Reviews

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

ameliagm's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It's hard to say you loved a story where the terrible, awful character's despicable actions are the center point of the book, but dang if I didn't love this book. I read once that Gone Girl was about women being bad, a subject that is somewhat taboo. It's been more than 10 years since this book was written but I think that sentiment remains today. This book flips the trope of the scorned woman on its head. It adds depth where there never has been any before. It also is an eye-opening portrayal of marriage and the intensity that knowing someone deeply can bring to a relationship. Amy and Nick are two people who know one another infallibly, unflappably and in that knowledge, they shed their true identities and instead become the person that the other thinks they are. As a result, they begin to resent and hate the other, because they have lost their identities and thus blame the other. This is of course, an extreme example, but it is something that happens often in marriages, that loss of identity. In terms of Amy, she is a bad woman. She does bad things, but is she a product of her environment? I find that to be a theme through things that Flynn is involved in. What makes a woman bad? How does she get that way? How can she be so self-aware of her faults and yet blind to them? These stories are also about how women are failed in all aspects of life. Their rearing and care and comfort and livelihood are an after-though to men. The world is built for men behaving badly and its repercussions. What happens when a women exploits that? I loved the many questions that this book raises. Additionally, I like Flynn's approachable yet shrewd writing style. She is an excellent writer and a totally reliable writer of the unreliable narrator. It's not an easy read but it is a good one.

camdrum's review against another edition

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4.0

somehow went this long with only a minor spoiler revealed and i still fell into this book's trap

nataliaivonica's review against another edition

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4.0

this shit is bananas. b-a-n-a-n-a-s.

tjorven's review against another edition

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tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

literallyilleterate's review against another edition

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4.5

Amy Eliott Dunne, the woman that you are!

noelle1121005's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

rockywhorepictureshow's review against another edition

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5.0

This is literally one of the best books I’ve ever read
The plot pacing differs greatly from other books I’ve read, which adds a really interesting quality.
So many of the characters are unlikeable but you can’t help rooting for them, and the ending is not what you would expect. After I read it I forced several of my friends to read it

derareadsbooks's review against another edition

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challenging tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

angelayn's review against another edition

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4.0

I went in fully aware of the story due to watching the movie years ago but was still engaged with it throughout the whole reading of the book.

wickedgrumpy's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

If you want to read a toxic sociopathic petty drama fest, this is the book for you.

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