lysdexic

I enjoyed the tortuous narrative and needle sharp portrayal of NY yuppie life. Most impressive was the characterization of Amy. You don't need a word from Nick, his sister or the police officers to know Amy. Her diary entries, from the glib, suspiciously breezy early entries, to the increasingly sinister self-obsession in the later ones, tell us enough. There's been a big brouhaha about whether the sketch was sufficiently feminist or not. My opinion is that this is irrelevant. To me a book's success does not depend on whether it's characters are relatable or even likable, but on how well they're drawn. And Flynn succeeds with Amy, though perhaps not so much with the other characters.
Having said all this, Gone Girl collapses in its final third. There is no coherence, and the pages drag to the ludicrous end. The overall effect is of a work that is an enjoyable taste, but nothing more. The book and its characters are as lasting and deep as Nick and Amy's glitzy romance. I don't feel the need to revisit it. Gone Girl is junk food, but a fine example of that kind.