AGS Book Club September: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (Part 3)

[Snarky]

PART THREE:
BOY GETS GIRL BACK (OR VICE VERSA)

For part three of the book club discussion, I don't think there's any point dividing it into sections, so the discussion here will assume people have read all the way to the end.

[Snarky]

Again I'd just like to point out that the title for this part has a double meaning: "gets back" as in "is returned," or "gets back" as in "gets revenge on."

The ending seems to be very much a love-it-or-hate-it sort of thing. I thought it was excellent, partly because it's the first time in many years I've come across an ending of a mystery/thriller that I've never seen before. Wow! The idea of the hell that Nick and Amy are going to be creating for each other (and their baby) is also pretty chilling. Any bets on how long before one of them kills the other?

Does the ending reflect on the gender and relationship issues that were raised earlier in the book, or was all that stuff dropped to just focus on the plot?

[Stupot]

My guesses about the third part weren't far off at all, although we can perhaps drop the 'happily ever after' bit.  The wonderful thing about this ending is that Flynn has left it in a state where it seems they are going to live not very happily at all and probably not for very long... it's an anti-fairytale ending.  There is potential for a lot more drama, but that is left to our imaginations.  Poor Nick.

Getting pregnant just to keep her man must be one of the most evil things a woman can do, and she went there.  And Nick, still wanting to come across as a good man and doting husband (and father) decides to play along with her game.  I don't blame him really; by the end he was probably just too exhausted to compete with her.

Does the ending reflect on the gender and relationship issues that were raised earlier in the book, or was all that stuff dropped to just focus on the plot?

I'm not really sure.  It does seem that Flynn was eager to finish the story, and didn't spend as much time dwelling on gender issues but there was still some of that there.  I loved the joke of the last chapter just being Amy's way of getting the last word.  A lot of men would say that is just typical of a woman, haha.


All in all, I loved this book.  A lot.  The gender stuff was perhaps just a little too much for my personal tastes, but it was still interesting nevertheless.

Could you think of any glaring loose ends or continuity errors?  I couldn't, which for a book of this complexity is really commendable.  I am sure I will go back and read her previous works. My sister has already snapped it off me due to my recommendations.  She has been through a marriage breakdown, so she can probably relate to the stuff more than me.  I really hope she enjoys it, but I also hope she doesn't get any wild ideas from it, haha.