Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2 stars? 4 stars? I didn't really like this, but the author gets high marks for a compelling read which I couldn't put down and at the same time wished would end. There is drama, but it is not entertaining, not instructive or cautionary (no lesson to be learned), not uplifting or inspiring, has no humor, it doesn't even offer an escape. Crude sophomoric language & descriptions. Still… it had me hooked in a voyeuristic way from the beginning. This is a portrait of a sociopath and the dissolution of a marriage. I have known both. I was disappointed with the lack lustre yet realistic ending in which the antagonist wins. It left me feeling yuk. yuck. & was responsible for a bad night of restless sleep.
I listened to the audio version which is superbly done.
a few favorite quotes:
“There's a difference between really loving someone and loving the idea of her.” - true
“Friends see most of each other’s flaws. Spouses see every awful last bit.” - truer still
“My mother had always told her kids: if you're about to do something, and you want to know if it's a bad idea, imagine seeing it printed in the paper for all the world to see.” -I'm going to tell my seminary students that one.

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