Author Topic: The Bore Book Club reads Gone Girl (Read 2069 times)

Groogrux · « **on:** December 17, 2012, 12:50:47 PM »

Where to Get It:
http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Girl-Novel-Gillian-Flynn/dp/030758836X

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gone-girl-gillian-flynn/1105608095?ean=9780307588364

http://thepiratebay.se/torrent/7566219/Gone_Girl_By_Gillian_Flynn

Book Description:

Quote

Release Date: June 5, 2012
Marriage can be a real killer.
One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed that her work “draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction.” Gone Girl’s toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn.
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?
With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.

432 pages.

Groogrux · « **Reply #1 on:** December 17, 2012, 12:53:48 PM »

Post as you want about what you like about the book and where you are in it.

Remember to put up spoiler tags for anything that is a give-away to the plot line.

And a question, when do we all want to come together to post up final thoughts about the book, or when do we think we could all finish this book?

G The Resurrected · « **Reply #2 on:** December 17, 2012, 12:58:36 PM »

Funny the missus already had this book. So I guess It's meant to be that I read it now.

Joe Molotov · « **Reply #3 on:** December 17, 2012, 02:02:47 PM »

Book acquired.

I'm balls deep in Christopher Buehlman's Those Across the River at the moment though, so it might be a day or two before I start it.

Olivia Wilde Homo · « **Reply #4 on:** December 17, 2012, 09:07:18 PM »

Got the book and ready to go

Quote from: Groogrux on December 17, 2012, 12:53:48 PM

Post as you want about what you like about the book and where you are in it.

Remember to put up spoiler tags for anything that is a give-away to the plot line.

And a question, when do we all want to come together to post up final thoughts about the book, or when do we think we could all finish this book?

Would January 31st work?

Groogrux · « **Reply #5 on:** December 17, 2012, 09:08:47 PM »

I say read away!

Is it safe to say we could all have this finished in a month?

The thread will stay open regardless, but after a month, we could start talking about what we want to read next.

Madrun Badrun · « **Reply #6 on:** December 17, 2012, 09:23:03 PM »

Could we read Gone With The Wind instead? I hear it has a dirty word in it. Also Vivien Leigh is sexy.

Groogrux · « **Reply #7 on:** December 17, 2012, 10:38:26 PM »

Quote from: TheInfelicitousDandy on December 17, 2012, 09:23:03 PM

Could we read Gone With The Wind instead? I hear it has a dirty word in it. Also Vivien Leigh is sexy.

SURE!

spoiler (click to show/hide)

No.

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Bloodwake · « **Reply #8 on:** December 18, 2012, 06:35:54 PM »

I may join. My Kindle is getting dusty and I'm tired of high fantasy and pro wrestling biographies.

Groogrux · « **Reply #9 on:** December 18, 2012, 08:41:27 PM »

It's not bad so far. I'm a couple of chapters in. I was afraid that it would be too feminine for me, but when one of the characters suggested that her brother give his wife a mushroom tattoo on her face, I knew I would be alright.

Groogrux · « **Reply #10 on:** December 20, 2012, 09:30:45 AM »

The layout of the chapters in this book is really interesting and they play well off of each other. One chapter will be written from his point of view (first-person), and the next chapter is a journal entry from her.

Every once in a while, one character or the other says something that makes you stop and wonder if something else entirely was going on there.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Nick mentions a couple of times that he's telling lies to the police (over 11) after Amy goes missing. The author makes it clear, or at least I think she does, that he has not done anything to her, but you have to wonder what his intentions were.

Amy also mentions at the end of one of her journal entries how she might just go stay in a hotel for a while and let Nick wonder about her...

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Olivia Wilde Homo · « **Reply #11 on:** December 20, 2012, 01:40:13 PM »

I'm about at the same point you are.

I think the book is interesting so far. Some cringeworthy writing from time to time but still very solid overall. The characters seem a bit cliche if not stereotypical.

Groogrux · « **Reply #12 on:** December 20, 2012, 01:48:10 PM »

I can definitely agree with you there.

Tucah · « **Reply #13 on:** December 20, 2012, 08:57:11 PM »

This sounds pretty good, will pickup this weekend.

Olivia Wilde Homo · « **Reply #14 on:** December 21, 2012, 07:04:54 PM »

According to my Kindle application, I'm about 38% done with the book.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

For a while I wasn't really feeling it. As I said, sometimes the writing can be pretty crappy and falls into the boring convenient stereotypes between well to do married couples that I've seen on shitty 90s sitcoms: you got the Pretty Wife Who Does It All and the well meaning mild mannered husband who has some positive attributes but can't stack up to his wife who is good at everything she does. Then the twists start rolling in and now the book is starting to get interesting.

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So I'm warming up to the book the further I get into it.

Olivia Wilde Homo · « **Reply #15 on:** December 21, 2012, 10:23:33 PM »

I pretty much kept reading and now I'm 66% done with the book

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Lots of twists but around the 50% mark, it kicks it into overdrive. Really changes almost everything you thought was going on in the first half.

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Groogrux · « **Reply #16 on:** December 21, 2012, 11:01:11 PM »

Now I'm excited to carry on with reading it. Where I've been sick these past couple of days, I haven't really felt like doing it. I think I'll dig in again now though.

Olivia Wilde Homo · « **Reply #17 on:** December 22, 2012, 07:26:39 AM »

Quote from: Groogrux on December 21, 2012, 11:01:11 PM

Now I'm excited to carry on with reading it. Where I've been sick these past couple of days, I haven't really felt like doing it. I think I'll dig in again now though.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Yes the book gets a lot more interesting. I admit that I was not a big fan of the "Carrie Bradshaw goes to the sticks!" type of setup in the beginning but the book really redeems itself. I'm about 77% in now and it is setting it up for another set of crazy twists.

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Olivia Wilde Homo · « **Reply #18 on:** December 22, 2012, 09:23:54 AM »

Finished!

Groogrux · « **Reply #19 on:** December 22, 2012, 08:37:53 PM »

Awesome! You're reading pace is far superior to mine. I plan on buckling down on it over the next few days.

Olivia Wilde Homo · « **Reply #20 on:** December 22, 2012, 08:59:27 PM »

Anyone else reading it besides us?

Some of my thoughts (lots of spoilers):

spoiler (click to show/hide)

- I thought that book had a very rough start and it wasn't until halfway in before I realized exactly why. The reason why it sounds boring and derivative is because that is the impression Amy and Nick want to give. The second section of the book shows that it was all bullshit and that nothing was what it had seemed. Things unravel pretty fast and move pretty quickly. This part of the book drew me in quickly.

- Amy having her bankroll taken caused me to laugh. She thought she had snowed the local rubes who wound up playing her ass. The book kind of took a backslide here that never completely recovers. It was a little too convenient that she got whisked away by her lover/stalker/kidnapper in some luxurious lake house where he just so happened to have tulips (Amy's favorite flower) and other little things. The details on how she escapes aren't really touched on much and seems to skip over a lot of convenient coincidences that would be crucial to the story.

- The ending wasn't bad. Now Nick and Amy are plotting ways to fuck each other over but without any easy solution in sight to do so.

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If I had to rate this book, I'd give it a solid B. Some very good writing, some twists and turns that kept things interesting for a good portion of the book, but it falls apart in places. The ending is also kind of awkward. Personally, whenever I had to do creative writing, I always had troubles trying to write a good ending. I can kind of see a similar problem here.

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Groogrux · « **Reply #21 on:** December 22, 2012, 09:51:12 PM »

I read the first portion of your spoiler, but I'm holding off on the second until I can finish the book.

I know there were quite a few who said they were going to read it too. It's probably just where it's so close to Christmas. Spending time with family and whatnot.

Groogrux · « **Reply #22 on:** December 23, 2012, 12:57:58 AM »

Alright, now I'm to Part Two of the book, and holy fuck...

spoiler (click to show/hide)

She made up the diary? HOLY SHIT!

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Groogrux · « **Reply #23 on:** December 27, 2012, 08:56:46 PM »

Finished it today!

spoiler (click to show/hide)

The second part of the book really made a good turn-around for it. I wasn't really that interested until that part. The fact that Amy staged the whole thing over several months time was an epic plot twist. Not many sociopaths think of doing something that in-depth.

I was really surprised when she escaped and came back home. I knew that was where the book was eventually going to go, but the way it happened was interesting.

I was disappointed with the ending. It just seemed to kind of stop when you thought there could be more. To me, the author kept writing twist after twist and the characters kept getting out of it. I really expected Nick to be able to wiggle out of the whole "baby" thing. The fact that he just submitted in the end without very much struggle just seemed so much unlike the character that had been written out in the rest of the book.

All-in-all, I really enjoyed the book. It was a great read that I wasn't expecting to like at all.

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Can't wait for the next book we start!

Olivia Wilde Homo · « **Reply #24 on:** December 27, 2012, 09:28:21 PM »

Quote from: Groogrux on December 27, 2012, 08:56:46 PM

Finished it today!

spoiler (click to show/hide)

The second part of the book really made a good turn-around for it. I wasn't really that interested until that part. The fact that Amy staged the whole thing over several months time was an epic plot twist. Not many sociopaths think of doing something that in-depth.

I was really surprised when she escaped and came back home. I knew that was where the book was eventually going to go, but the way it happened was interesting.

I was disappointed with the ending. It just seemed to kind of stop when you thought there could be more. To me, the author kept writing twist after twist and the characters kept getting out of it. I really expected Nick to be able to wiggle out of the whole "baby" thing. The fact that he just submitted in the end without very much struggle just seemed so much unlike the character that had been written out in the rest of the book.

All-in-all, I really enjoyed the book. It was a great read that I wasn't expecting to like at all.
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Can't wait for the next book we start!

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Yeah the book was very paint by numbers for the first half. That means you had to read over 200 pages of bland story to make the story interesting. Sure you find out why the story was so bland after those couple hundred pages but I wouldn't hold it against people at all if they just said "fuck it" and stopped reading after the first 50-60 pages.

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Huff · « **Reply #25 on:** December 27, 2012, 09:31:26 PM »

Got an 8 hour car trip coming up so Ill be reading this to pass time when I get tired of vidya

Groogrux · « **Reply #26 on:** January 01, 2013, 12:11:41 PM »

Is anyone else still reading this book? If so, how's it going?

Groogrux · « **Reply #27 on:** January 08, 2013, 09:20:19 AM »

Are we ready to start talking about the next book?

Huff · « **Reply #28 on:** January 09, 2013, 12:50:09 AM »

just got to part two. can't say anything has been too surprising so far. hope that changes now that the set up is complete

hampster · « **Reply #29 on:** January 09, 2013, 11:24:03 AM »

Quote from: Groogrux on January 08, 2013, 09:20:19 AM

Are we ready to start talking about the next book?

Which book is going to be next? The Racketeer was on the list posted in the other thread, and I was given it for Christmas so I vote for that one

hampster · « **Reply #30 on:** January 09, 2013, 11:24:21 AM »

Huff · « **Reply #31 on:** January 09, 2013, 01:48:02 PM »

Finished it.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Yeah the ending was pretty unsatisfying but expected. There was never going to be a "happy" ending. It wouldn't have fit the book. I halfway wanted Nick to kill her at the end and go to jail just as a fuck you to her, but meh. It was a decent book, but I doubt I'd look into any of this author's other works. I expected the major plot twist the entire time, and none of the other events surprised me expect for the way she kept Nick from talking.

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Huff · « **Reply #32 on:** January 09, 2013, 02:27:55 PM »

I don't think there was one likable character in Gone Girl.

For the next book, my buddy recommended http://www.amazon.com/Billy-Lynns-Long-Halftime-Walk/dp/0060885610

I'm down for whatever though

Olivia Wilde Homo · « **Reply #33 on:** January 09, 2013, 10:40:48 PM »

Quote from: Groogrux on January 08, 2013, 09:20:19 AM

Are we ready to start talking about the next book?

Sure. I'm down for anything as long as it isn't scifi or medieval fantasy.

Groogrux · « **Reply #34 on:** January 09, 2013, 11:35:06 PM »

http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2013-01-13/combined-print-and-e-book-fiction/list.html

What do you all think? I'm really not down for any chick flicks/mommy porn, but otherwise, I'm good.

The Racketeer is on that list still yet. Billy Lynne's Long Halftime walk looks like it may be an interesting read as well.

Olivia Wilde Homo · « **Reply #35 on:** January 20, 2013, 09:49:14 PM »

http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2013-01-20/combined-print-and-e-book-fiction/list.html

Let's pick something by Wednesday. I still would like to keep this going if there's interest.

Groogrux · « **Reply #36 on:** January 20, 2013, 09:52:42 PM »

I'm still all about it! Is there still interest in The Racketeer?

Olivia Wilde Homo · « **Reply #37 on:** January 20, 2013, 09:54:25 PM »

Quote from: Groogrux on January 20, 2013, 09:52:42 PM

I'm still all about it! Is there still interest in The Racketeer?

I'm fine with it.

Groogrux · « **Reply #38 on:** January 22, 2013, 01:31:44 AM »

Now on to The Racketeer!

http://www.thebore.com/forum/index.php?topic=39507.msg1621299#msg1621299

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Author Topic: The Bore Book Club reads Gone Girl (Read 2069 times)