The Battle of Who is Crazier

(#2) Read 25 books

1. Room by Emma Donohue
2. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
3. Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama
4.A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
   A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
   A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

   A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin
5. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
6. The Shack by William Young
7. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
8. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I needed a nice palate cleanser after A Feast for Crows, and this book turned out to be a great choice. It has action, the plot lines are all resolved, and there are only about four characters to remember. Perfect. 

Gone Girl details the decay of a once loving relationship between Nick and Amy Dunne and the mystery around Amy's sudden disappearance. Flynn tells the tale using both Nick and Amy as narrators, exploring the differences in the way men and women view a relationship and the irreconcilable disparity between what they expect from one another and what they are each able to give. 

In the beginning of the novel, what drew me in was how relatable the two characters and their relationship really was. They love each other but they just can't seem to be on the same page at the same time. 

For example, every year on their anniversary Amy designs an elaborate scavenger hunt for Nick to find his present. She sees it as a way to celebrate their love and directs him to what she feels are all of their favorite places. He sees it as an impossible test requiring him to remember every minute detail of Amy's life. She feels he doesn't appreciate her effort. He feels she is deliberately torturing him.

How hilariously unfortunate love can be. 

Then, later in the novel as things started to get crazy, I remembered how much I identified with these two characters. And that makes me feel a little bad about myself. Because seriously- these people are crazy.     

As the story progressed, I found myself first siding with Amy, then with Nick, then with Amy and so on until I realized these lunatics are actually perfectly matched. I like an author who can make me question my own ideas and actually trick me into believing exactly what she wants me to believe. I'm not easily fooled, so kudos to Gillian Flynn.  

I also thought this novel was the perfect blend of exciting story line and actual good writing. Nick and Amy are both writers, which can be tricky to pull off. But their narration was original and interesting. Take this delightful metaphor for example, where Nick is talking about his father's temper: "...he turned our family life into an endless road trip with bad directions and a rage-clenched driver, a vacation that never got a chance to be fun" (60). A common emotion expressed clearly but in a way that I've never heard before. That's what good writing is supposed to be. 

I would recommend this to anyone looking for an exciting read. Maybe save it for summer- it's one of those rare beach reads that you don't have to be embarrassed about.