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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
one of the best books i've ever read. Character development is SUPERB. I still think about the "cool girl monologue" every single day.
Find me someone you can hate/love more than Amy.
Find me someone you can hate/love more than Amy.
I really enjoyed this book! I downloaded on my kindle while on vacation and I finished it in two days! I love that there is a big twist about half-way through the book. I definitely recommend it if you love a good mystery!
I want to write a proper review for this one. i'll probably do it later
This terrible book full of terrible people is also stuffed with miserable cliches. What a waste of time.
3.5 stars
that ending...i’m in shock. i guess i’m ending 2019 with a mind fuck
that ending...i’m in shock. i guess i’m ending 2019 with a mind fuck
This book review, like all my other reviews, can also be found on my Wordpress blog: Bookshelves & Paperbacks.
I’m probably one of the last people on the planet to read this book. It’s been on my TBR list for the longest time - ever since it was first released in 2013, actually - but I just very recently got around to reading it. I had tried to avoid spoilers, and I thought I was successful in doing so, but after reading the book, I realized that I had been spoiled a long time ago without even knowing it. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the novel. I thought it was very well-thought out. The characters were fantastic, and Gillian Flynn is a talented writer who I will definitely be reading more of.
Plot:
The plot didn’t blow me away, to be honest, but that’s mainly because I knew the major plot twist beforehand. That does not mean that it wasn’t good, because it was. Had I not known, I would’ve probably given this book a higher rating. Flynn did a fantastic job of setting up a scene and digging deeper into it through various different ways. I enjoyed how she incorporated flashbacks into the ongoing story-line. I enjoyed the switching perspectives, and I thought they added several different dimensions to the plot and the characters. It’s a big book, but I went through it in two days because I was completely engrossed. Gillian Flynn set up a great atmosphere for the novel, and she was very consistent with it throughout, which is difficult to do without sounding gimicky.
The strange, dark picture Flynn paints of marriage and its dissolution was interesting. I can’t say I relate because I’m not married, but it was still a lot of fun to read, and it was very thought-provoking at some points.
My main problem with the book lies in how it ended. I wasn’t satisfied with how it ended. I didn’t think it sent a great message (although, I am aware that books are not necessarily supposed to project a certain moral message, I still think it could’ve been handled in a better way.) There was a lot of twisted misandry, disguised under the garb of feminism, used which made me a little uncomfortable- and this misandry factored into how the book ended, and it just really pissed me off. I bet this doesn’t make any sense unless you’ve read the book, but there it is.
Characters:
For me, what drove this novel above and beyond an ordinary mystery novel was the characters. Both the protagonists are unlikable and messed up on so many different levels, but despite this, you are completely invested in them. Their back-stories were very strong and believable. They had very distinct personalities and the reader got a true sense of what drives these people, what is at stake for them, how they think and why they do what they do.
Nick Dunne was an interesting character. Throughout the book, I didn’t really like him much, but I sympathized with him. I also pitied him somewhat, and this sympathy is what kept me reading the novel. His wife, Amy Dunne, is perhaps one of my favorite characters in literature now, because she’s so infinitely complex. I’ve read a ton of reviews talking about how much people love Amy, and how she’s the perfect anti-hero, but I would respectfully disagree. I do not love Amy Dunne, nor do I think she’s an anti-hero; I think she is twisted and evil, and she is a villain. There is nothing even semi-heroic about her. I like her as much as I like Joffrey from A Song of Ice and Fire, but I recognize that she’s a fantastically constructed character.
I was surprised by the amount of depth Flynn put into her secondary characters. Usually in novels, they are just used as props to advance the plot, and even though they did play a huge part in plot development, they also offered unique insight into our main characters, which was something I greatly appreciated.
Writing Style:
I think Gillian Flynn is a fantastic writer. She’s very imaginative and the way she sets the tone of her novel and keeps it consistent throughout is very commendable. Even though I was somewhat spoiled for this novel, her writing kept me at the edge of my seat and I stuck with the book until the end. I do think that sometimes she told a lot more than she showed, but I feel like because this was such a complex, twisty plot, that was somewhat necessary. But otherwise, she did a top notch job and I will definitely be reading her other books.
I’m probably one of the last people on the planet to read this book. It’s been on my TBR list for the longest time - ever since it was first released in 2013, actually - but I just very recently got around to reading it. I had tried to avoid spoilers, and I thought I was successful in doing so, but after reading the book, I realized that I had been spoiled a long time ago without even knowing it. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the novel. I thought it was very well-thought out. The characters were fantastic, and Gillian Flynn is a talented writer who I will definitely be reading more of.
Plot:
The plot didn’t blow me away, to be honest, but that’s mainly because I knew the major plot twist beforehand. That does not mean that it wasn’t good, because it was. Had I not known, I would’ve probably given this book a higher rating. Flynn did a fantastic job of setting up a scene and digging deeper into it through various different ways. I enjoyed how she incorporated flashbacks into the ongoing story-line. I enjoyed the switching perspectives, and I thought they added several different dimensions to the plot and the characters. It’s a big book, but I went through it in two days because I was completely engrossed. Gillian Flynn set up a great atmosphere for the novel, and she was very consistent with it throughout, which is difficult to do without sounding gimicky.
The strange, dark picture Flynn paints of marriage and its dissolution was interesting. I can’t say I relate because I’m not married, but it was still a lot of fun to read, and it was very thought-provoking at some points.
My main problem with the book lies in how it ended. I wasn’t satisfied with how it ended. I didn’t think it sent a great message (although, I am aware that books are not necessarily supposed to project a certain moral message, I still think it could’ve been handled in a better way.) There was a lot of twisted misandry, disguised under the garb of feminism, used which made me a little uncomfortable- and this misandry factored into how the book ended, and it just really pissed me off. I bet this doesn’t make any sense unless you’ve read the book, but there it is.
Characters:
For me, what drove this novel above and beyond an ordinary mystery novel was the characters. Both the protagonists are unlikable and messed up on so many different levels, but despite this, you are completely invested in them. Their back-stories were very strong and believable. They had very distinct personalities and the reader got a true sense of what drives these people, what is at stake for them, how they think and why they do what they do.
Nick Dunne was an interesting character. Throughout the book, I didn’t really like him much, but I sympathized with him. I also pitied him somewhat, and this sympathy is what kept me reading the novel. His wife, Amy Dunne, is perhaps one of my favorite characters in literature now, because she’s so infinitely complex. I’ve read a ton of reviews talking about how much people love Amy, and how she’s the perfect anti-hero, but I would respectfully disagree. I do not love Amy Dunne, nor do I think she’s an anti-hero; I think she is twisted and evil, and she is a villain. There is nothing even semi-heroic about her. I like her as much as I like Joffrey from A Song of Ice and Fire, but I recognize that she’s a fantastically constructed character.
I was surprised by the amount of depth Flynn put into her secondary characters. Usually in novels, they are just used as props to advance the plot, and even though they did play a huge part in plot development, they also offered unique insight into our main characters, which was something I greatly appreciated.
Writing Style:
I think Gillian Flynn is a fantastic writer. She’s very imaginative and the way she sets the tone of her novel and keeps it consistent throughout is very commendable. Even though I was somewhat spoiled for this novel, her writing kept me at the edge of my seat and I stuck with the book until the end. I do think that sometimes she told a lot more than she showed, but I feel like because this was such a complex, twisty plot, that was somewhat necessary. But otherwise, she did a top notch job and I will definitely be reading her other books.
4,5 stars
Probably the most fucked up book I ever read.
After letting this book sink down a little bit and process what happened I'm still really impressed that Gillian Flynn wrote such a fascinating thriller. The relationship between Nick and Amy is the prime example for a dysfunctional relationship.
The story is driven by one question: Who killed Amy Dunne? This was the question that kept me reading page after page and I definitely did not guess the big revelations in the story. As I said, this book is sick. It shows you that sometimes the people that seem most put together are the ones that have the most darkness inside of them. I just loved all the twisted moments and turns the story took and how the story unravel bit by bit. Especially the mystery and the "detective" element is what made it so interesting to me. Although Gone Girl definitely was a thrilling read I was kind of hoping for a more explosive ending, especially because the book and the movie were just hyped up so much.
Probably the most fucked up book I ever read.
After letting this book sink down a little bit and process what happened I'm still really impressed that Gillian Flynn wrote such a fascinating thriller. The relationship between Nick and Amy is the prime example for a dysfunctional relationship.
The story is driven by one question: Who killed Amy Dunne? This was the question that kept me reading page after page and I definitely did not guess the big revelations in the story. As I said, this book is sick. It shows you that sometimes the people that seem most put together are the ones that have the most darkness inside of them. I just loved all the twisted moments and turns the story took and how the story unravel bit by bit. Especially the mystery and the "detective" element is what made it so interesting to me. Although Gone Girl definitely was a thrilling read I was kind of hoping for a more explosive ending, especially because the book and the movie were just hyped up so much.
4/5 stars
Even though I guessed quite a bit of the ending (somehow, my detective skills were on point reading this), I still really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged, and I genuinely felt for Libby (not many of the other characters, though, which was a shame) and Lyle.
The mystery was very interesting, although I kind of dreaded Ben's chapters for reasons understandable if you read the book. His narration was quite unreliable at times, I found, but I still enjoyed his chapters. They were just hard to read at times.
I was pleased with the ending, and I felt like it did come to a good conclusion, although there were a few loose ends that still somehow managed to make the ending feel even better. It made it feel like their story was going to carry on after the events at the end, if that makes sense. Most books end like BAM. DONE. NOTHING MORE AFTER THIS. But this one was very open.
Even though I guessed quite a bit of the ending (somehow, my detective skills were on point reading this), I still really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged, and I genuinely felt for Libby (not many of the other characters, though, which was a shame) and Lyle.
I was pleased with the ending, and I felt like it did come to a good conclusion, although there were a few loose ends that still somehow managed to make the ending feel even better. It made it feel like their story was going to carry on after the events at the end, if that makes sense. Most books end like BAM. DONE. NOTHING MORE AFTER THIS. But this one was very open.
Full review posted
I’m writing a review after like 16 years of absence, wow, how does this reviewing thing work again?
I was honestly worried about starting this book bc from what I gathered, people only had a few things to say about it:
- It’s so slow in pacing, you’ll die
- THE ENDDDDDDDIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG
- What the frick happened to the author
- Spoilers, spoilers, spoilers
And while I somehow miraculously managed to avoid the spoilers, I can confirm that everything above is in fact the truth.
I was actually motivated to read this book sooner than I expected bc I heard it was being turned into a movie and even though I RARELY watch movies, I wasn’t even gonna risk those fricken spoilers in the trailer. Bc we all know movies trailers are crap but to spoil EVERYTHING.
Now let’s talk about this fricken messed up book
- Get ready for manipulation
- The author has a really scary mind and I don’t want to meet her bc I CANT POSSIBLY IMAGINE WHAT SHE’D BE THINKING AT THAT MOMENT
- Its amazing tho
- The plot, the mystery, the buildup, it’s crafted so bloody well
- It’s long yes, the pacing is slow but with the audiobook I was able to finish it in a few daysdon’t look at my start and finish date bc my brain put it on hold for a while
- ITS SO FRICKEN MANIPULATIVE
- Trust. Issues. You. Will. Develop.
- Everyone is the book needs therapy
- Or to like not exist bc theyre all awful people
- EVERYONE genuinely needs to STOP
- What thE FRICK WAS THAT ENDING LIKE YOU CANT END A BOOK LIKE THAT ARE YOU NUTS
- The creation of the mystery tho
- So well done
- Im shook at how well she was able to make this story come together
- Every little detail matters and it just makes so much sense as you read
- I will never trust anyone after this book bye
- Now while the ending might not be FANTASTICLY SHOCKING, it’s more of something that sits with you and marinates in your mind
- Like you’ll be having a nice sweet breakfast on a beautiful summer day and you sit down with your cereal and then you be like hold up, gone girl ending, what – that HAPPENED FRICK IT HAPPENED and then you will sit in denial, staring at your cereal bowl as it gets soggy
- Wow that’s so sad :( what could be worse than soggy cereal
- The characters in this book, that’s what
- The ending simultaneously pissed me off and had me shook
- So, book you won, I lost.
“There’s something disturbing about recalling a warm memory and feeling utterly cold.”
4 stars!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
so, this book thinks its so cute with its '415 page'd description like omg you could probably finish it in a day and a half bUT NO LET ME TELL YOU THE TRUTH
the pages are HUGE and the letters are like font SIZED 4 and iM HERE FOR THE PAST 70 PAGES LIKE
anyways besides that im enjoying it and somehow i've managed to avoid all spoilers so #blessed
I’m writing a review after like 16 years of absence, wow, how does this reviewing thing work again?
I was honestly worried about starting this book bc from what I gathered, people only had a few things to say about it:
- It’s so slow in pacing, you’ll die
- THE ENDDDDDDDIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG
- What the frick happened to the author
- Spoilers, spoilers, spoilers
And while I somehow miraculously managed to avoid the spoilers, I can confirm that everything above is in fact the truth.
I was actually motivated to read this book sooner than I expected bc I heard it was being turned into a movie and even though I RARELY watch movies, I wasn’t even gonna risk those fricken spoilers in the trailer. Bc we all know movies trailers are crap but to spoil EVERYTHING.
Now let’s talk about this fricken messed up book
- Get ready for manipulation
- The author has a really scary mind and I don’t want to meet her bc I CANT POSSIBLY IMAGINE WHAT SHE’D BE THINKING AT THAT MOMENT
- Its amazing tho
- The plot, the mystery, the buildup, it’s crafted so bloody well
- It’s long yes, the pacing is slow but with the audiobook I was able to finish it in a few days
- ITS SO FRICKEN MANIPULATIVE
- Trust. Issues. You. Will. Develop.
- Everyone is the book needs therapy
- Or to like not exist bc theyre all awful people
- EVERYONE genuinely needs to STOP
- What thE FRICK WAS THAT ENDING LIKE YOU CANT END A BOOK LIKE THAT ARE YOU NUTS
- The creation of the mystery tho
- So well done
- Im shook at how well she was able to make this story come together
- Every little detail matters and it just makes so much sense as you read
- I will never trust anyone after this book bye
- Now while the ending might not be FANTASTICLY SHOCKING, it’s more of something that sits with you and marinates in your mind
- Like you’ll be having a nice sweet breakfast on a beautiful summer day and you sit down with your cereal and then you be like hold up, gone girl ending, what – that HAPPENED FRICK IT HAPPENED and then you will sit in denial, staring at your cereal bowl as it gets soggy
- Wow that’s so sad :( what could be worse than soggy cereal
- The characters in this book, that’s what
- The ending simultaneously pissed me off and had me shook
- So, book you won, I lost.
“There’s something disturbing about recalling a warm memory and feeling utterly cold.”
4 stars!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
so, this book thinks its so cute with its '415 page'd description like omg you could probably finish it in a day and a half bUT NO LET ME TELL YOU THE TRUTH
the pages are HUGE and the letters are like font SIZED 4 and iM HERE FOR THE PAST 70 PAGES LIKE
anyways besides that im enjoying it and somehow i've managed to avoid all spoilers so #blessed