Metropolitan’s Comments (group member since Aug 25, 2014)

Metropolitan’s comments from the Metro Library ReadUp group.

If anyone has suggestions for a nonfiction book to read this month, post it here! I'll set up a poll as well.

There were a couple of places in the book that made me laugh out loud:

One was when Libby expresses her loathing of self help books: "To me all that urgent hopefulness was more frightening than if I'd found a pile of skulls with hair still attached. I ran out in full panic, my underwear tucked up a sleeve" (p58) This made me really like her!

Did anyone else find some dark comedy?

Did you finish? What did you think?

I don't think Patty had a mental illness, except maybe mild depression, much the same as Ben. She just wasn't prepared to cope well with her circumstances, and I think living in the small town where everyone was judging and watching didn't help with her mental state either.

Questions from the link I posted above that stand out to me:

1.) What do you think of Patty Day as a mother? Is she doing the best she can, or is she making excuses for herself? What emotions ultimately fuel her choices? Can you see yourself making the choices she makes?


I think she tried the best she could, but also made excuses. I guess the feeling of utter despair is what led to her choices, and thinking that she could finally do something to help her children. I would never do what she did.

2.) Ben is painted as a wild devil worshiper. How fair do you think this portrait actually is? For those who grew up in the 1980s: Do you recall any instances of “Satanic Panic”? Why do you think this became such a widespread fear?

I don't think it's fair at all. He seems like a normal teenaged boy going through all the weird stages that they do. I think the media latched onto the concept of roving bands of devil worshippers and spurred a bit of hysteria that eventually faded out. The most famous case I can think of is the West Memphis Three.

3.) Throughout Dark Places, Libby, Patty and Ben unknowingly echo one other’s dialogue and thoughts. What is the author trying to say with this technique?

I noticed this several times, and I think it was meant to show us how similar family members are to one another in ways they themselves may not even realize. This just reinforced the feelings of sadness and futility about what ended up happening to this family.

What do y'all think? Has anyone else finished it? Has anyone seen the movie?

Finished it, YIKES! No spoilers, just YIKES!

Also I am terrified of Diondra.

I like how in Gillian Flynn's books, you kind of think everyone is a suspect. For a while there I was even thinking somehow Libby did it.

How is everyone liking this? I think of the Gillian Flynn books I've read, this is the best one. I remember the 80s when the Satanic Panic was happening---pretty crazy.

glad you liked it!

Discussion questions:
http://gillian-flynn.com/dark-places/...

Has the movie already come out? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2402101/
Somehow I missed this.

It was a tie, so I drew at random and Dark Places is the winner. Reserve your copy today and talk about it here!

Finally finished it--I think the lead up to the end where the suspected killer is revealed was filled with way too much detail, and the introduction of so many new people it was hard to keep focus.

I thought all along that the big cover up was because of Taylor's homosexuality, but it didn't seem like that in the end.

Here are 5 spooky books to choose from for October. Vote in the poll! Thanks!

Night Film by Marisha Pessl:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...

Pines by Blake Crouch: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake: (this is a Young Adult book, but I've heard good things.) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...

I'm still reading this one--it's fascinating but I have a lot of other books I'm reading at the same time. Let's keep this discussion going until Oct. 5.

In the meantime, any suggestions for scary October books you'd like to read?

Here's a bunch of materials I found online related to the events portrayed in the book:

Taylorology newsletter: http://www.taylorology.com/

Stevie Nicks' song, Mabel Normand: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10...

Thought provoking article about Mabel Normand: http://www.thefix.com/content/saving-...

Adolph Zukor's obituary: (he lived to be 103!) http://www.nytimes.com/learning/gener...

Article about the fall of Fatty Arbuckle: http://thehairpin.com/2012/02/scandal...

What in the world is going on here?! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcqpY...

Mary Miles Minter: http://www.mary-miles-minter.com/

For me personally, I find audio books very difficult to pay attention to. A lot depends on the reader's voice--if he or she isn't super expressive, or has some annoying tone to the voice, I drift off almost immediately. (But that's just me.)

In book format, I think maybe you'd be better able to follow along with what's happening where and you'd be able to flip back and forth to clarify details. But if you only want to listen and you just aren't into it, I wouldn't torture yourself with it! Not every book is going to be a hit with all of us, don't worry about it. :)

Glad you liked it! I'm impressed with the author's treatment of such complicated events.

I'm also just flabbergasted at the treatment of Taylor's valet...so racist! Jeez!

Here's some info from IMDB about some of the movies mentioned in the book: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls074636790/

I lived in Los Angeles for 6 years, so I've been looking up the different locations using Google maps/street view. For nearly every one of them I've thought "Wow, I took the bus past there to work/school/the store!" So much history!

How are you guys liking it?