Since this is going to be difficult to discuss without a litany of spoiler boxes. Enter at your own risk.
Since this is going to be difficult to discuss without a litany of spoiler boxes. Enter at your own risk.
So my Vertigo comparison seems more intentional than I had originally thought. Amy's faux Facebook profile is Madeliene Elster.
Where are you exactly in the story? I don't want to accidentally spoil you.
...and the milk's in me.
Amy admitted the first half of the novel was a huge scam, she's planning on killing herself, and she's not actually pregnant. The woman at the bungalow might be on to her.
Nick has realized Amy is trying to frame him but can't seem to convince his lawyer. Breaking things off with the mistress did not go well.
You know, in a book full of really unpleasant people, I kind of wanted to hit her the hardest?Quoting Lucky (view post)
...and the milk's in me.
What is wrong with this Hilary girl? Let's harass my friend's parents because she asked me to?
"It was just dumb stuff girls do. Back before cell phones and cyberbullying. A way to kill time."
What? ...no.
71%
I think we're supposed to see Amy as a master manipulator, but I agree this is a little far-fetched. Much more realistic to me is the bit about Amy and the guy who cut her off in traffic-- that, to me, was a realistic and telling story that showed exactly how sociopathic she is.
In fact, I would argue that one of the book's weakest points is how far it pushes the suspension of disbelief in the last bit of the book. It's strong enough that I forgive those moments, but I can't say that I 100% bought everything that goes down.
...and the milk's in me.
AHHH. Thanks for mentioning the possibility of spoilers.
Also, thanks for making a complete separate thread. Without it, I may not have even gotten the book. I was wanting to read something, and this came to mind.
100 pages later and I'm really digging it... I'm also hoping that a few things DO NOT HAPPEN:
PLEASE... do not let her stage it and run away.
PLEASE... do not let him be behind it.
PLEASE... do not let the "clues" lead to her location.
That is all... for now.
Oh, yeah, SEMI-PLEASE... do not let him hook up with the 40-something ditzy lady.
I'm definitely supporting Amy at this point between the two discussions.
More to continue, without reading any post in here.
Hmm. Val finished this and said she doesn't think I'll like it. She's usually pretty intuitive when it comes to my likes/dislikes. I'm on the fence.
Oddly enough, I'm not entirely sure I loved it, either. It is certainly an imperfect novel.
But, at the same time, completely gripping. It's one of those books that you really want to talk about.
...and the milk's in me.
Oh wow...
So that happened.
Desi?
Finished it today. It nailed on all cylinders to me. Both as pure entertainment, and great comments on gender roles. I almost wonder if some of the past "manipulations" from Amy might even be embellished from the side of the 'victim' so that they don't look as bad. I'd have to reread those passages.
Amy's character is quite fascinating once it gets past her diary. Her "Ozark Amy" seemed a little too dumb in my mind. Someone that would never have trusted the two other people, but perhaps because she was never around that type of crowd? I'm not sure. That may be my only critique of it all.
The last few chapters, cat and mouse as they may be, had me guessing and guessing the whole time as to who would truly win. The final sentence is just about perfect.
And I can't think of anyone more perfect for this then David Fincher.
Just bought this one for Jen. I really want to get her reading again.
Started this today when the library finally got in a copy for me; about 60 pages in right now. Technically I'm aware of the narrative switch halfway through since Sarah mentioned it to me when she read the book late last year. Still, I'm intrigued by how Flynn incorporates the MASH theme and the Murakami book, texts that are all about absence and listlessness. Now to see how Nick ends up embroiled in the investigation since the father's linguistic idiosyncrasies are surely gonna play a part soon.
The Boat People - 9
The Power of the Dog - 7.5
The King of Pigs - 7
So I just got to page 250, past the big reveal. I'm excited because now shit's about to get real and I don't know what's coming.
Flynn has a great control of voice in both the Amy's Diary sequences and in Nick's coverage as well. Hope it lands its third act!
The Boat People - 9
The Power of the Dog - 7.5
The King of Pigs - 7
I listened to the book on audio and the voice actors was great. Amy especially had to play at least two different "characters" and really nailed it.
...and the milk's in me.
Finished this out yesterday. Ultimately, the plotting is some of the best in mainstream fiction, with Flynn developing a credible indictment on how a patriarchal-minded media has instructed women to sublimate their desires, leaving women like Amy existing as such artifice that she feels her whole life is a lie. On some level, that made me wish that Flynn had found a way to engineer the text so that the woman isn't then responsible for the text's transgressions--enabling us to valorize Nick as hero when he's himself culpable--but I have to forego some of the layers of gender representation here.
I like how the text concludes, where fatherhood (after the loss of the father) is what normalizes this couple. The regeneration of a false normalcy is nicely integrated, where we understand what anchors Nick to Amy after all. And yes, she does get the last word. That said, the third act shortchanges Go in ways that I hadn't expected--she felt quite dynamic in the first half and towards the end she is cut out of the main drama. That reduces some of the human element, and leaves me wanting more reaction from the outside circle.
This novel felt more lived-in and fully developed than Flynn's Sharp Objects. Kinda curious to start her second novel, too. Was rather surprised that the bungalow characters never reappeared.
The Boat People - 9
The Power of the Dog - 7.5
The King of Pigs - 7
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