November 05, 2013

On My Shelf: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn


I really enjoyed reading Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. Camille Preaker was intoxicating. I couldn’t get enough of her! She was so real, hauntingly so, that I wanted to know her, occasionally related to her, was horrified for her, and even pitied her. I don’t know if pity is what Gillian Flynn was going for, but she got it anyway!

Dark Places was . . . well, dark! Everything about this story was just so dark that I would cringe. As I was reading it, there were times when I was appalled and reminded that things like this do happen in the world. I felt my stomach knot several times while reading this book and was afraid of having bad dreams a few times. I bet Gillian Flynn will be happy with that outcome! ;)

Gone Girl was also a very good book; highlighting the secrets in a marriage and making you question how much you really know people in your life. This story is also a great portrayal of what could happen if you’re suspected of murder. I don’t know if it was intentional, but several times I was reminded of Casey Anthony. Surely, I’m not the only one who noticed some similarities?

Anyway, Gillian Flynn does a great job hiding who is the killer and who is telling the truth in Gone Girl. She also did a wonderful job revealing a character’s psychosis to the point where you just can’t believe the character did those things.

However, there was one thing that slightly ruined the story for me.

Image by Chrys Fey.

Don’t read any further if you plan on reading Gone Girl because I am going to talk about the end.

I’ve warned you!

At the end of Gone Girl, we find out all the answers to our lingering questions and know all the secrets, so that’s good. What I have a problem with is right when we think Nick will get his revenge for being framed for his wife’s fake murder, he doesn’t. And no matter how much I think about it I can’t wrap my head around the fact that he stays with Amy after everything. It doesn’t seem right or fair. Certainly, he shouldn’t have to be put through the torture of being with her for the rest of his life, but that is what Gillian Flynn does. 

Maybe I’m old-fashioned when it comes to the ending of books, but I want the satisfaction of the good guy winning and the bad guy losing: I wanted Nick to be free and Amy to be punished! The ending was a disappointment for me, but I still GREATLY enjoyed the book.

TIP: We can’t always please all our readers all the time, but try not to deny them justice when it’s needed.
Now if you’re Gillian Flynn you can ignore that tip. ;) 


QUESTION: Have you read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn? What did you think of the ending?

I noticed a lot of reviews where people said Nick and Amy deserved each other and what they got, but I felt differently. Nick isn't a very good person, he did wrong, but I still felt bad for him. Hmm . . .


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16 comments:

  1. I don't always need happy ending because they aren't always realistic, so that ending wouldn't ruin the book for me. Of course, I now know the ending so I probably won't read the book. lol You gave me fair warning though. ;)

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    1. I have to say I do enjoy a happy ending, but not all the time. For me, with this story, I just really wanted justice! lol

      Oh dear! Even though you know the ending now it's still worth a read.

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  2. Sometimes I like books and movies that don't end the way you would want or expect. That way I don't feel like...
    "Oh so here we go, I got this down don't really need to invest more time into this thing"
    Instead it is feeling like...
    "Wow never saw that coming, that kinda sucked for them, but at least I didn't see it coming."
    If my rambling thoughts make sense just let me know, if not...just pretend so you wont hurt my feelings!

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    1. Surprise endings are the best! I have used surprise endings occasionally with my writing and enjoy them immensely, but this whole book was pretty much a twisty-turny good surprise, so I really wanted an ending that could bring the book to a satisfying end.

      lol No worries. I am fluent in rambling thoughts. :P

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  3. Chrys, you are not the only one who felt that way about the ending (you can just head over to Goodreads and see what I mean, lol). I wanted revenge for Nick as well. Like you, I like to see the villain get what's coming to them but then on another note; do you think we're being set up for a sequel? That's the first thing that came to mind for me. But then again, I guess time will tell. I also liked Dark Places.

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    1. I didn't read many reviews but the ones I did read said Nick got what he deserved too and I didn't think he did. I am relived to hear that you also wanted Amy to pay.

      I don't think there's going to be a sequel. To me, there doesn't seem to be any more story left. Unless they do end up killing each other. Now that would make a good book! lol

      Out of all three of her books I liked Sharp Objects the most.

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  4. LOL on the spoiler alert, but I'm one who wants happy endings, too! It may not always happen in real life but at least it does in books and I can let go of a book feeling more inspired, if that even made sense haha! :-D

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    1. I think it's because happy endings don't often happen in real life why a lot of people like them in books, because they give us a little hope. I may put my characters through all sorts of hell, but I believe in happy endings. :)

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  5. I haven't read this book yet, Chrys, so I stopped at the spoiler. But by reading everyone's comments, I'm a sucker at heart. As much as I say I like a little variety in my endings, I always like a happy one. Just last night I was watching The Vow and after Leo and Paige were divorced, I said to myself, "Oh gosh, please don't be a sad ending.." LOL

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    1. I'm glad you stopped before the spoiler because Gone Girl is worth reading without already knowing the end. I think you'd like, and would deeply affected, by Gillian Flynn's books.

      I haven't watched The Vow, but I want to! :)

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  6. I loved this book. I will try not to repeat the same accolades from the other reviews: great characters, character-driven plot, clever use of point of view, the fun of unreliable narrators and unexpected twists.

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  7. Twists and turns and no way to know what comes next. Very good read. Could not put it down, read far into the night.

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    1. It certainly was a tough book to put down. :)

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  8. The book kept me wanting more but the author didn't know how to end the story...unless there will be a book where it left off. But otherwise would recommend it!

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    1. I'm glad I'm not the only one who wasn't satisfied with the end. ;)

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