All the subtly of a psychotic wife

Book: Gone Girl

Author: Gillian Flynn

Published: Random House (2012)

I really don’t get it.

This book has none of the subtly or creepy narrative grace of a good thriller. There’s no evidence or reason for the character changes; there’s no real reason for most of the character choices to begin with. There is no foreshadowing or hints; there are merely circumstances that only suddenly mean things when the protagonist declares them to for no reason mentioned at all until the moment the declaration is needed for the story.

Most of all, there is no true darkness, only blunt psychopathology that’s supposed to be edgy without earning any of it.

I’m being deliberately vague because this is one of the few current best-sellers I’ve gotten around to reading/blogging about. This is the story of a lady kidnapped on her fifth wedding anniversary, her husband’s trip through suspicion, and a reveal that turns everything into petty revenge.

And that’s what I hate about it; it’s really fucking petty. Not just the reveal, but, like, the guy we’re supposed to sympathize with, he quips instead of talking. All the time. Not as little bursting packets of anxiety relief, or when it might reveal anything deep about him or his life or the situation, because that never happens, but because…I don’t know. I got a sinking feeling it was because he’s a young-ish writer and that’s the author’s idea of cool even as being cool would be the last thing on anyone’s mind if they were wrestling with goddamn murder charges.

Everything else I hate about the book comes after the reveal, so I’ll just say none of it is earned and that pisses me off because this might be the only novel some people get around to reading this year and I wish it could be better because the concept is solid but it’s fumbled so badly.

Going back to the library. It’s a checkout.

P.S. Y’all, I’mma end on a happy note and say that holy shit, I finally finished the “old” book pile I’ve been meaning to get through since I graduated college! Hyperspace was the last one, but I thought this post needed some cheerfulness to balance the above paragraphs. Anyhoo, so that’s awesome and means I can get started on the one box, two bags, and whole Library system at my current disposal. Hold on to your butts – we are going even further! Whee!