Underlying Story

[H]

In this well-constructed novel, Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn, we learn that one of the main characters, Amy, has gone missing, and her husband Nick is the prime suspect in her disappearance. Although the author keeps readers concentrating on Amy’s disappearance, she also tells an underlying tale of a marriage that was on the brink of destruction even before moving from New York, the place where Amy felt comfortable and secure, to a town in Missouri where Nick was raised. I believe that this move was the final straw that broke Amy’s back.
Nick and Amy Dunne, a couple thought to be so perfect for each other, find themselves on the complete opposite ends of the spectrum once they make the move to Missouri. Since the author doesn’t really focus much on the time the spent being married, while living in New York, we cannot get a full understanding of where things started to go downhill. Even though the story concentrates on Amy’s disappearance, I would have encouraged a little more information on the couple beforehand, instead of what you get from Amy’s diaries.
From here on, we get to see numerous lies from Nick, and a peek into the twisted mind of his wife Amy. “The truth will set you free” is not a quote that Nick would have choked on. And for Amy, a true mastermind when it comes to the art of payback.

[Aj the Ravenous Reader]

This is one twisted and manipulative novel. The characters are manipulative, the story and complications are manipulative, even my loyalty was manipulated. During the first few half of the story, I was so pissed at Nick- the husband, but during the last half, I was so pissed at Amy-the wife and then during the epilogue, I was pissed at them both and I was like “You guys are one twisted couple, you so deserve each other. Ha!”

But both of them really were entertaining and I was laughing at their flaws and at how they tried to outwit the other to the point of doing the unimaginable. At the end of the story, I was laughing at how their marriage ironically got fixed by one sick web of lies, traps, deception, even murder. Boy, if that’s how failing marriages were fixed, no wonder many couples opt to choose divorce.

The manner of writing for me is really creative and witty as the author used two points of view, no-not just two but three- Nick’s point of view, Amy’s point of view through her diary and the real Amy’s point of view.

I don’t know, but I really liked the use of the dark and twisted humor, it just made the characters and the entire story more sensible.

Amy kind of reminds me of Margo of Paper Towns but only because of the clues to finding something stuff. In Amy’s case, her treasure hunt gave Nick clues to discovering not only Amy’s anniversary gift, but also discovering who Amy really is, who he really is and what they really mean to each other.

[Murrill]

Nick and Amy should never have been together, yet their coupling seems inevitable. He is shallow and sluggish; she is damaged and narcissistic. Perhaps they could have played the happily married role had they remained in New York, but neither had the skills to transition into other roles when life happened. Nick was an underdeveloped human being, and Amy tragically demanded that he complete her. She is intelligent enough to be dangerous, as Nick well knows, and she her massive ego lends itself to the chameleon-esque manipulations that make this story so good. Sometimes we don't know who we are until we are truly tested.

[Susanne]

Makes you wonder. Who drove who crazy. She was a sociopath from the beginning? Was Nick a jerk from the get go? Hard to remember since her diary was a total fake.

[Mycroft]

Amy's manipulation and vengeance started long before she met Nick, so it seems like she was probably a horrible monster from the beginning. As a child, she framed her friend as a stalker.

My only issue was that when she changed her plan, it seemed like it should have raised more suspicion.

[Murrill]

I agree that Amy was a seasoned world-class vindictive manipulator from childhood. I suspect that over the course of their marriage she grew increasingly venemous, honed her skills, and identified Nick's weaknesses. It is not hard to see how she became so damaged: To her parents she was a storybook character and their livelihood. I'm not sure how she could have turned out to be anything better.

[Aj the Ravenous Reader]

Murrill wrote: "I agree that Amy was a seasoned world-class vindictive manipulator from childhood. I suspect that over the course of their marriage she grew increasingly venemous, honed her skills, and identified..."

Hi. With the baby on the way, do you think there's a chance Amy and even Nick will become somehow better people?

[Jason]

Can anyone explain what the last words by Nick means? Is he implying that she will be caught one day? Or is he pure disgusted by Amy? I reread the sentence dozens of times but couldn't quite grasp its true meaning.

[Jason]

Susanne wrote: "Makes you wonder. Who drove who crazy. She was a sociopath from the beginning? Was Nick a jerk from the get go? Hard to remember since her diary was a total fake."

Perhaps she was still the Diary Amy from the beginning, the diary is only a tool to conceal her true agenda and to make her plan seems more believable by making use of the stretched course of time. She truly snapped after seeing Andie, but she wants to use her diary to hide the fact and make it obvious that Nick is the one distancing from her through the course of time and thus making him the bad guy. I believe she is still the sweet-hearted Amy before Nicj's affair.
Hope this helps.

[Murrill]

The Ravenously wrote: "Murrill wrote: "I agree that Amy was a seasoned world-class vindictive manipulator from childhood. I suspect that over the course of their marriage she grew increasingly venemous, honed her skills..."

Good questions. I guess I see Amy as flawed on a cellular level: I'm not sure she is capable of change. Nick...well, maybe he'll step up. I can imagine that the baby will become Amy's next prop, but I wonder if she will be willing to share the attention?

[Paul]

I believe it would make a great story al if Nick and Amy's daughter or son ends up being as intelligent and as much of a sociopath as Amy is. We might get a story where Amy meets her match. I am also curious to know what Boney had discovered at the end when Nick tells as that she called and told him to get to the pancake house right away but he declines and says he wants to have no more to do with the investigation.

[Aj the Ravenous Reader]

Murrill wrote: "The Ravenously wrote: "Murrill wrote: "I agree that Amy was a seasoned world-class vindictive manipulator from childhood. I suspect that over the course of their marriage she grew increasingly ven..."<

Thank you for sharing your well opinionated views. :) But maybe we'll never really know unless the author writes a sequel. :)

[Aj the Ravenous Reader]

Paul wrote: "I believe it would make a great story al if Nick and Amy's daughter or son ends up being as intelligent and as much of a sociopath as Amy is. We might get a story where Amy meets her match. I am a..."

That will surely make a great story for a sequel. :)