Gone Girl

[elevenism]

So, being a shameless fanboy, i purchased gone girl just because trent and atticus are doing the music for the movie.

But man, it fucking blew my mind. It's definitely the creepiest thing i've read in a hot minute, and the "gimmick" is priceless.

Since i know i'm not the only geek here who would buy a cd of trent tapping a pencil on his desk, i know that several of you have read it.

What did you guys think? And, you know, let's hide the spoilers.

[elevenism]

Jesus, have ANY of you read it? SMH.

[ophelia_]

Like you, I only bought it because I knew Trenticus would be doing the sound track but I was pretty blown away by the book.

It's pretty fucked up, but a lot of it reminded me of a relationship I was in a few years back so it kinda got stuck in my head. By a long margin, this book stuck with me more than any others have. You know how you normally finish a book, think about it for an hour or so, maybe go online to see what other people thought, then move on to the next one? Well, I finished this book a few months back and it still plays on my mind.

The writing was pretty haunting with its simplicity, the way it got straight to the point without the bullshit that some authors hide behind. And as far as the storyline goes, it was really chilling... By the end of it, I hated both characters so much that I felt like they both got what they deserved.

[miss k bee]

Reading it at the moment, bought it before I heard TR was doing the soundtrack. Just got to the 'twist' in the and it's like gtfo, how fucked up could someone be!. But then with what's in the news at the moment, very fucked up.

[elevenism]

The "twist" is mind blowing, i thought!
And the writing, what are you guys thinking of the writing, miss k bee and ophelia_ ?
I thought that the writing was utterly exquisite. This Gillian Flynn lady can WRITE!

I have to admit, i kind of identified with Nick. He was a terrible prick, but i've made some mistakes in my day too.

I wondered if women identified with Amy. I almost felt like we were supposed to identify with the characters as like, the WORST versions of ourselves.

And i DEFINITELY think you are intended to see a little bit of one of your relationships in there. I think that's part of what made it so fucking creepy!

[elevenism]

By a long margin, this book stuck with me more than any others have.

Now THAT is a BIG compliment.
But i'm like you...this is one of the best books i've read in years.

Have you seen the casting yet? I saw Zachary Quinto as Desi. I mean, i SAW him! i wish they would have got him!
I guess Afflack will make a decent Nick. I kind of saw Nick as me, or maybe that guy from white collar.
The girl playing amy looks about right.

[ophelia_]

GOD DAMMIT! I wish Zachary Quinto was cast as Desi... At least the movie would have some eye-candy (not the point of the movie, I know, but still :P)
Ben Affleck isn't the greatest but he should be able to play that role pretty well. And agreed, the chick that plays Amy looks the part.

Her style of writing was absolutely amazing... She didn't have long winded, flowing, sophisticated sentences... She just got to the point in a really direct but thought-provoking way. If that makes any sense at all. It was really simplistic, but in a way you would relate to.

And yes, I did at times relate to Amy - and I think you're right, I think that was Flynns intention, for you to relate to the characters and their relationships. The stuff she was saying about being to "cool girl" was especially correct, I think. And makes me all the happier that I don't do that... If someone annoys me, I'm not going to be quiet to save face, I will always bring it up and let the person know how I feel. Example: in the book, Amy was having a dinner with her friends and Nick didn't show up and didn't give any explanation at the time of why he wasn't there. If my bf said he'd rock up to a dinner and just ditched it without letting me know, I'd be fucking pissed.
If that's what being a "cool girl" consists of... Then fuck that, haha.

I really liked the role that Amys parents had in the book, and how both Nick and Amy herself had different views of their affect on her growing up. It was a interesting side story to throw in there, and something that I think most authors wouldn't even think to include... So I wonder if Gillian Flynn maybe experienced something like that in her own life and that was her inspiration for that part of the book?

[miss k bee]

I don't identify with Amy at all, a bit too pleasing and try hard happy in the first half and then well.. but then the twist made sense. For some reason I am picturing Nick as the guy who plays Sam in True Blood, well looks wise.

[implanted_microchip]

I just finished it and have never felt this upset from a book before (I've read American Psycho, House of Leaves, all of the go to "disturbing" stuff). This whole thing seems like one long nightmare that no one ever woke up from.

[miss k bee]

Just finished it and feel like..wtff!

Maybe there should be a sequel?
don't know how someone as twisted as that would raise a child

[leo3375]

I know how I wanted it to end, and it's not how the book actually ended.

Nick has the concrete evidence that he was framed. He gives it to Go and Tanner for safe keeping. Nick demands a divorce and that Amy stay as far away from him as possible. If she refuses his request, he will present his evidence to the police.

The other way for it to end is Nick and Amy get into an epic physical altercation, with Amy going on the attack and Nick defending himself. He ends up actually killing Amy this time. However, the neighbors saw and heard the whole thing (or Go was there and saw it), so he has Amy's blood on his hands but he isn't guilty of murder because he was defending himself.

[BrokenSpiral]

Just finished the book. But I didn't really like the ending at all. A lot of build up for nothing.

[annosnake]

Just finished the book. But I didn't really like the ending at all. A lot of build up for nothing.

Same. I was excited and interested while reading it, but was expecting something more of the ending, even though it surprised me as well.

I had wanted him VERY much to kill her or put in prison in the end, but then I thought they both got what they deserved and maybe that's really one of those times when people are subconsciously happy in their, in our opinion, misery, and can't live without it.

[elevenism]

Did anyone else notice that the twin sister Go is just like Deb Morgan from Dexter? I mean, to me, it almost seems consciously so.

[elevenism]

sorry for the double post but i just realized something.
I read Gillian Flynn's debut novel, Sharp Objects, back in 07 or 08 and it fucking blew me away.
I wondered if it was the same book i read because of the title and the similar style so i looked it up, and sure enuff...
I REALLY love her writing.

[Sarah K]

Grabbed this at the airport the other day. 60 pages in... Kind of interesting, but not super exciting so far.

[elevenism]

Grabbed this at the airport the other day. 60 pages in... Kind of interesting, but not super exciting so far.

it gets really exciting...it's a gimmicky book and the gimmick is what's exciting

[liquidcalm]

I enjoyed most of the book, by the time I'd gotten into it, it was pace-y and the twists and turns enjoyable. I had some issues though...
I liked the end, I loved how the web of lies and plots entrapped the two together, they were both kinda dicks and kinda deserved each other really, although what I didn't like was that Amy killed the guy, she seemed too smart for that, and I understand she was desperate, but it seemed a step too far, and it made her out to be the 'real' bad guy of the piece.
I took some issue with the withheld information. I guess its just the style of the book, but I prefer stories to come out of character development, rather than characters just saying 'Oh yeah, I was cheating on her' halfway through part one.
None of that really detracted from the enjoyment of the book, and I'm looking forward to the film.

[Sarah K]

I didn't have much to do at work today, and I picked this back up. Plowed through about 100 pages. I'm about 20 pages deep into "Part Two" now. So, that escalated quickly!

[slave2thewage]

Just started on this now, since we're into the home stretch before the movie comes out. Seems to be interesting enough.

[Al_Hunter]

Just finished the book. But I didn't really like the ending at all. A lot of build up for nothing.

This. I was really disappointed by the end of the book. I read this as soon as I heard David Fincher/ Trent/ Atticus were involved. About 95% of the book was great but the end really just seemed to run out of steam for me.

[nothing8]

I don't think the book ended as well as it could have. It seems like it was just a "Ok I'm over it, let's wrap it up, boom boom POW" sort of thing. Even just a bit more development and detail into how everything was going to proceed at that point would have been great, especially seeing as I'm still scratching my head over the very last page of the book.

[Sarah K]

The first 1/3 was boring as fuck. Middle was interesting. Ending was stupid.

Meh.

The middle part should make a good movie, I think.

[Sarah K]

http://www.pinterest.com/gonegirlmovie/

Amy Dunne's Pintrest. Haha.

Also: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/05/gone-girl-movie-ending_n_5770776.html

[DVYDRNS]

I just got to the twist. Sheeeesh.

[Marie]

Borrowed it from my friend and was told I'd 'fly through it', I found it very tense and disturbing. My friend knows me really well. I really wanted to skip to the end and see what happened but I'm glad I didn't! I look forward to seeing the film when it arrives here.

[DVYDRNS]

Finished it this morning. Well that was... anticlimactic, to say the least. Either way it was an enjoyable read. I look forward to the film.

[Jon]

I picked this up from the library last week, and finished it less than 24 hours later. This normally doesn't happen these days due to kids, wife, etc.


The novel remained engaging throughout despite its simplistic, straight-forward narrative. I was admittedly not surprised by the Amy twist in part 2, and not shocked or confused by part 3.


The novel seems to be a small study in many things, but one of the main themes presented is the all-encompassing, destructive nature of a co-dependent (toxic) relationship. "Can't live with it, can't live without it", indeed.


Without adding too much personal detail, I will also say that being involved with law enforcement and the judicial system often does make you feel like you're re-enacting a movie or TV show.

[eversonpoe]

started the book last night at 11pm after i got home from the movie. got sleepy pretty fast but i'm really looking forward to reading it.

[implanted_microchip]

I wanted to bring this up here rather than the film thread because it really requires you to have read the book, so here I go (Obviously this is spoiler-filled):

Did anyone that saw the film notice how Nick gets the last word this time? I really love how they changed that. The final part of the book, Amy makes a point of even saying that her final entry has little to add, but she feels she deserves the last word, whereas the film lets it end with Nick's voice.

I almost think they did still change the ending, just in a really subtle way; taking the opening lines of the book, repeating them at the end of the film and closing on "What will we do?" as Nick runs his fingers through her hair, the pretty little skull he wants to bash in, really made me feel like it left it more open for you to wonder if Nick will end up doing something further to Amy.

[eversonpoe]

finished the book today.

there were certain parts i definitely felt were more detailed and more interesting, but i liked the movie better, overall. it was just so...visceral. i did like the end of the book a tiny bit better, though.

[Magtig]

[SPOILERS]

"This is what people like? Boy do I not have my finger on the pulse of America."

This entire book read like a cautionary tale about a psycho-bitch feminist penned by a MRA (Men's Rights Advocate, and yes I realize the author is female. There are female MRA's). I can just hear some douchebag in an argument using Amy as an example of those crazy/coy/succubus females who use their lopsided women-y rights to keep good white doods (with a couple flaws) like Nick down. I suppose you could point out that real psycho women out there exist. Fair enough, it's just that the book made such a point of mentioning Amy's feminist parents and Nick unconvincingly struggles with his own misogyny repeatedly.

Okay, fine you say, it's just a story not a political statement. Well, see, if we leave all those issues aside it's not that great a story either. I don't know about the movie, but good god about 70% of the book was incredibly dull. It felt like it went on and on. I spent the first half wishing for something, anything, unexpected to happen. Then the Amy twist happened, but that was one of the first things I had predicted, despite the cheap Nick fake-outs: "Unfortunately for Amy I had already made that decision." Riiight. Even if you didn't see that one coming the other 30% of the story seems to exist purely to put a black mark on your psyche (fucked up for the sake of being fucked up). If you liked Se7en you're good to go, but I hated it.

There are other random annoying anomalies: 90s Gen-X suckup references (Hasbro, ska and the Butthole Surfers bro). I know it's a reference to the whole ex-pop culture writer thing, but it feels so fucking contrived. Actually, it feels like the author is begging to be liked. Nick's an unlikeable idiot who we're told is funny, but he never actually is (hey, remember that show don't tell thing? That's in the book too!). Which reminds me: 2/3rd's of the main characters are writers; is that supposed to be a cute meta thing? It has to be, Gillian Flynn is a former Entertainment Weekly writer. People that enjoy the book will probably like that additional detail, but discovering it only added to my irritation.

Whatever. I will say this: it made me feel something: revulsion, disillusionment, cranky bowels (why do you think I'm bothering to write all this?). Things like this actually affect me. That's why I also hated Se7en. I realize that the dark side wins in real life, often even, but do I really want to add that weight to my own scarred mind with a mediocre gimmick book like this? No thanks. I'll never read anything by Flynn again.

[allegro]

There are other random annoying anomalies: 90s Gen-X suckup references (Hasbro, ska and the Butthole Surfers bro).
It's not funny you say that (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/schmich/ct-chicago-writers-schmich-met-1019-20141017-column.html).

"I'm trying to wean myself off my very Gen X abuse of the word 'literally,' " said Gillian Flynn, author of the phenomenon known as "Gone Girl." " 'Gone Girl,' " she went on, "contains at least 33 uses of the word, which is 32 more times than any single novel needs. I just have a deep, wrong love of that word; it's so punchy. I basically (literally) use it instead of an exclamation mark."

An interview with Flynn (http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/ct-gone-girl-gillian-flynn-20140925-77-column.html#page=1).


Flynn, who was pregnant at the time, retreated to her windowless basement office, Cheetos-stained keyboard and beloved crumbling desk (held together with knotted towels), and wrote a longish novel about a bad marriage. The titular character, Amy, who has spent her life crested in privilege and goodwill, goes missing; Nick, her philandering journalist husband who lost his job, becomes the suspect, a target for everyone from the media to Amy herself. And so, not unlike Judith Flynn, who read "Sharp Objects" and its sadistic mother-daughter relationship and called her daughter ("Honey, is there anything you wanted to say to me?"), her husband read a draft and asked his wife of then-two years: "Uh, do we need to talk?" Flynn (in both cases) laughed. She told him to mark anything too close to home (but he didn't request any changes).


"Nothing in (the book) was specific to my marriage," she said. "I was more fascinated with how true crime is covered, how in the face of nothing happening for months, TV makes its own narrative." (Her screenplay for the film would eventually include a line, spoken by Affleck, seemingly commenting on his own years in the bull's-eye: "They disliked me, then they liked me. They hated me, and now they love me.") Brown, who read a draft, found "little gems of criticism running through the book, seeming to crystallize everything: The way that female characters are never allowed to own their darkness in pop culture, the recessionary mood of the country, a certain kind of guy who is permanently in transition, all bound up into a marriage/media critique."

[M1ke]

I just finished reading this, but haven't seen the movie yet.

I knew about the twist in the middle before I started reading it, but the thing that I really liked was that I was convinced enough by Amy's diary that I still started to doubt that the spoiler was right. Enough details, and some of them being corroborated (the fear of blood), that I was starting to believe that he really had killed her.

And I might go back and re-read it, but I'm sure that at one point before Nick finds out that Amy is pregnant he says that he was the one that didn't want kids. I even remember him beating himself up over not being able to admit it to her parents. But maybe I'm wrong, and maybe I'm confusing that with parts of Amy's diary.

Neither of the two in the story are honest people. Are we sure that what we read was really a story told by two people? Or were we just reading Nicks side of the story the whole time?

[madmanfloyd]

I picked up this book yesterday to read over winter break and have heard nothing but good things so far. Can't wait!!!

[fillow]

Obligatory spoiler alert

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzYx9bYHxKo

[sketchymagpie]

I read it a couple of years ago and it's definitely one of my all time favourites. I've enjoyed pretty much all of Gillian Flynn's books, to varying degrees, but I always miss the humour that's present in this one.

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