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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
I obviously know about the permanently-famous Gone Girl book, written by Gilllian Flynn. However, I’ve never read the book nor watched the movie (something that I don’t like doing if I feel like the book is worth my reading time). So while searching the shelves of English titles, I saw this little thing.
It’s a pretty small book, with a nice cover. I decided to take it home with me without reading the summary (as I often do). It took me a few months to get to it, but when I did, I read it in one sitting. After all, it’s a tiny book and the beginning of the story is very well developed. Like I said, I didn’t read the back cover for the summary, so I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
The unnamed protagonist is a street-smart and, to some degree, a book-smart person that has no shame whatsoever in conning people for a living. That already makes a great plot start. As the book progresses and we start to visit the Mansion where most of the story takes place… Well… Things start to fall apart.
And that ending was very disappointing, specially for the speed it was delivered. Maybe if we had more built up between the two possible versions of what really happened in the Mansion, the dubious ending could’ve been amazing, but as it is written… Pfff. Totally eye-rolling.
Do I recommend it? Maybe, but just because of the beginning. Many nice lessons about character development there. Other than that, no.
It’s a pretty small book, with a nice cover. I decided to take it home with me without reading the summary (as I often do). It took me a few months to get to it, but when I did, I read it in one sitting. After all, it’s a tiny book and the beginning of the story is very well developed. Like I said, I didn’t read the back cover for the summary, so I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
The unnamed protagonist is a street-smart and, to some degree, a book-smart person that has no shame whatsoever in conning people for a living. That already makes a great plot start. As the book progresses and we start to visit the Mansion where most of the story takes place… Well… Things start to fall apart.
And that ending was very disappointing, specially for the speed it was delivered. Maybe if we had more built up between the two possible versions of what really happened in the Mansion, the dubious ending could’ve been amazing, but as it is written… Pfff. Totally eye-rolling.
Do I recommend it? Maybe, but just because of the beginning. Many nice lessons about character development there. Other than that, no.
Such a great short story with so many plot twists leaving you wanting and wishing there was more!
A well written short story with a comical creepiness woven throughout.
Thoroughly enjoyed the protagonist and her blunt and cheeky way of describing things. I was roped in by the creepy middle of the book, but the ending left much to be desired. Felt almost like Flynn didn't know how to end it so she just gave up.
I loved this little book. I don't want to give away too much, but this is a pretty close to perfect haunted house story for people who don't believe in hauntings.
It's really a short story from a collection George R.R. Martin put together called Rogues. But it's a fun read with a shifty narrator and some nice twists, as you'd expect from Flynn. Is it a ghost story, a thriller, a story of evil, of karma? Well, maybe all of these, maybe not. She leaves it to you to decide.
Started off great, but gets weaker as the story unfolds.
This is an initially humorous, then very suspenseful short story with Flynn style twisted characters. Our narrator opens with the already well known description of getting carpal tunnel syndrome from giving too many hand jobs as a sex worker, but what also made me laugh out loud was her justification for her "chosen profession":
"I mean, I would rather be a librarian but I worry about the job security. Books may be temporary - dicks are forever."
Her description of depressed middle classe women once she takes on clients as a clairvoyant is scathing but probably not entirely wrong:
"Come on! Big house in the city, husbands who didn't beat them and helped with the kids. Sometimes with careers but always with book club. And still they felt sad. That's what they always ended up saying: "But I'm just sad." Feeling sad means having too much time on your hands, usually."
Finally, I got a good chuckle out of this one (and I'm sure my fabulous friend, Jennifer, won't take exception):
"My boss, Vivica, is a former receptionist and a current bona fide palm reader, although 'Viviva' isn't her bona fide name. Her bona fide name is 'Jennifer' but people don't believe that 'Jennifers' can tell the future. 'Jennifer' can tell you which cute shoes to buy or what farmers market to visit, but they should keep their hands off other people's futures."
Well, after this little nugget the story becomes a lot more serious and sinister but also more compelling. Read it in one sitting; it won't take more than an hour and it will give you the chills.
"I mean, I would rather be a librarian but I worry about the job security. Books may be temporary - dicks are forever."
Her description of depressed middle classe women once she takes on clients as a clairvoyant is scathing but probably not entirely wrong:
"Come on! Big house in the city, husbands who didn't beat them and helped with the kids. Sometimes with careers but always with book club. And still they felt sad. That's what they always ended up saying: "But I'm just sad." Feeling sad means having too much time on your hands, usually."
Finally, I got a good chuckle out of this one (and I'm sure my fabulous friend, Jennifer, won't take exception):
"My boss, Vivica, is a former receptionist and a current bona fide palm reader, although 'Viviva' isn't her bona fide name. Her bona fide name is 'Jennifer' but people don't believe that 'Jennifers' can tell the future. 'Jennifer' can tell you which cute shoes to buy or what farmers market to visit, but they should keep their hands off other people's futures."
Well, after this little nugget the story becomes a lot more serious and sinister but also more compelling. Read it in one sitting; it won't take more than an hour and it will give you the chills.