Gillian Flynn's 2012 novel 'Gone Girl' was adapted into a David Fincher-directed film in 2014. Starring Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck, the film was both a critical and commercial success. Flynn herself wrote the film's screenplay. Here are three things that reading 'Gone Girl' taught me.
1. I learned about how layers of subtext can affect the reader's perception of the novel as well as the importance of symbolism. Ironically, the very act of writing spurs the entire plot of the novel. 'Amazing' Amy Dunne fakes her diary, painstakingly dedicating half of a year to ruin the life of the man she had called her husband: "Tra and la! I am smiling a big adopted-orphan smile as I write this" (10). In making the diary believable both to the reader and the investigators in the story, Flynn reveals another layer of her deception. The story is believable because the story is believable. Amy plugs away at her diary; Gillian Flynn plugged away at Amy plugging away at her diary. Her personal diary, meant to be the utmost reflection of her inner truth, only represents a lie. When Nick wants to publish his memoir, detailing the truth of the matter, Amy blackmails him into scrapping his memoir and staying with her: "I know that I was right to protect myself. To take my precaution. Because he isn't writing a love story" (409). Fiction wins in the end. On the same level, Nick's dedication to his fictitious love for Amy on national television is what really wins her back. This dedication to subtext is something I really want to incorporate into my own writing. In my latest Major Piece, a poem about an object I observed, I wanted to make the poem in some way about the act of observation itself and what it means to the viewer; I feel in the same way Flynn looks at the nature of deception and those who propagate it. Flynn exemplifies nuanced writing through her tight plotting and intelligent subtext.
2. Characterization is everything in 'Gone Girl'. From the beginning of the novel we see the first of the many faces of Amy. As a child, she was 'Amazing Amy'. As an adult, she is Amy Elliot. As a wife, she is Amy Dunne. Yet her greatest role to play is that of the titular Gone Girl. And yes, underneath the surface she is also a potentially psychopathic murderer with highly narcissistic tendencies and a stunning lack of empathy. But the brilliant thing about the novel's execution is that the readers don't know that going in. Executed more or less the same in the film, Amy reveals her hand midway through the plot. This is important. Her turn isn't a twist ending. The readers are given roughly the same amount of time with easy, breezy Amy as they are with murderous Amy. But only one of the Amy's is real. 'Part One: Boy Loses Girl' is superseded by 'Part Two: Boy Meets Girl'. Both Nick and Amy are unreliable narrators, but for different reasons. Nick doesn't want to admit to his wrongdoings even though he knows and feels guilt for them. Amy doesn't feel guilt. By the end of the novel, they are like two hunters stalking their prey forever, locked in a loveless yet not dispassionate marriage. "I am the one to root for in the never-ending war story of our marriage. It's a story I can live with... I can't imagine my story without Amy. She is my forever antagonist," (413) muses Nick as the book closes. But is Nick a good person? Can one really call him a hero? Two stunningly different characters are inextricably linked, not by what makes them good but by what makes them destructive, to themselves and to each other. Characterization at this level is something I want to be able to incorporate in my writing more. I know that my characters are often muddled, and I don't like to write dialogue. My second Major Piece was an attempt to move away from that, and I am currently working on distinguishing the two main characters at the heart of my piece. Reading this novel provided an excellent chance to see how to make realistic characters that aren't boring. At the heart of this novel is a dichotomy, a duality. This is another concept I like to adhere to in my writing. It's easier to write one thing when another is there to balance it out later.
3. Gillian Flynn's pacing is electric. 'Gone Girl' feels like the unraveling of yarn once it gets going. She accomplishes this through the use of a framing device. Amy begins as a story within a story. All we know is that she's gone and that Nick wasn't the greatest of husbands. In making the reader the detective in this scenario, Flynn provides the impetus for further exploration. On Nick's end, his constant denial of his involvement as well as the ensuing criminal investigation reflect an ever-ramping up of tension. When Amy reveals the story and she begins to tell the truth, Nick becomes enmeshed in the media circus surrounding her disappearance. He has to become a better liar in order to survive in this new environment. It is this that draws Amy back to Nick. Each chapter is presented from one of their perspectives; they bounce back and forth between the two. This creates an uneasy sense within the reader; the mystery is deepened. Yet after the truth is revealed, the unresolved tension around the entire situation only heightens. The pendulum swings ever faster. Again, this reminds me of the concept of dichotomies and balance. She uses this to create a breathless pace. This draws me back to my second Major Piece; in beginning a mystery with a tinge of noir, I wanted to create the same sense of unease yet anticipation. Her pacing comes as a result of characterization. I have never been good at inhabiting other perspectives in writing; this might inspire me to give it more effort.
1. I learned about how layers of subtext can affect the reader's perception of the novel as well as the importance of symbolism. Ironically, the very act of writing spurs the entire plot of the novel. 'Amazing' Amy Dunne fakes her diary, painstakingly dedicating half of a year to ruin the life of the man she had called her husband: "Tra and la! I am smiling a big adopted-orphan smile as I write this" (10). In making the diary believable both to the reader and the investigators in the story, Flynn reveals another layer of her deception. The story is believable because the story is believable. Amy plugs away at her diary; Gillian Flynn plugged away at Amy plugging away at her diary. Her personal diary, meant to be the utmost reflection of her inner truth, only represents a lie. When Nick wants to publish his memoir, detailing the truth of the matter, Amy blackmails him into scrapping his memoir and staying with her: "I know that I was right to protect myself. To take my precaution. Because he isn't writing a love story" (409). Fiction wins in the end. On the same level, Nick's dedication to his fictitious love for Amy on national television is what really wins her back. This dedication to subtext is something I really want to incorporate into my own writing. In my latest Major Piece, a poem about an object I observed, I wanted to make the poem in some way about the act of observation itself and what it means to the viewer; I feel in the same way Flynn looks at the nature of deception and those who propagate it. Flynn exemplifies nuanced writing through her tight plotting and intelligent subtext.
2. Characterization is everything in 'Gone Girl'. From the beginning of the novel we see the first of the many faces of Amy. As a child, she was 'Amazing Amy'. As an adult, she is Amy Elliot. As a wife, she is Amy Dunne. Yet her greatest role to play is that of the titular Gone Girl. And yes, underneath the surface she is also a potentially psychopathic murderer with highly narcissistic tendencies and a stunning lack of empathy. But the brilliant thing about the novel's execution is that the readers don't know that going in. Executed more or less the same in the film, Amy reveals her hand midway through the plot. This is important. Her turn isn't a twist ending. The readers are given roughly the same amount of time with easy, breezy Amy as they are with murderous Amy. But only one of the Amy's is real. 'Part One: Boy Loses Girl' is superseded by 'Part Two: Boy Meets Girl'. Both Nick and Amy are unreliable narrators, but for different reasons. Nick doesn't want to admit to his wrongdoings even though he knows and feels guilt for them. Amy doesn't feel guilt. By the end of the novel, they are like two hunters stalking their prey forever, locked in a loveless yet not dispassionate marriage. "I am the one to root for in the never-ending war story of our marriage. It's a story I can live with... I can't imagine my story without Amy. She is my forever antagonist," (413) muses Nick as the book closes. But is Nick a good person? Can one really call him a hero? Two stunningly different characters are inextricably linked, not by what makes them good but by what makes them destructive, to themselves and to each other. Characterization at this level is something I want to be able to incorporate in my writing more. I know that my characters are often muddled, and I don't like to write dialogue. My second Major Piece was an attempt to move away from that, and I am currently working on distinguishing the two main characters at the heart of my piece. Reading this novel provided an excellent chance to see how to make realistic characters that aren't boring. At the heart of this novel is a dichotomy, a duality. This is another concept I like to adhere to in my writing. It's easier to write one thing when another is there to balance it out later.
3. Gillian Flynn's pacing is electric. 'Gone Girl' feels like the unraveling of yarn once it gets going. She accomplishes this through the use of a framing device. Amy begins as a story within a story. All we know is that she's gone and that Nick wasn't the greatest of husbands. In making the reader the detective in this scenario, Flynn provides the impetus for further exploration. On Nick's end, his constant denial of his involvement as well as the ensuing criminal investigation reflect an ever-ramping up of tension. When Amy reveals the story and she begins to tell the truth, Nick becomes enmeshed in the media circus surrounding her disappearance. He has to become a better liar in order to survive in this new environment. It is this that draws Amy back to Nick. Each chapter is presented from one of their perspectives; they bounce back and forth between the two. This creates an uneasy sense within the reader; the mystery is deepened. Yet after the truth is revealed, the unresolved tension around the entire situation only heightens. The pendulum swings ever faster. Again, this reminds me of the concept of dichotomies and balance. She uses this to create a breathless pace. This draws me back to my second Major Piece; in beginning a mystery with a tinge of noir, I wanted to create the same sense of unease yet anticipation. Her pacing comes as a result of characterization. I have never been good at inhabiting other perspectives in writing; this might inspire me to give it more effort.