Book Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
“People want to believe they know other people. Parents want to believe they know their kids. Wives want to believe they know their husbands.”
Title: Gone Girl
Author: Gillian Flynn
Series? N/A
My Rating: ★★★★½
Genre(s): Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Age Range: Adult
Publication: 22 April 2014 (Broadway Books)
CW: Murder, emotional abuse, violence, rape, toxic relationship, blood, animal death
Amy Dunne is missing.
Gone Girl has become a cultural phenomenon. Whether it’s the book or the film, fans are passionate about this gripping, and bone-chilling, psychological thriller. As someone who isn’t usually a fan of the genre, Gone Girl as a film has always been near-and-dear to my heart. And now that I’ve finally read the book, I can safely say that it is a nearly perfect novel.
On the morning of Nick Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary, his wife, Amy, goes missing. The town — and soon, the nation — become embroiled in the frantic search for his perfect wife. It doesn’t take long for Nick to become the prime suspect in Amy’s disappearance… and perhaps even her murder.
I’m guilty of my own crime. A crime against literature, that is.
There’s no easy way to put this, so I’ll just say it… I watched the movie before I read the book. Multiple times. Perhaps even, hundreds of times. Gone Girl (2014) is one of my favourite movies. This is a fact that does not bring any comfort to my husband, especially when I teasingly remind him that Amy Dunne is only actually guilty of the murder of Desi and technically did nothing to Nick. I usually say this after giddily turning on the movie and squealing “Time to watch my comfort film!”
I say all of this to make it very clear that I know David Fincher’s Gone Girl backwards, forwards, and inside out. In spite of my very honest efforts, I knew I would be biased in favour of the movie when picking up the book. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Gillian Flynn is an exceptional writer and quite possibly a terrifying human being. I am amazed and afraid of her brain and its ability to craft these horrifying stories. Previous to Gone Girl, I already read Sharp Objects which spooked me to my core (again, I’m not a big thriller gal). The twist in that book had me internally screaming. While I already knew exactly where Gone Girl was headed (see: favourite movie), I still found myself at the edge of my seat as the book reached the climax.
Where is Amy Dunne? Better yet, who is Amy Dunne?
Amy Dunne. The “cool girl” herself. If you don’t have the Cool Girl Monologue memorized, I cannot relate. Amy is a truly messed up individual. Where does she even get the stamina to do what she does to Nick?! My lord.
Amy is a mystery throughout the novel. We learn about her through her husband’s musings, the public’s perception, her parents’ gushing, and most intriguingly, the words of Amy herself in her journal entries. I would go so far as to confidently state that none of these versions of Amy exist. Amy is a true enigma. In her own words, her adopted personality is a sham; a facade to appeal to her husband.
When the walls come down, Amy is quite terrifying. Most of all because she is completely unknown to everyone around her, and therefore entirely unpredictable. If you want a multidimensional character, look no further than Amy Dunne. She is harsh, vengeful, and unstable; but she’s also incredibly sensitive and at times self-conscious. Losing the attention — and admiration — of her husband nearly breaks her. Winning it back, alternatively, is enough to bring her back to life (pun intended).
Rosamund Pike did an incredible job of bringing Amy Dunne to life. Seriously, if you haven’t watched Gone Girl, what are you waiting for? But somehow, even her performance could not convey how truly creepy this woman is.
Nick Dunne, welcome to your tape.
Much like in the theatrical adaptation, Nick had me asking “what is WRONG with you” at the turn of nearly every page. However, by the end of the film, I found myself sympathetic to a man chained to an eternity with his psychologically manipulative wife. And it’s very hard for me to muster any warm and fuzzy feelings for Ben Affleck. The same, however, cannot be said for Book Nick.
Book Nick is arguably as terrifying as his wife. He has violent tendencies, even if he doesn’t always act on them. His inner monologue is horrifying, a constant misogynistic and vicious diatribe against every woman he encounters, typically for very little reason. His patience is a kiddie pool, he is quick to anger, and he frequently imagines hurting women at the tiniest inconvenience. He even imagines and gets excited by the idea of killing his own wife. The irony.
I understand why, at the end of the book, Nick feels that he is due some sort of a “win” or redemption for what his wife put him through. The entire nation believed him to be a murderer and when his wife was revealed to be alive, he didn’t get any justice; much less so for the fact that she was single handedly responsible for it all. Still, no one can deny or ignore that there was a darkness within Nick all along. It makes the ending all the more chilling.
Amy and Nick Dunne are the opposite of couple goals. But they sure do make for an interesting read.
Synopsis: On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. As the police begin to investigate, the town golden boy parades a series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter - but is he really a killer?
Have you seen Gone Girl? Have you read the book? Which is better? Let’s chat!
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