A good mystery novel is hard to come by. Authors must account for many key elements such as suspense, believable dialogue, realistic characters, subtle clues, and finally, a plausible solution. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn utilizes these aspects perfectly, creating a model mystery novel.
Gone Girl tells the story of the disappearance of Amy Dunne on the fifth anniversary of her marriage to Nick Dunne. As the investigation goes on, Nick’s almost indifferent attitude towards his missing wife makes him appear suspicious. The story’s unpredictable plot causes the reader to question Nick’s innocence and the location of Amy.
The story is told from Nick’s point of view, with the interspersed entries from Amy’s diary. Nick’s narration is in real time, while Amy’s contributions extend back to her first date with Nick. Perhaps the most suspense-inducing factor of Flynn’s writing is the use of unreliable narrators. As the story develops, the reader begins to realize that both Nick and Amy are being incredibly selective on revealing their side of the marriage. The contradicting accounts of their relationship force the reader to choose a character to sympathize. This reader participation further amplifies the suspense that Flynn skillfully crafts, adding to the brilliance behind the novel.
Aside from the two main characters, Flynn includes a dynamic cast of characters. Each character is well-developed, believable, and distinct. While many authors falls victim to creating one-dimensional characters, Flynn avoids this beautifully. Her characters are realistic and relatable to the reader. Flynn does not solely create lovable or hateable characters; she creates amusing, suspicious, annoying, realistic, pretentious, creepy, and pathetic characters.
Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl is a highly enjoyable mystery novel that will surely usher in a new influx of suspense novels that might rival that of dystopian novels. While Gone Girl is not necessarily a “fast read”, it’s a good read. For those who might not be particularly inclined to reading, the movie adaptation is incredibly accurate and captures the same tone with only minor detail changes.
