Book Log 2015 #33: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I was ready for this book to fall into the expected path of a story where a woman disappears and her husband becomes the prime suspect. I was happily surprised when it failed to do so, and even more surprised in a couple of spots where the book completely subverted my expectations. I also liked some of the commentary on how our culture approaches these missing person cases, mostly in skewering Nancy Grace and her ilk in the televised anger factory.

What I liked most about the book, though, was they way it showed how we never really know people, even those who are closest to us. Almost none of the characters - with the exception of Nick's mom, maybe - really know their spouses, siblings or children as well as they think they do. I don't know if this  is universally true (it may just be that I have a shallow personal inner life), but it's an idea that's caused me to ponder my relationships. The book also has given me at instruction in at least one way to turn your child into a sociopath, so thanks for giving me an idea of what not to do.

It's a pager-turner for sure, and I whipped through it fast enough that I probably missed some things that  I might have complained about otherwise. Not necessarily a bad thing, I guess.