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A BOOK TO READ: Gone Girl

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Gone Girl is a fictional book written by American writer Gillian Flynn. It is a thriller novel in the mystery and crime scenes. The 432 pages novel was published in the United States  by Crown Publishing Group in 2012.

According to the writer, she was inspired to write the novel as a result of the disappearance of one Californian, Laci Peterson in late 2002. She also used her own experience after being laid off from her job as a writer for Entertainment Weekly to publish this work.

Gone Girl made the New York Times Best Seller list. A film adaptation was also released on October 3, 2014, and written by Flynn herself. The film was met with both commercial success and widespread critical claim.

Characters

The list of characters in the book include Nick Dunne (the main character, a journalist), Amy Elliot Dunne (the title character, a writer who later married Nick), Jim Gilpin (a detective), Rhonda Boney (a detective), Tanner Bolt (Nick’s lawyer), Andie Hardy (Nick’s girlfriend), Margo Dunne (Nick’s twin sister), and Desi Collings ( Amy’s boyfriend in high school).

Summary

Gone Girl is about a couple Nick and Amy. The first part of the novel centers on their marriage. They both lived in New York City where Nick is a journalist and Amy a writer. They eventually lose their jobs and have to relocate to Nick’s hometown in North Carthage, Missouri to help take care of Nick’s mother who developed cancer while his father suffers from Alheizmer’s disease. The relocation causes their marriage to take a turn as Amy preferred her life in New York and soon begins to resent Nick for making her move to Missouri.

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Matter becomes worst on their wedding anniversary when Amy disappears without a trace thereby making Nick a suspect. The police and public were soon involved in the saga when it was revealed that Amy was pregnant when she went missing, it was now seen as a case of murder.

Nick, who was not emotional about his wife’s disappearance is also revealed to have been cheating on his wife. Nick had affairs with Andie, a student in his magazine-writing class 15 months before Andy’s disappearance.

It was later revealed in the second part of the book that Amy was trying to frame Nick for her death as revenge for his perceived wrongs against her. Her pregnancy and her diary entries were revealed to be fake. Her plan is foiled when she is robbed at the motel she is hiding in.

Nick, who finds out that he was framed, met his lawyer, Tinner Bolt who helped to change the public’s perception of his client which was redeemed by a popular TV talk show.

Things turn out bad for Nick when the police discovered that Nick was lying and was later arrested. Amy who was hiding in his ex-boyfriend, Desi Collings Lake house sees the TV interview and is convinced that Nick really does want her back. She murdered Desi and fabricates a story that she had been kidnapped and imprisoned by him.

Although Nick knew she was lying, he was forced to have his wife back. He was writing a memoir on Amy’s crimes and deceptions and was caught by Amy before it goes out. Amy made sure he deletes the memoir by getting herself pregnant through Nick’s saved semen at a fertility clinic. Nick had no option than to stay with Amy for his child’s sake.

You will find this book more interesting. Please visit any bookstore across the country to get a copy, and leave me your thoughts here.