Reviews

Invisible’s got an excellent, tense plot, shifting between the two main characters, with a good number of surprises along the way. Poulson always has great, strong women characters, with real lives and feelings . . .  I liked the fact that the depictions of violence and injury were realistic without being over-detailed or gloating . . . It was a pleasure to find a book that did the excitement, the jeopardy and the thrills without putting off this reader . . .  a very good read for anyone.’

- CLOTHES IN BOOKS

Gone Girl

Posted on Oct 1, 2013 in Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl | 2 Comments

I was somewhat late coming to the party with this acclaimed crime novel by Gillian Flynn. You know how it is. Sometimes all the hype puts you off, especially if, like me, you are a bit of a contrarian. However I finally succumbed and I am glad I did. It’s a really gripping read, particularly the first half as we move backwards and forwards between Nick Dunne’s account of his wife’s disappearance and her diary entries from the years leading up to that day. It’s clear pretty soon that Nick is a unreliable narrator, all that’s in question is just how reliable. Has he murdered Amy or not? For my money the second half was not quite as good as the first half, but I won’t say more in case you haven’t read it. I was still carried along by the sheer brio of the narration until the (to me not entirely satisfactory) end. Mrs Peabody on her fine blog, Mrs Peabody Investigates, gives GONE GIRL (great title) 4.5 out of 5 and I think that is about right. It’s good, very good,and works as a corruscating account of a failed marriage as well as a suspenseful crime novel. It won’t be to everyone’s taste, these are pretty unpleasant people, but Gillian Flynn is a fresh and original voice and I’ll be keeping an eye on her.

2 Comments

  1. Martin Edwards
    October 15, 2013

    Very well put. I have also read, and can recommend, her first book, Sharp Objects.

    Reply
  2. Christine
    October 16, 2013

    Thanks, Martin. It will go on my list.

    Reply

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