomorrow and apparently there is a book shaped package on my desk. So, I'm going to do some power reading and be done by next Wednesday-ish! Man, next month the book shop better pull their finger out, dammit.

When's the Skype plans?

As again, will properly respond when I have the opportunity but I'm sure me and golden can talk amongst ourselves until the Skype timing is suitable for everyone.

quote Wilhelm Ryan

I'm sorry guys, totally couldn't find Gone Girl. Tried to get it in my iPhone last minute, but the only thing on iTunes was a $30 audio-book. .__.

I'll definitely get the next book. Any idea on what it's going to be yet?

No worries. It's a pretty great read tho once the demand and cost settle out.

Head on over to the other thread to float ideas or vote for next month.

Just to check in, I'm almost finished Part 2, not reading this thread at all for spoiler! Sorry I'm slow!