The Buzz...About Books

I'll be the first to admit it: I was a little behind when everyone started reading Gone Girl. The fast-paced thriller by Gillian Flynn flew onto everyone's radar since it was published in 2012 – and it's hardly lost steam.

So, Monday evening, I finally got my hands on a copy and started casually dipping into the first chapter. I'm not normally a big mystery reader, and I can't remember the last time I really fell hard for a thriller, but, oh, yes, I dropped everything for this book.

As in, my-legs-fell-asleep, barely-stopped-for-bathroom-breaks, dinner-what-dinner? kind of drop everything.

If you haven't already read it – here's a quick rundown, without giving too much away. On the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary, the beautiful and brilliant Amy Dunne vanishes, leaving her easy-going and charming husband, Nick, with a lot of questions. As the search continues and the evidence mounts, Nick is cast in an increasingly not-so-favourable light. Their small Missouri town is shook and suddenly, everyone is pointing fingers.

This book is an intense look at the nature of marriage and relationships: how we cope with failure, how we struggle to maintain a particular image, and ultimately how well we know our partners, for better or for worse.

Flynn's writing is strong – her characters are ridiculously believable with great dialogue and inner monologues that can be both creepy and funny at the same time. I'm sure a lot of readers, like myself, could begin imagining who would play Amy and Nick on the big screen…

But, of course, it's already been decided:

Here's a still from the upcoming film adaptation, set to hit theatres in October of this year. Can you picture Ben Affleck as the smooth Nick Dunne? "I have a face you want to punch," Nick admits, "I smile a lot to make up for my face." Hmmm…

I'm always a little wary of books that are made into films, but it's been the go-to for a while now. This might turn out good if the film stays fairly faithful to the book, although it may be difficult considering the twists and turns Flynn takes us on. Another book of hers, Dark Places, has also been adapted, with a release planned for September 2014.

I was completely enthralled by Gone Girl, so I'm hoping for the best when it comes to the film version.

Interested in some other titles to read before you watch the big-screen version? Check out FlavorWire's list and a list from the popular BuzzFeed!