Reviewed by L. Chapman, September 2022
Gone Girl is an adult novel written by Gillian Flynn that intimately details the life and unraveling marriage of Nick and Amy Dunne. The story opens with Amy going missing on her and Nick’s 5th anniversary, Nick is distraught and it appears that as if there was a struggle that took place. Nick’s perspective only covers present day, where the investigation is taking place at his home in Missouri, whereas Amy’s perspective is much more fluid. Most of Amy’s perspective is covered in prior diary entries where her and Nick still live in NYC, covering 2007 up until 2012. As the investigation progresses in Missouri, questions are posed, was Amy murdered, and was she murdered by Nick?
One of the main reasons as to why Gone Girl is so compelling is because of how Amy and Nick are both flawed and unlikeable. Gillian Flynn leads her audience to contemplate reality and relationships, due to this, Gone Girl is enigmatic and sinister. Just like Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart, Gillian Flynn uses an unreliable narrator to confuse the reader and create suspense and intrigue. Gone Girl is notorious for a reason, it is unforgettable, complex, and will undoubtedly be discussed for many years to come.