Books I’d Recommend: ‘Gone Girl’ by Gillian Flynn

If you can make it past the meandering, start-and-stop style that’s so evident in the opening 37 pages of this book, you won’t be able to put down Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl.”

At least that was the case with me.

This was my second attempt at the book. I tried a few months ago and just couldn’t get past those first pages. But having read so many good things about it, I vowed I’d give it another try. I’m glad I did.

I struggled again with those opening pages. The author starts and stops a thought often, adding so many asides that it can be difficult for the reader to get into the flow. And in the earliest portion of the book, it’s difficult to make a connection with the characters and immerse yourself in the slow-to-develop plot.

The story revolves around a pair of 30-year-olds who, both having lost their jobs in New York City, return to his small Missouri hometown. As they prepare to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary, the wife goes missing, and it’s not too long until the husband is suspected of murder. But that’s only the beginning of the twists and turns.

The book alternates viewpoints throughout, focusing on her diary and his first-person narrative. Once the plot begins racing along, it’s much easier to become enamored with the style.

There’s nothing straightforward about the book, including an ending that will keep you wondering about the story’s resolution.

Here’s a link to Flynn’s official website, which includes several places for buying the book.

According to Flynn’s website, the movie based on the book will be released Oct. 3, 2014. Ben Affleck will play the husband, while Rosamunde Pike plays the wife, according to the IMDb listing. And apparently, Flynn wrote a different ending for the movie.

Here’s an excellent review of the book from the New York Times.

And in this clip, Jimmy Fallon talks to the author, who admits, “It’s kind of a weird book.”