Gone Girl

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Nick and Amy Dunne have it all - a perfect marriage, a house in New York, glamorous lives. Yet after they both lose their jobs unexpectedly, they discover that their relationship is not as strong as it seems. Nick decides to move to his hometown, North Carthage, Missouri to care for his parents - and Amy acquiesces reluctantly. And then, on the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary, Amy disappears without a trace - and the mounting evidence implicates Nick, his guilt more obvious with each passing day. Did Nick really murder Amy? Or is there a darker, deeper secret behind Amy's disappearance?

It is impossible to talk about this book without giving away key plot points - so fair warning, spoilers ahead! The tagline of the book reads 'There are two sides to every story' - and that is exactly how the book is structured. The two sides of the story - Nick's story, starting with the morning of Amy's disappearance, and Amy's story, by means of extracts from her journal going back seven years.  Even in his own narration, Nick comes across as a self-absorbed, selfish person - and his web of lies is alarming. Struggling with his feelings about his misogynist, abusive father, trying not be like him - Nick seems to be the most comfortable when being adored and indulged by the women in his life - his mother and his twin sister, the weirdly nick-named Go, are his biggest fan club.

Amy's journal - starting with her meet-cute with Nick and their subsequent falling in love seven months later to an entry few days before her disappearance claiming she is afraid that Nick may kill her - is a portrayal of a marriage gone terribly wrong. Although not entirely blameless - a little too needy, trying too hard to be the perfect wife - Amy still seems to be the only person really working at this marriage. And following Nick's mom's death, Nick seems to morph into an unfeeling, uncaring monster, his behavior bordering precariously on domestic violence. Having used his wife's money to set himself and his twin sister up in business, Nick resents his wife for helping him - and his unnaturally calm composure after Amy's disappearance is highly suspicious.

And then, wham! Part 2 begins with the shocking realization that everything the reader has learnt about Nick and Amy may not be entirely true! Amy is alive and well and has hatched a diabolical scheme to frame her husband for her own murder - a year of planning including writing seven year's worth of fake diary entries!! What??!!! All those fuzzy 'Dear Diaries' are a setup!! And Nick's secret? No surprises there - he's been having an affair with a woman 10 years younger than him, and he was planning to ask Amy for a divorce on the day she disappeared!! How's that for motive?? To complete the picture of Amy as a sociopath, we are introduced to a couple of people from her past who she has 'punished' for not living upto her expectations!!

Then, the author seems to forget that she has built up Amy as a super-intelligent, savvy woman - and puts her in situations that are absolutely ridiculous! Seriously, when you are in hiding while pretending to be dead, you do not befriend the people staying at your lonely bed-and-breakfast, you do not flash your fat money-belt when you're with them and then you don't let these 'friends' into your room, so that they can rob you without even a struggle! Dumb, dumb, dumb! And then after Nick figures out he's being framed, his master plan to find Amy? He goes on national TV, and accepts his guilt, accepts that he is a scumbag, and would Amy please, please forgive him and come back, so that he could make it up to her? And you know what - it works! Amy sees the interview, melts into a puddle, and decides to return - not before she casually destroys someone else's life! So then, is she a brilliant sociopath or is she a complete idiot - very confusing!!

Nick and Amy are probably the worst ever book characters I have ever met - and while the book was compelling enough to keep reading, I simply could not find it in me to root for either of them. Their problems are the problems of the self-centered, entitled, affluent and bored people - lost your job, well suck it up, and stop whining about the big, bad Internet, Nick! Too fancy for the solid middle-class with their casseroles and wall-to-wall carpets - well, guess what, Amy, not everyone has a trust fund and a brownstone in New York with a view of the river!! And please, how can you not know how much a gallon of milk costs - oblivious much?? I just cannot decide which of them disgusted me more!!

As for the ending, it was way too ambiguous and vague for me - a non-ending is what it is. So after all the cheating, lying, scheming, framing, killing and whatnot - we're expected to believe that Amy and Nick are settling into cozy parenthood - "on the eve of becoming the world's best, brightest nuclear family"!! Suddenly, the sleaze bag Nick is holier-than-thou, sticking it out with his "psycho bitch wife" for the sake of his baby? What kind of father does he imagine he's going to be? Ooh, he gave up his girlfriend, and he's taking care of his pregnant wife - let's give him a halo, and 'Husband of the Year' while we're at it!! Did not like the ending. At all.

The book is a psychological thriller - and it is a nail-biting read - but it will leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. I like Flynn's style of writing - could have done with a little less of the smutty talk, though. Her language is very descriptive, very visual - and the plot for the most part, is tautly written. Of course, a fast-paced crime novel like this one literally screams 'Film adaptation' - will be very interesting to see how this nasty story plays out on the big screen!! I'm still not completely sure if I would recommend this - read it if the genre appeals to you - it's definitely not Happy Reading!!