Every story has two sides to it, every person will tell the story the way they see it. The real truth might never be revealed.
The inner workings of a long-term relationship and how psychotic it can get is explored in Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl.”
Nick would say his wife Amy is neurotic, anti-social and too much of a perfectionist. Amy thinks Nick is controlling and has anger issues. They wouldn’t say the same things about themselves, they always blame the other person for their problems.
On the morning of their anniversary, Nick wakes up like normal and goes to work. He comes home to find his home had been robbed and suddenly, Amy is no where to be found. As the story goes on, you learn who Nick and Amy both are. You learn about their relationship and how they really feel about it.
As the days go on and Amy hasn’t been found, Nick becomes the No. 1 suspect. There is blood found all over the kitchen that was sloppily cleaned up and some pieces just don’t make sense. He doesn’t seem too distraught about the disappearance of his wife, and when other secrets come out that he should have known, but doesn’t, everyone starts to question their relationship. Why didn’t he know things he should have? Why doesn’t he care?
While this is happening, Amy is happily driving away, becoming a new person. So whose blood was in the kitchen? Why isn’t she coming to her husband’s rescue when he is the suspect of her murder?
Many, many questions arose while reading the book. It’s the kind of book that keeps you reading until you can’t read anymore. You learn the way partners can get underneath each other’s skin and how manipulative they can be toward one another. You start to see that maybe Nick has a reason for not caring. And you start to see that maybe Amy has a reason for not admitting she is alive.
But who is right? They each tell their own version of the same story, but are completely different. The blame is always on the other person.
It’s hard to feel bad for one of them and not the other because they are both a little psychotic in their own ways. They both have reasons for why they are doing what they are doing.
In the end, everything gets resolved. Or so you think. Manipulation leads the book to the end, so can you say everything is really resolved?
The book and movie were incredibly similar. Most dramatic books that I have read have something different about the movie. Often it’s for theatrical purposes, to make it more exciting or just to have some differences.
But with Gone Girl, there was only one minor detail in the end that still led it to the same ending. It was such a minor detail that it was taken out from the movie and it didn’t affect it at all.
Gone Girls is one of the best theatrical adaptations I have seen. I watched the movie and then read the book and I don’t think it affects one or the other more if you do one or the other first.
I highly recommend the book and movie, it will keep you guessing the entire time. And just when you think you know what’s going to happen, you really have no idea. I watched the movie when it came out a few years ago and watched it again in the last few weeks.
I was still shocked after all of these years. If you love thrillers, watch the movie and/or read the book.
