Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn


It usually so happens such that I first read the book and then watch the movie. But in this case, I first saw the movie and after about 3 months, read the book. And ever since, "I will do a Gone Girl on you", has been my favorite expression to throw at my husband, to mock threaten him. The best part and also the worst part of reading a book after watching the movie is you just imagine the actors faces when reading the book. Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck are just perfect for the characters.

Gone Girl is easily one of the best books that I have read till date. Gillian Flynn has so brilliantly captured the characters that you just can't believe that they are fictitious -even though Amy is someone whom you just can't believe that she actually exists. And there lies the brilliance of the author. By now, am sure you all know the basic outline of the story -Amy Elliot Dunn disappears from her house on her 5th wedding anniversary and her husband becomes a prime suspect. The story keeps shifting between Nick's narrative, Amy's diary and Amy's narrative.

Some of Gillians ideas and theories are so hard hitting that I think they will always resonate with me. She says, through Nick, how nothing is novel to us anymore. The advent of information overload and its easy accessibility has robbed of the joy of experiencing something new for the first time. There is no novelty in say, seeing a lion or a hummingbird or a rare blossom or a dolphin for the very first time in person, because somewhere or the other, we would have seen it in the TV or a magazine or in the internet. Gillian also talks about the so called "Cool girl" concept through Amy. How many of us try to be the cool girl -the girl who follows sports, who doesn't mind if the guy keeps hanging out with his friends, who does not nag and so on -just to impress the guy.

These snippets of brilliance are just a bonus because the plot itself is so tight. The way the author explains the mental machinations of Nick and Amy are just too good. And, after a very long time, I read a whole book -front to back, without missing even a single word. No wastage of words here. No unnecessary tangents or boring descriptions. It was such a novelty for me to read each and every word in the book without skipping paragraphs, and sometimes, even pages.

To create an arresting novel with just 2 main characters and not more than 5 major supporting characters is possible only if the main characters keep you hooked. And Amy and Nick manage to do that in aces.

Amy is now my favorite fictional character. I find myself thinking about her, every time someone wrongs me. I don't want to say anything more about the plot, lest I spoil the story. Please don't miss reading this book and I assure you that you will be happy that you did. Definitely a must read book. Now, I feel like watching the movie again -because I have better insight to the characters. Talk about getting obsessed about fictional people. Sigh.

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