Book Club: Gone Girl

Does the picture look ominous? Good.

I’d been hearing a lot about Gone Girl lately, mostly due to the release of the movie adaptation of the novel starring Ben Affleck. I wasn’t sure if I’d be rushing out to see the film in theaters, but I was still curious and hadn’t picked up a book (outside of all the novels I read for my two literature classes) in a really long time. So I bought Gillian Flynn’s novel, started reading it on a Thursday night, and spent the entirety of Friday on my bed, switching from reading position to reading position (leaning on my side, lying on my stomach, sitting upright with my nose nearly touching the pages) until the book was finished. I devoured it. 

The premise for the novel is fairly simple, at first. We’re introduced to Nick Dunne on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary in the opening chapter; the next chapter turns out to be a diary entry from his wife, describing the night the pair met. The narration returns to Nick, who encounters a mysterious scene at his house: The front door is wide open, the iron is on, things are overturned in the living room, and his wife is nowhere to be found.

Now the mystery really begins. Nick tells his side of the story, while his wife’s diary entries recount their experiences as husband and wife and the increasing tensions in their relationship. The search for Amy Dunne is on, and I was practically breathless as I followed the clues leading to a twist I couldn't see coming until it hit me in the face. I haven’t seen the movie, but I recommend this novel five times over. If I could erase my memory of the novel so I could read it a second time, I would. Gillian Flynn does a remarkable job of creating extremely well-developed, emotionally complex characters not only in Nick and Amy Dunne, but in their family and friends too. Grab this book and read it before it’s Gone. Ha, ha. That didn't even sound funny as I was typing it. But really, if you’re looking for a book you won’t want to put down, read Gone Girl. I was clinging on every word until the final page.