Book Club: Gone Girl Q&A
Photo: New York Times, Illustration by Christoph Niemann
I hope everyone is enjoying our newest Book Club read, Gone Girl, so far. For today's Q&A I will be presenting you with a few reading questions based on everything up to "Part Two: Boy Meets Girl." Here are the first few questions to answer along with my answers...
Questions
- Do you think Nick Dunne is guilty and why?
- How do you feel about Amy? Do you find her sympathetic?
- Do you believe that Nick didn't know that Amy was pregnant?
- Do you think Amy's disappearance has anything to do with Andie?
- What do you think Nick finds in the shed behind Go's house in the end of Part 1?
My Answers
- I am conflicted about this. Part of me thinks he is guilty, because he doesn't seem really affected by Amy's disappearance. It seems like he's going through the motions of what a husband should do when their wife disappears. However, a tiny part of me believes him when he says that he's innocent, although I can't explain why.
- To me, Amy sounds like a neglected wife who moved to the middle of nowhere to support her husband, and is now living a life that she never wanted or planned on. I feel bad for Amy, mainly because it seems pretty clear from her diary entries that her marriage to Nick wasn't working out, and that she was really unhappy.
- It's hard to believe that Nick wouldn't have known that his wife was pregnant, and that Amy would have told a friend but not told Nick. However, it seems like their marriage was pretty dysfunctional at the time when Amy disappeared, so although I initially thought that Nick MUST know that Amy was pregnant, I actually think it's possible that he had no idea.
- I don't think Amy's disappearance has anything to do with Andie. Andie seems pretty naïve and innocent. However, it does make Nick look even guiltier that he's had a mistress/girlfriend on the side for over a year.
- I think that Nick finds Amy's body in the shed (I hope that this isn't the case, but that was my first thought when I finished this section of the book!).
Now it's your turn to answer the questions! Leave your responses in the comments below.
Also, I'll be announcing the date and time for our Live Book Chat that will conclude this round of Book Club soon. In the meantime, keep reading and check back in a few days for all the details!
XO Lauren
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33 comments
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Okay, so I realize I am behind the bandwagon on this one, but I JUST started reading it a few days ago. So far, I am about to start on "Part II".
1. No, I don't think Nick is guilty. While he has a bad habit of lying, Amy hints that he will do anything to look like the good guy. So he tries to, but it is hard to mask his true feelings which end up making him look like a pompous @$$. It is evident that he feels dissatisfied with his life with Amy, and he has lost his love for her. He has found Andi to keep his attention and I feel like his reactions to Amy's missing case are those of a less concerned husband rather than a murdering husband. I don't think his want for Andi was far-reaching enough to kill Amy.
2. Amy drives me nuts. She reminds me of one of my friends that I used to feel sorry for, but at some point needs to take responsibility and communicate with Nick or she is going to help drive this relationship into the ground. He hates confrontations? So what... if you/Amy are unhappy, you NEED to talk about it at some point right? At first I did feel bad, but as the diary entries kept going on, I felt less and less sorry for her. She just wanted to sweep everything under the rug and hope that Nick would figure everything out on his own and change his ways to make her happy again. For all he knew, she was happy. She put on a mask for him and then complains that he is cold. Well, he gets what he wants out of it. He can skip out on plans with Amy to go out with the boys and she runs into his arms?! What a joke!
3. No, I definitely don't think Nick knew Amy was pregnant. This hit me as a surprise for sure! His reaction was at once, again, trying to make himself not seem like a douche, but it came out all wrong. He has a habit of doing that. He is just emotionally inept and has a hard time showing it because of his dad. He probably has know idea what he truly feels and what is actually appropriate.
4. Andi, I think, doesn't have anything to do with Amy's disappearance. At least, not anymore. But I did wonder for a bit as soon as he admitted to cheating on Amy. She is incredibly clingy and needy and with that being the case, it does raise some red flags. She might want to get Amy out of the picture FOR Nick. Then, as Nick was becoming the target for police, I would have thought if she had anything to do with it, she would have made some sort of evidence turn up that would relieve Nick as a prime suspect... which, definitely has not happened. So no, I don't think Andi has anything to do with it.
5. This was so hard, because at first I thought "Is it Amy?!" but right away I dismissed that because I thought it couldn't be! I think she is still alive. But then I thought, wouldn't that be crazy if it was a bunch of pictures of Nick and Andi together and Amy had somehow found out!? Like, crazily hanging all over the place. but she never said anything in her diary, so probably not. I don't know what's in there! We'll see! -
1. My gut tells me that Nick isn't guilty of killing Amy, but I don't think he's completely innocent either. All of his lying to the police could be because of Andie, but I think there's more to it. My theory is that he hired someone to kidnap Amy or knows who did it.
2. I am sympathetic to Amy and I like her a lot. She reminds me of myself in the sense that she doesn't want to be a naggy girlfriend, but at times, we all get that way. haha Even though they didn't have much money or much of a choice, I feel like Amy was forced to move to Missouri and wasn't happy at all there. Reading her diary entries was so sad to me because she was just so unhappy with Nick, her marriage and (it seemed) life in general.
3. I don't think Nick knew Amy was pregnant. When Noelle screamed it out at the press conference, the thought didn't even come to my mind that Nick already knew. His shock first led me to believe that she might have been cheating on him, but when he said she didn't want kids and they hadn't had sex in a while, that seemed to be the reason why he was so shocked. I also don't think he knew because it was obvious that she was planning on telling him through the scavenger hunt.
4. I don't think Amy's disappearance has anything to do with Andie. I think Andie is just a distraction for Nick. She doesn't seem to be threatened by Amy at all (until Nick is reading the speech Go wrote for him) and just seems young and naive. I don't think she has anything to do with it.
5. I was expecting the wooden crib Amy had mentioned, but Nick's reaction makes me think it's something much worse. I think he finds Amy in the shed, not dead, but tied up or something.
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Do you think Nick Dunne is guilty and why? Strangely I do not think he is guilty. I do believe the evidence against him is damning, but for some reason his reactions to certain things lead me to believe he is not guilty.How do you feel about Amy? Do you find her sympathetic? I feel like I can relate with her on certain things, I think she's doing her best to make her marriage work even if it means being a doormat for Nick. She seems sweet and even though Nick feels like he can't make her happy, I think she's trying her hardest to be happy.Do you believe that Nick didn't know that Amy was pregnant? I find it hard to believe that he wouldn't know, but it seems as though there are a lot of things Amy hadn't told him so I do believe it is possible. He seemed extremely shocked, in any case.Do you think Amy's disappearance has anything to do with Andie? I don't think it is directly because of her. Andie seems innocent, and Nick describes her as being interested in Amy, but not as though she wants to BE Amy in way. It could be possible that Amy found out about her and her disappearance could have something to do with that, but I don't think Andie personally did anything.What do you think Nick finds in the shed behind Go's house in the end of Part 1? My first thought was also that it was Amy's body. Either that or perhaps the crib, but his reaction made me think he found Amy.
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I was pretty sure that Nick seemed pretty guilty, but there was a part of me hoping that it wasn't him. However, I just started Part II. Woah!
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Although the book makes him seem very guilty, I don't believe he truly is.I feel really bad for Amy. Like you said, having to move & start a new life with no money. Her journal entries are quite depressing.I honestly believe Nick had no clue about her pregnancy. I don't think Andie had anything to do with it. I think that's what the author may want you to believe.I think that Nick found Amy's body. I mean 'Nonononono'.. what else could it have been? :/I can't wait to finish reading this. It's really good! :)
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1. I am on the fence about whether or not Nick is guilty. The way he is reacting to the situation is strange to me and reminds me of similar real life cases of how certain husabands acted when their wives went missing and the outcome was not usually good.
2. Amy seems to have once been an extremely indpendent woman but followed her heart and her husband in a time of distress. I cannot imagine having a couple both lose their jobs while at the same time dealing with family financial crisis and family illness.
3. I do not think Nick knew for a fact that Amy was pregnant but he may have had an idea and it bothered him.
4. I do not think Andie has anything to do with Amy's disappearance at all, even though I find it strange that Nick says she asks a lot of questions about her and her lifestyle. As Lauren said, Andie just seems to be naive.
5. My immediate reaction to the contents in the shed is Amy's body too- I believe the author wants us to think that too!
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1. I'm torn on whether Nick is guilty. I feel like he has a secret(s) that we as the reader have yet to learn. He seems to be going through the motions, in shock of what has happened trying to piece things together. At moments I find myself going oh maybe he did then bouncing back to the thoughts that there is just more to his side of the story we have yet to learn.
2. I feel bad for Amy. Her entire life was turned upside down, and yet she is still commited to her marriage and trying to do things such as the treasure hunt for Nick. Amy comes across as a lost soul trying to redefine who she is at this stage of her life in her environment. Her diary enteries paint her to be a woman who is trying desperately to make the best of it, put on a happy face but underneath is extereme sadness for a life she left behind and the one she believed they would have.
3. I think it is possible he did not know. She could have been saving the news for their anniversary. I think she may have told her friend because she needed to tell someone, possibly because she was scared to bring a baby into such a dysfunctional environment.
4. No I don't think Andie had anything directly to do with the disappearance. It does make Nick look very guilty to have had a mistress on the side, and then for Amy to go missing. But I don't think Andie was involved in anyway.
5. I think he finds a wooden cradle. This may have been how Amy was going to tell Nick she was expecting, tying it into their traditional treasure hunt for their anniversary and the fact that wood is the traditional five year gift.
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sorry forgot no.4 : i think it might.. like i said in the answer to no1, she might be the one who killed amy in order to have nick for herself but i actually do believe that it was all instigated
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1. No actually, I dont think he is guity! I think he is a cheater and a bastard but i dont think he is a killer. I believe that either the Andie girl killed her or what i believe more is that she killed herself or at least pretended to.
2. Yeah Amy seems like a very nice, sympathetic girl. She tries to fix the marriage. But i dont know, there is something about her that feels weird, kinda fake really. I can't put my finger on it but i dont trust her.
3. Yes i believe he had no idea what so ever. He was completely blindsided by that Noelle chick.
4. I also think he'll find her body, i think thats what she planned tho.
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I started reading this book over my vacation a few weeks ago! I'm so glad to see others are reading it as well!
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I don't think Nick is guilty of killing her. There is just something really off about their marriage but I don't think it is entirely Nick's fault. At the same time I don't find that Nick is completely guilt-free, he is cheating after all and the fact that he has been doing so for over a year is horrible but I don't think he would kill Amy. Amy is an interesting character. I kind of get the impression that she is rather fake. I find it hard to believe that she is that amazing of a person to warrant two stalkers. I feel some sympathy towards her but I don't think her life is as horrible as she makes it sound in the diary. It's hard to get a good picture of either her or Nick because their views of one another are such a stark contrast to how they present themselves that I feel all of it has to be taken with a grain of salt. I think it is totally believable that Nick would not know of the pregnancy. I think they were both so wrapped in their constant analysis of one another that they never spoke to each other just quietly analyzed or avoided. Andie is very interested in Amy but I think it's more because she wants to cmpare herself to Amy and see what it is that drew Nick to Amy so that she can immitate it. The fact tht she's stuck with it for this long makes me doubt that she would do anything to Amy. I think this author is big on twists and thrills so I think it would be too obvious for Nick to find Amy and I also think that takes the possibility of finding the crib since Amy put that in her diary. I'm leaning towards something related to those credit card purchases that Nick claims he had nothing to do with. From the few items that were mentioned coupled with the sheer amount a shed seems like a good place to hide them. Which now leaves the question....who purchased the stuff and why
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1. At first I didn't even think Nick was guilty, but the farther I get in the book the more I think he is. Especially after Amy's recent diary entries about him pushing her and about her buying the gun for him. Also, at the very begininng of the book something happens when he goes down stairs but we don't know what.
2. The more I read her diary entries the more I like her. I feel sorry for her because it seems like she is always working to not upset Nick, she never expresses the way she really feel because she doesn't want to make him angry. I fell sorry for her because she seems so in love with Nick and hopeful.
3. I'm not sure, it didn't seem like it. But then he wasn't in that much shock upon hearing the news.
4. It might have, she definetly seems over obsessed with Amy. There is something weird about her, but I think there seems to be a lot of possible suspects.
5. I don't think it is just the wooden craddle because he was expecting that. It is something bad based on his reaction. Perhaps evidence linking him to the disappearance. Not sure, I'm excited to find out.
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It sounds so interesting!! Hope I will find it in Germany as well!! :)
http://www.look-scout.blogspot.com
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I started this book Monday so I wouldn't read past what we were suppose to and it was very hard to to keep reading! So here are my thoughts
1. Do you think Nick Dunne is guilty and why?
I don't think I would consider him guilty because at times he seems genuinely concerced and Amy and also confused to the more information he is finding out. He acts strange in what he says in his head like, "that's what the innocent husband sounds like on the t.v." and "respond with the correct answer so you don't look like a criminal" things along those lines make him sound guilty, but it is also shows how he doesn't know how to interact in certain situations due to his upbringings.
2. How do you feel about Amy? Do you find her sympathetic?
I feel like Amy was very neglected as she arrived to Missouri, she was useful to Nick in doing the activities he did not want to do. She visited with his ailing mother and father, and he did not give her the time of day to thank her and spend time with her. I am sympathetic to her because she was brought there against her will and still tried to make the best of it.
3. Do you believe that Nick didn't know that Amy was pregnant?
I don't think Nick knew Amy was pregnant since he didn't seem to know much about her life anymore. He barely talked to her and seemed like he didn't want to talk to her at anytime.
4. Do you think Amy's disappearance has anything to do with Andie?
At times I think Andie has something to do with Amy's disapperance because of her interest in her and Nicks life. She seems like she could of done something to Amy, but not able to with her neediness for Nick.
5. What do you think Nick finds in the shed behind Go's house in the end of Part 1?
It seems like Nick will find Amy in the shed with that lead up of anticipation, but Amy seems to mention in her diary is she will find a baby crib in the shed. I think it would be interesting to find Amy in the shed for a twist!
So back to reading I go to find out!
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I think the reason Nick is acting the way he's acting, is not b/c he did it, but b/c he had stopped loving Amy a long time ago, coupled w/the fact that he was having an affair. I think he truly fell out of love w/her. Her "treasure hunt" is making him actually remember those feelings, again. I think that is the anxiety we're seeing. Also, the fact that he's trying to look completely innocent, when he knows something. I keep hearing there's a crazy twist in the end & that we're all going to be shocked-- we'll see ;0)
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1. I dont think Nick is guilty. I think Nick and Amy had a bad relationship and neither could get out. Nick has shared all his secrets with us. A caring man wouldnt talk about his wife to his mistress. He just has done too much so he keeps going back into the how should I react, but he doesn't love her like he did. He wants to be perfect which is why he's fibbing. Just like Go said.
2. I feel bad for Amy, like Lauren. She gave her life, for his life. It's so hard to be the one to move and do well nothing. He didn't make her feel like a partner but more like a child. I HATE how Amy is so annoying though. I feel like the woman she is, is the one I could never be. How everyonelse wants to have the monkeys and yet she's so turned off by this. No REAL woman is the way she is...so I kinda dont like her..haha
3. I don't think Nick knew. I dont think Nick really cares though. Which gives him a reason for not knowing. Amy knew he did'nt and wouldn't want it and she was scared to tell him. So she didn't
4. I dont think it does. Amy is just Nick's distraction. Nothing more.
5. I think its a cradle. I think the thought of a baby to Nick would be even worse because he didn't want Amy- but now that a baby is in the mix it could be a arm twister.
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1. I go back and forth between whether or not I think Nick is guilty. On one hand I think that he is because he always has those thoughts about killing Amy, but at the same time I think the reason he always feels so guilty is because of cheating with Andie and that it has nothing to with Amy's dissapearance. I think the sole reason he is acting strange is because of the cheating situation.
2. I find Amy a bit sympathetic however I find her tone in the diary posts a little annoying. I think that she is fake in the diary.
3. I believe that Nick did not know because I think that he sounds very genuine in being surprised about everything he finds out about Amy, like her friendship with the neighbor. I don't think that Amy kept him informed.
4. At first I thought maybe Andie killed her but then learning more I think that shes just an innocent girl who got herself in a bad situation by dating a married man.
5. My first thought was Amys body or something linked to the murder or dissapearance.
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Questions
Do you think Nick Dunne is guilty and why?
I think the author wants you to believe that Nick is guilty, but I don't actually think he is. I don't think he's all the way innocent, either, b/c he's far too involved in his own head & it's been told that he's been lying about things from the beginning. I think he knows who did kill her, though. I think Andie killed her & he helped dispose of her body. I don't know if they planned it together, or if Andie did it on her own.
2) How do you feel about Amy? Do you find her sympathetic?
I think that Amy is not the picture that Nick paints. I think Nick describes her as a spoiled & cold person who doesn't care. But I think that ultimately, the coldness we feel about her in the beginning, is actually transferrance of Nick's jealousy & resentment towards her. I think we really get to know Amy, better through her diary.
3) Do you believe that Nick didn't know that Amy was pregnant?
Actually, Yes, I do. I think that when it was brought their attention at the vigil, it was truly a surprise for both of them. I think that if Andie killed her, she didn't know that she was pregnant. I think Nick was so fascinated w/Andie, that he didn't even notice. At that point in their marriage, I don't think that Amy would've felt comfortable telling him they were in such a volatile place.
4) Do you think Amy's disappearance has anything to do with Andie?
I think Andie had a part in killing Amy. I think her being overly freaked out about not being able to contact Nick was a different kind of "insecurity". In this scenario, Im thinking it may have been the classic case of Nick wishing she were gone (out loud) and her taking it a little too literally, almost like permission to take her out. I think Nick may have come across the bloody scene & helped cover it up.
5) What do you think Nick finds in the shed behind Go's house in the end of Part 1?
I think he finds either Amy's body (which I orginally thought) or the wooden cradle that was supposed to be for the baby.... HOWEVER, I'm thinking it would be an interesting twist if he he finds Andie's body in there. (see this is why I'm so glad I didnt' read ahead! I can guess w/everyone else!!). Can't wait to continue the read!! ;0)
I would also like to say that Im so glad that Lauren picked this book! I think it's absolutly intriguing how Gillian Flynn makes you dislike the main character. Most times, you generally side w/the main character. In this book, you start off wanting to sympathize w/Nick Dunne, then realize he's a disgusting A**hole. That's so unique & Im really enjoying this read!
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1. I think that Nick isn't guilty in that same "I don't know why!" feeling. However, the weird visions he "sees" about her bleeding on the floor etc aren't helping me want to believe them. I'm torn on this one!
2. At first I really liked Amy, and felt bad for her. I don't find her sympathetic in the fact that she really didn't want to be supportive in some instances like moving to help take care of Nick's mother and trying to like it in Carthage. I do however feel that there's a lot more going on with her than just being an unhappy housewife. There are some obvious personal issues she has about how people view her and what kind of releationships work for her.
3. I don't believe that Nick didn't know that Amy was pregnant. Just like he claims he didn't know about the credit card debt. Even though she was planning to tell him at the end of the scavenger hunt..something isn't adding up there.
4. No, I don't believe that Nick would go to such lengths to get rid of Amy just to be with Andie. The two are very seperate. He is just looking more like the typical guilty husband when the wife goes missing persona.
5. I think that he finds the clue, or something that was used to murder Amy.
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1. Yes. I love how the author makes us fall in love with Nick's character. It seems all too realistic, the true shock of a husband who's missing wife's story is being broadcasted for the world. I myself would find it hard to remain distant from the suspect list, because (after studying Psychology and Criminology as a major in college) innocent individuals attempting to prove their innocence can look just as suspicious as guilty individuals. What gets me is Nick's constant flashbacks of Amy on the floor in the kitchen; the further into the story, the more detailed the flashbacks become. I'm starting to hate this guy.
2. I loved Amy. I love how outgiong and independent she is. I love how she grew out of the cliche "rich kid" persona and how she learned from her hardships. I hate her because of the cliche "every guy wants her, every girl wants to be her" description. Girls are programed to hate girls like this. That or befriend them to keep a close eye. Towards the end of the first part, she seems to be quite needy. She always does and says what Nick what's her to do/say. A girl can only hold on to that for so long. Do some pushups, Amy, and learn to take control!
3. Nick was in shock. No doubt about it. I don't think he had any idea. From the sounds of it, they rarely had relations, so the idea of Amy being pregnant seems unreal. There is something odd about Noelle, though. I don't like it.
4. I can't help but think Amy's disapearance has Andie's name written all over it. Andie is far too curious about her boyfriend's wife for nothing to be going on. Jealousy is normal, as well as curiousity, but constantly referencing Amy and asking about details of her life is too much.
5. The baby. I think it's the baby in the craddle. Gross, I know. But I feel like Amy finished the treasure hunt with the wooden craddle, and whom ever did it knew Nick and Amy's relationship well enough to follow the clues to the end and wanted one last stab at Nick. We'll see..
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