(There's no good "T" word for a book report.)
I recently finished Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. And I have thoughts. (Don't worry, No spoilers)
I saw the movie years ago. Have you seen it? If you have, you can understand why I wish I'd read the book before seeing the movie. I knew where it was going. But at least I didn't remember all the details. So as things unfolded I could either remember, or wonder - "Wait, was that bit in the movie or not?" And now I'm tempted to watch it again to compare.
But only a little tempted.
For being an edge-of-your-seat thriller of a movie, the book managed to be "put-downable". I think a big part of that is how the book is laid out. There are two main protagonists. NOT A SPOILER: By the title, you can guess that there is a "girl" and she is "gone". The other protagonist is the primary person seeking her.
The book is written in alternating perspectives: the missing person, and the seeking person. So at the end of each chapter, you know automatically that the particular part of the story you just finished will not be continued in the next chapter. Put. Down. Able.
I started Gone Girl near the end of June and just finished it two days ago. That's a long time for 415 pages!
The whole way through, you know who you are rooting for. But by the end I was left with a feeling that the main characters (more than just the protagonists) were pretty undesirable people. Bleah.
I wouldn't want to be like any of them.
I hope I'm not.
But I wish I could write characters like that. Flynn did a good job of making sure no one in the story is universally "bad", but overall, after reading about this whole event, they come out unlikable. Still... I'm left with the realization that in my own writing, people tend to be "nice". Boring. I think I need to work on that!
I gave it ⭐⭐⭐⭐ because it was well-written. The story was engaging and the characters were well-rounded. I do recommend it. Maybe if you read it, don't put it down each time you know the perspective will change, and you might get through it faster than I did!
So, reader, any book recommendations? Comment below!
Sadly, I wasn't terribly surprised by the "surprise" when I saw the movie. I haven't really been tempted to read this since. So, the alternating POV didn't work for you? Interesting.
ReplyDeleteI think it didn't work only in this instance, because I already knew who I was rooting for, and what was true. It was a strange experience for me!
DeleteI have neither read the book nor seen the movie. May be I'll check it out.
ReplyDeleteIf you enjoy suspense, it's a good read... and a good movie (as I recall).
DeleteThe Game of Thrones books change perspective and they work pretty well.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed moth the book and the movie, but also wish I has read the book first.
They absolutely do! And it worked here, too, except for me it broke up the pace.
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