I don't know how exactly to grade this, because there were aspects to this story that I really liked, and it's definitely highly "readable." It's the page-turningest book I've read in quite a long time I think I finished it in about three days. I really like the set-up, where Flynn creates two characters describing the same event/thing (a marriage) from two different and conflicting perspectives. It's compelling, and the voice of each character is really strong and unique. The initial question of "What happened" is pressing, because the truth seems so subjective, and the slow revelations from characters are nicely handled. Part of me was distraught and jealous, even, because one of the ideas I've been kicking around for a novel involves a murder viewed from multiple perspectives. I really initially thought Flynn was handling the "plasticity of fact" in an interesting (though heavy-handed) way. However . . .
I can't really talk about my problems with the novel without talking about some major spoilers and identifying some major plot points where it fell apart to me, so be warned: spoilers follow from this point; skip if you still plan on reading the book.
However, once the "truth" is revealed about halfway through the book, the story lost a lot of the momentum for me. The twist seemed predictable by that point (which I guess is why the author had to reveal it), and a lot of that initial intrigue regarding the elasticity of truth dried up. I mean, once their stories diverge far enough, it's clear that at least one of them is lying.
But even once the "twist" was revealed, I feel like Flynn handled it poorly. Suddenly Amy is directly talking to the reader, but in what context, and why? "I really wanted you to like her" she says at one point, and the illusion created in the first half of the novel fell apart. OK, so the whole diary is a lie. What about this new voice? Who is she telling this story to? Is the use of second person just sloppy, or is there something else going on here regarding the nature of fiction, I wondered. Nope, just sloppy. There's no reason for the sudden appearance of this new narrator other than to make concrete the truth, which makes it inherently less interesting.
Interestingly, I thought a similar idea was handled much better in Side Effects, the Stephen Soderbergh movie from earlier. That film blended noir sensibilities with multiple perspectives in a much more compelling manner.
Plus, I have to admit that the ending to this novel bored me to death. I think Flynn fell in love with both her characters so much that she didn't know what to do with them or how to make one of them "win" without losing the other. But the resolution is inherently unsatisfying. And the whole "return of Amy" relies on a contrived twist so silly I almost dropped the book completely: Surprise! The suspected stalker really is a stalker and a kidnapper! He becomes the surrogate death that Flynn doesn't want to give to her main characters. Silly. His convenient obsession seems to signal a lack of confidence on the author's part that these Nick and Amy could have a confrontation on equal footing, which is what the whole novel seems to be angling toward. It is cheap, and all too convenient.
In the end the book didn't stand up for me, and the resolution actually lessened what came before. If I do ever write a novel on a similar theme, Flynn's heavy-handed plotting will serve as a good reminder of how it can all fall apart so fast. And if that sounds like petty complaining from the guy who has never actually written a book himself, don't worry. I think my critiques will not even be a blip on her radar as she laughs all the way to the bank.
Grade: D+/C- . . . not sure how much weight I should give my enjoyment of the first half . . .
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