I spent the weekend completely ensconced in Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, which had been recommended to me by, among others, my pal Katie Williams (who brought the book to my house! As a present!).
I was so ensconced that at separate points both my husband and my kid attempted to distract me (L. shoved another book in my face and demanded that I read; B. just said “Hi” over and over again until I looked up) in a vain attempt to get me to pay attention to them instead. It didn’t really work. I found the novel, a murder mystery with two very unreliable narrators, to be a total page-turner.
Of course I had to think about my statement last entry that above all these days I need to connect with and feel sympathy for a novel’s characters. Because somehow, in Gone Girl, Flynn gets you to simultaneously root for and hate both the main characters, Nick and Amy. And I thought it was brilliant.
I won’t say any more, lest I ruin it.
One caveat: my mom, who reads a lot of murder mysteries (Ruth Rendell etc.) declared that she “hated” this book. She found it predictable and boring. And I thought, since she’s my mom and all, that I should inform you.
Happy reading!
Have had this on my ‘to read’ list for awhile.
Must read it soon now 🙂
I just read this last month and LOVED it! I didn’t find it predictable at all LOL.
I didn’t either, but that Pam Meserve is pretty shrewd. : )
I didn’t hate Nick until the very end! I think I may have a blind spot when it comes to men…
I just had this conversation with Rachel. Nick came off as much more sympathetic than she did. I didn’t really _dislike_ him, exactly. It all felt a little misogynistic, like, that’s right, women ARE just psycho bitches. That can’t have been Flynn’s intention. I mean, they were both crazy, but…I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore. : )
Coincidentally, I too read it this weekend. Enjoyed it very much and found myself falling prey to its plot contrivances, mouth agape.
Jim Sidel
Has anyone seen the documentary, “Crazy Love”? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790706/
I have not…but it looks apt.
I enjoyed listening to its Audio Book.. quite interesting.