I decided to read Gone Girl on a whim whilst on holiday in 2013 before the Gillian Flynn hype began. Since then, I obviously jumped at seeing Fincher's recent screen version of the novel and have likewise hastily gobbled up Gone Girl's predeccesor, Sharp Objects.
Flynn's haunting and accessible writing makes for an easy read that doesn't fail to unsettle. Both novels left me feeling uneasy, the chilling plot of the texts gripping me from the beginning. However, I do have an easy favourite; Gone Girl. If you haven't read it, you probably should.
Unlike Sharp Objects, the novel has various twists and turns that made me gasp on multiple occassions. You just don't see it coming. (Note - the next sentence could be seen as a spoiler). And though some found the ending somewhat disappointing, in my opinion the recuperation of the 'nuclear' family is far more chilling than anything more dramatic. Fincher's version of the film left me feeling a bit numb, but this is not to say that I didn't enjoy it, and this is what I find most interesting. There's no doubt it is extremely accurate to the novel, however, I left the cinema with a feeling that can only be described by the word 'oh'. What left me feeling like this, I haven't quite put my finger on. Maybe the fact I didn't leave having loads to say about it, actually mirrors the way the original novel left me feeling: unsettled. For a novel that isnt a particularly cinematically accessible one, Fincher's adaptation of it and more importantly, my reaction to it (or lack thereof), is actually kind of genius. Leaving you feel uncomfortable and not being able to understand why, is very very clever indeed.
Sharp Objects is obvious from the start and I'd say even contrived. Flynn tries to create suspense but the direction of the novel is a very straight and unsurprising one. What makes it an enjoyable novel in my opinion, is the characters, as opposed to the actual plot itself. Flynn is genius at creating the most haunting, and frankly fucked up, people.
Interestingly, these fucked up people within both novels have one very obvious thing in common: they are pragmatically evil women. Upon initial review, it might seem then that Flynn is mysoginistic. However, is it not a feminist move in itself to create women that arent just romantic heroines, that have a bit more 'oomph' to them. Because really, these women aren't just pscyho bitches, they are really bloody clever. In an extremely twisted way, they create their own power and dominance. The fact literature and pop culture in general lacks female villains surely says something powerful.
Essentially, Flynn's novels might be easy to read, however as this post suggests, it is only when you dig beneath the surface of the text, just as the character's must do within, that the truly chilling tone of the novels is fully revealed. That is, the psychological mind space of feeling uncomfortable in your own skin and not even knowing why.