Monday, June 10, 2013

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I loved the twist in this novel.  The premise seems "ripped from the headlines," and with the familiarity of the story comes a some certainty about the ending.

I expected a series of revelations.  I did not expect the big twist more than halfway through the book, which I found delightful in part because so unexpected.

The tone of the novel begins to shift at that point and I wonder if other readers begin to feel that the end of the novel doesn't quite match the beginning.

I was part of a book group that discussed this book, and I was very surprised that the group seemed a) not to like the book; b) think the author had some serious psychological problems; and c) not be interested in considering what the story has to say about marriage or about the way that our perception of the world is shaped by our experience of TV and movies and of the news (which is, in turn, shaped by TV and movies).

I knew from reading an interview with the author online that she consciously sought to use the suspense story as a vehicle for talking about marriage, and for blending the genre of suspense and women's fiction.  That made me think that it was a legitimate topic for discussion but it didn't interest any one else there.

Nevertheless, I have to admire this book for the twist!

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