Gone Girl: Book Review

Title: Gone Girl
Author: Gillian Flynn
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Genre: Thriller
Publication Year: 2012

From the blurb: On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could 
have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

My take: Gone Girl is the international best seller. Book blurb was intriguing and it didn't fail me. Although, the ending baffled me a little, I assume it is the most befitting conclusion.

It is told in two perspectives. Nick's narration in the present time and Amy's diary entries of 7 years from current date. It is in their point-of-view, and both of them are very good deceivers. The two stories progressively merges into one. First half is tad bit slow. It deals with what happens in normal couple's life; losing job, moving to another city, in-laws, parent's illness, death. The book picks up in the second half. The truth unravels and it is revolting.

Amy is beautiful, super intelligent, manipulative, conniving, psychopath. She has an equally shrewd parents who wrote immensely popular "Amazing Amy" series, which is idolized version of Amy, their daughter. Nick is the handsome husband of Amy, narcissistic, selfish, insensitive, faithless, and carries a lot of parental issues. The way Amy and Nick play mind games with each other is thrilling. I felt really sorry for Amy's fairly controlling freak ex-boyfriend. He became a collateral damage in this dangerous game. Amy is rather in love with the idea of love, not really in. Her description of "cool girl" is engaging and disturbing. When Amy forces Nick to stay in the marriage, I couldn't sympathize with him. Maybe they deserve each other.

The story is edgy, racy, fresh, deeply disturbing, sinister, chilling and absolutely original. I am told Flynn's previous thrillers, Sharp Object and Dark Places are even brilliant than Gone Girl. They are already laying atop in my bookshelf.

PS: I loved Rosamund Pike's performance in the film adaptation. I could imagine no one better than her as Amy Elliot-Dunne.