Review of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Jessie Alkire
[Spoilers ahead- do not read the third and fourth paragraphs if you wish to read Gone Girl in
the future!]
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, with its complex web of character motivations and twists
and turns, is a unique, genre-defying novel that easily appeals to many types of readers. It is
a very quick read that starts out with a bang that continues for the majority of the pages.
The novel begins on Nick and Amy Dunnes fifth wedding anniversary when Amy
mysteriously disappears. It spirals off into a whodunit mystery as well as an exploration of
gender roles and male-female relationships.
Nick and Amy were the couple that appeared to have it all: looks, money, love, you
name it. Part one of the novel is comprised of alternating chapters from Amys past journal
entries and Nicks present day perspective that juxtapose the couples deliriously happy past
against the current decay of their marriage. Amy and Nick prove to be unreliable narrators,
and the reader is placed in the middle of their struggles, frantically reading onward in hope
of learning what forces led to the seemingly perfect couples downfall.
Nicks failure to properly express his emotions after his wifes disappearance makes
him appear guilty to the police and public. The revelations that Nick has been having an
affair and was potentially abusive make the reader question his innocence as well. As dirty
secrets come to the surface, the reader is never sure what is true or who to trust. Every
character seems guilty at one point or another and the reader will often feel at a loss as to
who could have committed the crime. The first part of the novel closes with a shocking
reveal that, while entirely unexpected, makes complete sense: Amy, the duplicitous woman
scorned, is framing Nick for her murder upon discovery of his infidelity. She staged her
disappearance and faked all the previous diary entries to make Nick appear guilty. Her
intense planning process and dedication would be impressive if she wasnt quite so sadistic
and terrifying. The novel picks up speed even more in this second part, and the reader is
never sure what will happen next.
The novel loses steam, however, upon Amys return in the third and final part. She is
robbed and begins to lose faith in her plan to pin her murder on Nick. She returns, claiming
she was abducted by her ex-boyfriend, Desi, and killed him when he attempted to rape her.
The fact that she believes Nick will welcome her back with open arms is frankly ridiculous
and unbelievable. Nicks reception of Amy is similarly implausible. Nick, an incredibly strongwilled character, becomes a weak child as he bows to Amys every demand. He finally gives
in completely when Amy becomes pregnant with their child. He tells his sister that all he has
ever wanted is a son, and he refuses to leave his child behind. This would have been more
believable if Flynn had further explored Nicks desire to have a child throughout the rest of
the novel; however, his sudden interest feels forced. The ending does not measure up to the
rest of the novel and seems rushed, as if tacked onto the end when Flynn ran out of other,
better ideas. Readers will be left unsatisfied and desiring a more cohesive, fulfilling ending to
Nick and Amys story.
Many critics have praised Flynn for her reconstruction of traditional gender roles.
Amy is an incredibly strong female character who holds complete control over every other
character in the novel, especially men. She is also sharply intelligent and successful in
seemingly everything she does. Amy possesses all of these stereotypically masculine traits
while maintaining her femininity and sexuality. Many people see this portrayal of a woman in
popular culture to be extremely positive for todays society.

While Amy does branch off from gender roles and some expectations for women, she
is not a positive feminist icon. She is extremely unlikeable, even hated, due to her
controlling, malicious demeanor. Amy is a demonized character that illustrates all the
negative views society has toward women: she is seductive, manipulative, cold, selfish, etc.
Furthermore, when Amy is robbed, she goes to her ex-boyfriend, Desi, to save her rather
than solve her problem on her own. Similarly, when Desi becomes overwhelming, Amy
leaves him to go back to Nick. She cannot support herself or live without a man, even one
that she was extremely unhappy with and attempted to frame for murder! Ultimately, Amy is
just another example of the female character that cannot be feminine and masculine
simultaneously without inspiring fear and hatred. This perpetuates societys problem of
honestly and positively portraying women rather than moving against it. While Flynn does
take feminism a few steps forward in her portrayal of a (mostly) strong female character,
she ultimately takes five steps back.
Overall, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is a truly shocking, multifaceted novel that requires
reading and re-reading to fully explore its inner complexities and mysteries. It is not the
typical murder mystery of commercial fiction with little substance or meaning. The close
examination of the relationship between Nick and Amy as well as the exploration of unstable
gender roles gives the novel power and presence that will perpetuate its popularity in
contemporary society. Amy, however, should not be branded as a positive female character
or seen as evidence that feminism is gaining traction in popular culture due to her
unlikeable, demonized nature. Gone Girls ending is also rushed and disappointing, but it
does not completely take away from the previous pages. Ultimately, Gone Girl will not be the
next Great American Novel, but its easily digested plot, shocking twists and turns, and
modern look into male-female relationships will hook readers of all types. Gone Girl is a title
that popular culture will not soon forget.