The Life of Bon: BOOK CLUB: GONE GIRL

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

BOOK CLUB: GONE GIRL

WINNER OF THE FEBRUARY GIVEAWAY IS CHEL SEA. 
GIRL YOU BE GETTING THE HOOK UP!


GONE GIRL:  FEBRUARY BOOK CLUB


Welcome to the first ever meeting of Bon's book club!  I am so glad you are here! (Click here to see this year's reading line up!)

I thought about posting a recipe, so that it could be more like a "real" book club.  You know, food and then book discussion.  Then I realized I am the worst cook and have no recipes.  So that idea tan)ked.  But I hope you will enjoy being here, because really, we have so much to talk about it!  If you read the book please leave your comments below.  If you wrote your own post on the book, please please please link it up so I can see all those wheels turning in your head.

The writing style.  First and foremost, the actual writing was good, but not great.  The pages turned quickly, and the pacing was great, but I didn't feel like the quality of writing was any better than the stuff I read on blogs every day.  Sometimes I read books that are so well written and the prose is so indescribably beautiful that I go back and read sentences over and over.  (One of my most recent faves as mentioned yestereday, Anne Lamott's Traveling Mercies.  The prose is unbelievably gorgeous in that book.)  I didn't feel this way about Gone Girl.  I felt that the focus was purely on the plot and not on the writing.  And sometimes that's ok.

The f word.  While we are talking about the writing style, I will go ahead and get this one out of the way.  It blew me away how much Flynn uses the f word.  I don't mind the f word it if it has a purpose or if I feel like it is realistic or needful.  I feel like profanity if used correctly can add power to a scene or conversation like nothing else.  If done incorrectly, however profanity acts only as a distraction and takes away from the overall power of the book.  In Gone Girl, the repeated f words did the latter.  The f word was used so often, and in such vulgar terms, and so casually that I had a hard time getting immersed in the plot.  I question why Flynn made the choice to include so many f words, as it really did distract for the greatness of her complex plot and make the writing seem of much lesser quality.  My guess is she was trying to make her characters seem "hard", but for me it only distracted.

My question is this- do people really use the f word that often?  I am  currently reading Tweak, a memoir about drug addiction.  The book has its fair share of f words, but it doesn't bother me nearly as much in this book because I feel like it is a realistic portrayal of the situation and the drug culture.  It is not thrown in there just to seem "cool" or "hard".  Drug dealers and addicts and gang members I am sure use the f word as freely as they please.  But in Gone Girl the characters are none of those things.  They are society contributing, responsible, educated adults.  I get that people who are raised on the streets and uneducated are going to use the f word like it's nobody's business.  But educated people?  Lawyers and writers and your good old average joe on the street?  I live in a conservative community and I come from a conservative state, so this one honestly just confuses me.  Did you see the amount of f words in Gone Girl as an accurate representation of how often most responsible, educated adults in our country use the f word?

The characters- dreadfully unlikeable.
What confuses me about Gone Girl is that I liked the book, but I hate every person in it.  The general rule of thumb with writing a successful book is that if you want people to like the book, people must like the people who the book is about.  That's why we all love Harry Potter, no duh!  What baffles me is that I literally did not like one character in the entire book- Nick is disgusting and selfish, Amy is sadistic and psycho, Amy's parents are irresponsible and judgmental, Nick's dad is a woman hater, the lawyer makes money off of freeing men who killed their wives, the list goes on- and yet somehow I still LOVED the book.  There is only one other book where I hate every person in it and love the book, and that is The Great Gatsby.  Full of vain, selfish people and yet I can't get enough of the book.

The jury is still out on how I could like the book.  I guess by the end I felt a sort of sympathy for Nick.  Not because he was a good guy, but because he was a good guy compared to all the other train wrecks in the book.  And because even though he was wrong to cheat on his wife, he didn't deserve what she did to him.  What do you think?  Did you like any of the characters in the book?  Did you like Nick by the end?

The deterioration of marriage
Perhaps my favorite part of the book was the descriptions of the marriage and how it eventually came unraveling.  Being a fairly newlywed, I am fascinated by the inner workings of marriage.  There were many times where I felt myself passionately siding with one marriage partner based on the argument.  I felt like I was constantly picking sides and in a way even analyzing my own marriage.  Do I make Greg do that?  Do we fight over stuff that stupid?  Am I that unreasonable?

Interestingly enough my favorite parts of the book ***spoiler alert***  were Amy's beginning journal entries- the ones that turned out to be totally fake.  I identified with her and loved her and my heart went out to her.  When the whole thing turned out to be a hoax, I felt wildly betrayed.  There was no liking the new Amy after that.  She and I were not to be friends.

I hold on to my love for the fake journal Amy, though.  Man, she had a way of putting things!  My favorite section of the whole book may have been when Amy is describing what it is like to meet the love of your life.  She explains meeting Nick and says 

"Then you run into Nick Dunne on Seventh Avenue as you're buying diced cantaloupe, and pow, you are known.  You are recognized, the both of you.  You both find the exact same things worth remembering.  You have the same rhythm.  Click.  You just know each other.  All of a sudden you see reading in bed and waffles on Sunday and laughing at nothing and his mouth on yours. And it's so far beyond fine that you know you can never go back to fine.  That fast.  You think:  Oh, here is the rest of my life.  It's finally arrived."

Isn't that a beautiful description of finding love and being in love?

***Spoiler alert***
The twist:  Flynn's brilliance comes in her book twists.  I loved that she had me thinking the first half of the book that Nick was the murderer.  And I loved that in a matter of seconds she could make me trust Nick and totally turn on Amy.  Flynn's brilliance is also seen in how all the details played together- the treasure clues, the storage shed full of goods bought on the credit card, Amy's plan to get away with it, the journal she left, all the details that added up.  That woman is a mastermind to make all those details work together!

The end:  Messed up.  I feel bad for that unborn child is all I know.  I suppose in a way Nick needed to deal with his "punishment", but it didn't jive with me.  Nor did I understand why Amy was so insistent on making Nick stay in the marriage.  They were both miserable beyond reason.  It made for a good (and creepy!) ending, but I wish Flynn would have described more why Amy felt drawn to Nick again.  That felt so out of the blue and random to me.

Now tell me how YOU felt about the book.  Let's talk talk talk about it!

Oh, and don't forget about The Fault in Our Stars for March's book club.  We will discuss this on the blog the last Wednesday of the month- March 27.  It has received rave reviews nationwide.  And I believe there are less f words...

For the full year's line up of Bon's book club selections click here.

Oh, and if you link up, please use the button!

Can't wait to read your comments!
 
www.thelifeofbon.com

41 comments:

  1. My book club just read this as our first book! I know what you mean totally when you say you liked the book, yet didn't like anyone in it! I never saw those twists and turns coming, and yes, by the end I felt sorry for Nick. I really did not like how it left off...nothing seemed resolved. I guess that is kind of why I liked it...because I didn't expect what happened and it definitely wasn't the norm.

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  2. I really liked this book. I agree that many of the characters were unlikeable, but I didn't really have a problem with Margo, I felt bad for her. But I actually felt sympathy for Nick too. He was awful by cheating on his wife, but I don't think being framed for murder and all that happened to him should have been the punishment. Overall, the book kept me wanting to read. I was fascinated by how much Amy thought everything out, so crazy! I didn't like the ending. I was disappointed in the results.

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  3. I love Gillian Flynn's style and plot twists, period.

    As for her use of the f word, I don't think it has anything to do with education. I use it quite often in conversation with my bestie, especially when we're drinking. I also have a degree in Comminucation (ironic?). Oh, and I'm not a drug dealer. My point is that it's cultural, where you live, demographics, that determine use of expressive language. Which is exactly what Flynn does with the characters - she creates a demographic. In all three of her books, character roots are mid-America, working class Missouri. When reading the f word use, I only found it to add to the character. It would be hard for me to believe in this crazy story with insane characters that the f word would NOT be used on a consistent basis.

    I loved how I totally thought Nick did it until we find out Amy faked everything. And I didn't mind Margo.

    One part of the book that didn't settle was Amy being robbed of her money in the cabin. I just don't buy it. I don't buy that someone that twisted and that sadistic wouldn't be able to outsmart or even kill two rednecks.

    I think she was so obsessed with keeping Nick because she so wanted to be that fake Amy, the one that Nick loved.

    The end was so mean of Flynn! But I think the intention was to punish Amy in the end because she would never be truly and completely happy. And Nick would be happy with a child.

    I want a part two - what happens to baby?!

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  4. Oh my goodness, how excited am I to have someone to talk to about this book! Right now, this is my favorite book I have ever read. I am a sucker for crazy plot twists, suspense, and "love" stories. I apologize in advance for the length of this comment! ; )

    I thought the writing in this book was perfection. It was one of my favorite things about it! The way Flynn went into detail was phenomenal. She had me feeling so many different things at so many different times it was crazy. I thought the way feelings were described in this book was so relate-able.

    All of the curse words didn't bother me too much, but I felt like they sure were used alot! Except the c-word, that one I can't stand! Thankfully it was only in there a couple of times.

    I don't even know where to start on the characters. Journal Amy was definitely the most easy to relate to. I was unsure about Nick, he made me laugh, but once I found out he had been cheating I hated him. It's hard to know what is true and what isn't because alot of it was from her journal and never mentioned again. I remember feeling so happy when I found out that she had set him up until I realized how far she had taken it. Girl is cray cray! I definitely don't like the real Amy or Nick really either, but if I had to choose I'd go with Nick over Amy.

    The marriage portion, the beginning of the book and about half way through, was my favorite part too! It made me feel SO many things it was crazy. I felt sadness, anger, and I felt afraid. I remember telling my husband that the books main emotion was sadness at that point because the way their marriage fell apart was heartbreaking and eye opening. I even cried at one point! It got me to thinking about our marriage and if it could possible ever end up that way and then feeling afraid. So crazy a book can do that! I was definitely over analyzing my marriage too!

    The twist! Oh my goodness my blood was rushing when I read that! Flynn definitely took me by surprise and had a twist I never saw coming! I couldn't believe how well thought out Amy's plan was, and how crazy she was to go through with it.

    The ending I still haven't decided on. Part of me feels like I understand it and then part of me feels like I wish it had ended differently. What I don't understand is that they are both miserable together, so why does Amy even want to be with him? I guess for control, that's the only thing I can see. She can make him dance like a puppet now and be the man she wants him to be. But, it's all fake, so why would anyone want that?

    Phew! I told ya that was going to be long! I just was SO excited to have someone to talk about it with ; ). My husband just started it, and he's reading it out loud to me because I wanted to hear it again and I never want to re-read books. It's my favorite I'm telling you! Did you know they are thinking about a movie, and Reese Witherspoon is maybe going to play Amy? Crazy!

    Ok, For reals. I'm done! ; )







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  5. I didn't read it last summer and I feel like I revisited it here. I really liked Gone Girl and now you've got me thinking about why I did. I agree it was hard to read a whole book when you couldn't get behind a character. NONE were likeable. I enjoyed the twists the most (like you) and was BAFFLED when I read that Amy's journals were fake. I LOVED the pace at which I turned the pages. It really got me hooked. I guess I didn't notice the F bomb being dropped all the time, but I know it was there. I appreciated the intensity. My mother has since read all of Gillian Flyn's stuff and loved it all.

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  6. I read this book last summer, and it left me feeling very agitated. The twists and turns kept me reading, but I could not stand any of the characters. When it was over, I felt like it was a complete waste of my time.

    I was so glad that you chose this book for the club. I hadn't found anyone else who had read it, and I was interested to see what others thought about it.

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  7. We read this for my book club. I really enjoyed the book. It was fast-paced and certainly kept me interested. The twists were unexpected. I, too, felt bad for Amy at first. The real issue I had with the book was the ending. I also felt bad for the child... and it's always depressing when the "bad guy", in this case Amy the sociopath, wins.

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  8. I read this book last summer too and although it wasn't my favorite enjoyable read, I thought Flynn was masterful in the way she wrote. The fact that I was so uncomfortable, confused and didn't like the characters was a testament to her writing. I don't like when authors sugarcoat everything - I like characters to be real and flawed, and although Flynn takes that to an entirely new level I appreciate that it requires good writing.

    Since then I've read her two other books, Sharp Objects and Dark Places. Sharp Objects was by far my favorite of the three, for similar reasons. It had all the things I loved about Gone Girl, twists, uncomfortable plot lines. But I actually liked the characters instead of hating ALL of them.

    Usually when I recommend Flynn to anyone I add the caveat that I would classify her as a HORROR writer, and that Gone Girl is her first foray outside of the horror genre, which puts it in a different light. Her other two books are starkly dark and terrifying, which I think in a way is less disturbing because you go into the book knowing it's going to be a horror novel. The label "thriller" is just too broad I think to really prepare readers for what they're about to read.

    I read the Fault in Our Stars last month and loved it too - can't wait for that discussion.

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  9. I have mixed feelings about Gone Girl. I thought the first part moved really slow, which was kind of annoying, but was good to really get a good feel for the characters and probably necessary to make sure you picked up on all the things that weren't as they seemed. The second half moved fast, which kept me interested with all the twists and turns. Amy was so twisted, but I wanted more detail in the second to part to see inside her head and WHY she did all the crazy things. I was really disappointed in the end. It felt like the author just got cut off, or didn't know how to end it.

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  10. Anonymous7:23 AM

    I love Flynn's writing. Unlike you, Bonnie, I think it's really well done.

    She made us hate characters and love characters so easily. I felt played like a puppet, in a good way. As a writer, that's what I want to do with my readers. (I think there's some good writing in the blogger world, but there's also so terrible writing. Certainly not the world's best.).

    It felt like three different writers collaborated on the story to write the separate parts of Journal Amy, Real Amy and Nick. All of which are frustrating in their own ways. So many writers have the same voice in all of their books, I think it's incredible that she can have so many in ONE book!

    As for the f-bomb. I hardly use it in everyday language, but if I was the main suspect in a murder or on the run or any another stressful situation, I might use it on thee regular. It's just a word.

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  11. I had no idea you were doing a book club link-up! I love it :)

    I have already printed off the reading list. Count me in for next time!

    xoxo

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  12. Here's my Goodreads review:

    I watch more than my fair share of crime TV and am quite adept at predicting twists and conclusions, so I was pleasantly surprised when this book kept me guessing and wondering at the outcome. While certainly a well-crafted mystery, the suspense was this book's only merit. Even apart from the pervasive vulgar language, the writing quality wasn't great, and while I found the characters interesting, I didn't really like any of them. I had settled on giving this book three stars, but after I finished it, the unresolved ending bumped it back down to two.

    I agree with you on several points: the abundant use of the f-word was unnecessary and distracting, and none of the characters was particularly likable. I did really enjoy the twists, especially since I couldn't predict them. I was disappointed in the ending, so much so that it affected my overall rating of the story. I really wanted to see Amy get hers and she didn't.

    I'd probably recommend this book as a good vacation read!

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  13. I'm quickly scrolling over these comments because I am halfway through the book! I don't love it so far... but you never know how a book will turn out in the end so I'm continuing along. I was just thinking I wish I had someone to talk to about this book, so once I finish reading it I will be back here to see all of the thoughts and opinions. Thanks!

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  14. I loved this book for two reasons. I love soap operas and I love Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. I loved how elaborate and patient Amy was in planning her revenge. Do I think it's right that she set her husband up for murder? No. But I do know a lot of girls who have been through terrible relationships and just want him to suffer like they did. A normal person wouldn't do what Amy did, but that's what makes Gone Girl such a great revenge fantasy. It was so over the top. It wasn't just "I'll get you" it was "I'll get you, your girlfriend, your sister and if you had a dog I'd get him too." You only see that sort of extravagant planning on General Hospital.

    I know a lot of people were disappointed in the ending but I loved it. If you want to see how it ends, watch Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. It was easy for me to change Nick and Amy to George and Martha. They’re addicts. Their relationship is so toxic, so poisonous and but they know each other so deeply that they are a part of each other. No one will ever live up to Amy/Martha.

    I think Nick said it best when he talked about how he could never go back to living a normal life because no one would do what Amy did for him. She made him feel alive. Made him really be a better Nick.

    “As a man, I had been my most impressive when I Loved her – and I was my next best self when I hated her.”

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  15. I so badly wanted to NOT like this book because of its vulgarity, but there was SOMETHING there…and I guess I liked it.

    I'm with you, Bonnie, on the f word. I cringe any time I hear it [which is hardly ever!]. Interestingly enough, I am a middle-class, Missouri girl…so I found that part of the book to not only be hard to read, but a bit insulting [I didn't want people to read the book and think, "oh, everyone in MO uses the f-word."] Am I opposed to swearing in books? Not always. But I like when the author uses it with such purpose that it smacks me upside the head a little. Flynn's use did not smack me upside the head, but rather made me want to find her [she only lives 45 minutes away] and smack her upside the head [not really, Flynn. Don't worry].

    I felt the same way about the sexual scenes in the book. Too much. I want to read literature, not porn. I felt like it just crossed the line in some places.

    For these reasons, I feel like I would have a hard time recommending this book to most people.

    BUT…
    I liked it?!?! I found myself telling my husband all about it, and he was fascinated. And I realized while I was telling him that, when I took out the parts that made me cringe and blush, it was a pretty great/crazy/unique story. So it had that going for it.

    The writing: not Harper Lee. Though I did smile when she wrote "a voice wearing a cardigan." Clever. I also liked the portion you wrote, and this: "I am a little too much and he is a little too little. I am a thorn bush, bristling from the over-attention of my parents and he is a man of a million little fatherly stab wounds, and my thorns fit perfectly into them." I think that line explains why the characters, though we hate them, worked.

    So all in all? I think Flynn took a chance and threw up a lot of balls for a big juggling act, and unfortunately dropped a few along the way. This resulted in a book I LIKED, but would have a hard time recommending.

    [And I have never heard the nickname "GO", shortened for Margo. Anyone? For some reason I kind of wanted to like her, but I couldn't…and I think it's because everyone kept calling her GO. What?!]

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  16. I have a few thoughts on this:

    The F-word- Because I swear entirely too much when I speak, I struggle conveying my emotion in writing without it. BUT I've seen it done by other people, and am impressed when it's done effectively. While I do not find it hard to believe that two people with as little morale as Amy and Nick would have any reservations about cursing, I do not think it was necessary. I think Flynn could have gotten the same message across even if her characters didn't drop so many f bombs. So while I was not offended by the f word (the c word did make me cringe though), I totally see where you are coming from.

    With all that being said, yes people do swear that much. Even in the corporate world. I'm pretty sure I've heard every single one of my superiors swear in front of me, if not drop the f bomb. I'm sure so much of it has to do with location, but you are moving to L.A., so you may be in for a little cultural shock.

    The characters/ending- This is where I am blown away! I agree with you one million percent on Diary Amy. I absolutely adored her. I hated the real Amy but could not help but be impressed by her undeniable genius. I never liked Nick though I did feel bad for him. But at the end I absolutely loathed him. His wife was certifiably crazy. He was not. He was just selfish and a coward. When he found out she was pregnant he should have done everything in his power to get himself and his child away from her. In reality I think he was finally getting what he wanted- a baby. So he ever so "reluctantly" resigned himself to his fate. And resigned his child to what would likely be a very detrimental upbringing.

    With THAT being said, I sort of loved the ended. Given how totally SCREWED UP these two are, for me, it was the most believable. Amy never would have been happy NOT being in control of Nick's destiny. And Nick never would have grown the balls to actually DO SOMETHING for himself. (He did a whole lot of NOTHING throughout the entire book.) For lack of a better term he was a total b-word. So in a completely screwed up way, I think they were made for each other.

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  17. Anonymous11:17 AM

    i pretty much agree with you... hated the characters and the ending but loved the book. but i don't remember the f word being used excessively so i guess it didn't both me that much!

    http://ilikebigbooksblog.wordpress.com/2013/01/27/book-review-gone-girl-by-gillian-flynn/

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  18. I wasn't impressed by this book. I did enjoy the twists though. I think this book really pissed me off. She is a messed-up selfish little brat who did something wrong and is NOT suffering any kind of consequences from her actions. I get it, he shouldn't of had an affair. But just say "I want a divorce" or go see a freaking marriage counselor. Do NOT commit a fake murder. I also was left feeling very sorry for the unborn baby...next book: Gone Baby! She will fake murder or kidnap her own kid. Thank you for hosting this book club.

    P.S. You have recipes!! I sent you a ton :-)

    P.S.S. I am going to look into this book Tweak that you mentioned. I am not a drug addict but I deal with one every day :-(

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  19. You worded my thoughts perfectly concerning hating the characters - I've never had a book that I've truly enjoyed like I did with Gone Girl where I hated the characters so much. None of them were likeable yet I still devoured the book.

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  20. I also felt like I was reading a blog at times. And some of the toughness of the characters made me uncomfortable but I did enjoy the book. Weird.

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  21. I don't think I've ever hated every single character in a book before. This book was strange in that way, but it was unique so it sort of grew on me.

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  22. Yay for book clubs! I've actually been waiting for this discussion because I really had a love/hate relationship with this book. I thought some of the plot twists were super predictable (him cheating? saw that one coming a mile away) and I LOATHED the ending. Like... really? Grow some b*lls man! Ugh. I really didn't want Amy to "win".

    But at the same time, I read this book in a single afternoon. I just couldn't put it down! So that has to mean on some level I liked it right? I loved Diary Amy and I loved watching their relationship come together and unravel from both perspectives. Maybe because I'm going through a divorce myself? And then once they psycho twist was revealed I just HAD to see how it ended.

    The f bomb didn't bother me but I use it on the regular. And I'm a corporate job having, middle-class earning, english degree having, woman in my 30's so... Maybe it is geographic? I live in Silicon Valley (though I grew up mainly in small towns) and cursing is just sort of part of our (my friends, family, co-workers) vernacular.

    Can't wait for next month!

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  23. This was interesting I don't like books that use the "f" word a lot it takes something away from the story

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  24. I enjoyed this book,even though I kind of figured it out early on. Amy's diary kinda freaked me out because of the detail. Imagine spending all that time and effort to get back at someone,when you could just walk away!

    I didn't like any of the character either. If I had to feel sorry for anyone in this book it would be Nick's mom.

    I was happy that Amy got screwed over by the people at the cabins.I hoped that the ex-boyfriend had been able to keep her locked up forever in that home but that was obviously not meant to be.

    I hated the ending of this book. Only bad thing about reading a book on a NOOK is that you cant throw it across the room when it annoys you. lol

    I will say the one word that kept popping into my head as I read this story was KARMA. A lot of bad karma was going on in the lives of the people in this book.

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  25. I haven't read this one yet, but one of the blogs I followed mentioned you have a book club and I'm definitely checking it out :)

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  26. I think the reason that you still love the book despite hating the characters is the same reason people watch The Sopranos or The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. You love to hate them.

    I can't believe that anyone would relate one bit to as I like to call her, "step-all-over-me" Amy. Seriously. I was so relieved when she stood up for herself, finally. She was like a modern day Stepford Wife before. Or a man slave. Okay she is crazy and all, but I hated the way she just let the guy take advantage of her prior.

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  27. I read only half of it so that I could write a post and COULD NOT FINISH IT! It was sooo dull to me lol glad to know how it ends though cause I couldn't even bring myself to read the end! :) I am going to give the next one a try lol
    -Meesh :)

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  28. I soo agree with you on so many levels! Yes-- I was addicted to this book for no known reason as every character was basically a scumbag and it is the dirtiest book, ever! I loved the first twist when we found out that Amy is a psycho who faked her death, but I defintely HATED the ending. It is so frustrating that in the end Amy gets away with murder and much more!

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  29. I really liked this book.. I couldn't put it down... I liked the fact that Annie was SMART and she wasn't weak... I liked how the author just went for it with how demented she was.. like if my hubsband cheated.. I'd want to be as organized and deviant as she was... I also liked that Nick didn't get away with cheating.. that girl was a bim...bo!!!
    I also liked that Nick hated his dad (probably more than Annie) and used that as his motivation to stay with her..
    So I'm not saying Annie was some hero.. but if our husband cheated.. Gillian Flynn kind of just went for it with how we would want to get even....

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  30. Could.not.put.the.book.down. However, I agree, the "f" word was used a TON. My husband works for federal law enforcement and many of his co-workers are HIGHLY educated individuals. Put more than three of those guys in a room and f-bombs are flying at you like misquotes on a muggy August afternoon.

    As soon as it was revealed Amy's first journal entries were one big elaborate lie I was furious. I could not believed how duped I was. It was like a light switch, siding for and rooting for Amy, then bam! Nick has me cheering for him.

    The ending ticked me off. I was so confused why Amy wanted to stick with a marriage that she clearly was over. I could have used another chapter or two to see how things worked out for everyone, including that poor child.

    Love your virtual book club, and can't wait to read The Fault in Our Stars.

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  31. i have to say i love love LOVED this book. i have been recommending it to anyone and everyone. i was so sucked in. i felt the same way about her description of meeting the love of your life. flynn definitely has a way with words. the plot twists def had me reeling. overall i thought it was amazing...i was surprised by the ending too!

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  32. My unhealthy intrigue into the mind of sociopaths is what kept me turning the pages on this one. I agree that the language seemed a bit gratuitous and the writing was meh. I have a hard time believing that people that educated and well versed enough to be writers themselves would use that kind of language. It would seem that they would find a more poignant and meaningful way to use a variety words to express emotion. I thought the best writing in the book was the "diary". It really made me feel like a sucker when I realized what was going on. Overall I give it a three out of five for keeping me pulled in, however Fault in Our Stars is already outshining Gone Girl in so many ways.

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  33. I enjoyed this book, but definitely agree that the writing wasn't the best. I know I am not a great writer, but I am an avid reader and can be very picky when it comes to writing style. I loved the twisty-turniess (it's a word. really. cough) and the suspense, but I was not really pleased with the ending.. I found myself siding with Nick most of the book and I just felt at the end he was defeated by her and it made him seem so wimpy and her so... sick for demanding they stay together. I still overall recommend it to others for the pure entertainment factor.

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  34. I'm a little behind on this one. :)
    The book Was interesting enough to make me want to finish it, but I don't know if I can say I liked it. I thought amy seemed fake from the beginning as she really ticked me off as both Amy's. I liked nick the best if like can be ge right word? More like I felt sorry for him. Especially after the twist. Ending sucked butt. There should have been a little more to it. Like she had the baby...but then the copy of the book mysteriously gets published because he gave boney a copy to save until then. And they have her recorded after she let her guard down when she was pregnant. Then she jumps out of a plane and dies so she doesn't have to go to prison. But that wouldn't be good for the baby...unless he made up a story about a nice mom who died in a car crash. But the the book would always be out there for the baby to read...I don't know. I think he would be a good dad. He want to so much. But I think he wrong that it's Amy that will make him be that dad. Very sad poor kid.

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  35. So I listened to this book while I worked this week. It was crazy. I was totally rooting for Nick, then not rooting for Nick then rooting for Nick. I both hated and loved Amy at times. But I have to agree that no one in the book was really likeable, except maybe for the cat.
    I kept thinking about you too, I had a feeling that the f-word was going to be a little over the top for you.. And the other words used. For me I wasn't bothered. I hear those words all the time, use them sometimes too. For me it added to the characters, they were so unlikable anyway, and sometimes it helped enhance their feelings.
    I thought it was a great book, but I'd really like to see Amy as a mom. There is such a jealousy that a woman can have over a child and their father. I think that Amy is just crazy enough that the relationship between Nick and the baby would push her over another edge.
    Great choice for book club. Downloading the next one so I can play along!

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  36. I really wanted to liked this book because of all the hype it's gotten. I did feel drawn in and wanted to know how it ended, but the ending was a disappointment for me! It was entertaining, but its definitely a one time read. Thanks for hosting this book club! It's nice to "talk" about the book after finishing it!

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  37. I have my book club tonight and have prepared all sorts of Amy questionnaires to answer. About everything... And I'll let you know the consensus.

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  38. I finished the book last night, read it in one day - I couldn't put it down! I really enjoyed it. Damn, what a crazy bitch! Genius and psycho... bad combination! I wasn't thrilled with the ending, either. I wanted to see her get some punishment.

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  39. Jury is still out for me regarding this book. I have no idea if I like it or hate it. Some days I really like it and even can accept the ending. Other days I hate it and can't think about it without getting mad. But in regards to your "f" word question, yes, I do think it was realistic for how some people talk. I talk that way. Not at work, because I am aware of my surroundings (not just the teenagers, but my coworkers who would not be comfortable either,) but at home, with my friends, when texting with a friend, I probably use it as least as much as some of the characters. I grew up with the "f" word, I've been using it so long I forget that it is shocking. (And, my cohorts in my masters program were perhaps the best at using it creatively, go English majors!)

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  40. I really wanted to read this book (even had it out from the library, but had to return it before I had a chance to read it), and then I decided I wanted to wait until the buzz died down. I'm still curious about it, but less so than before. Great review, btw!

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  41. Guess, guess, and guess again. The perfect couple? Very intense read that hits home for real relationships. Well worth the time!

    Aya,
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