The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks--This Book-to-Movie now out in DVD & Blu-ray!

[1]

Book Review by:
Sharon Powers.

" The romantics would call this a love story: the cynics would call it a tragedy. In my mind it's a little bit of both, and no matter how you choose to view it in the end, it does not change the fact that it involves a great deal of my life."

--Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook.

    As The Notebook, opens, we see a beautiful older couple, now at the twilight of their lives. The husband sits and reads to his wife from a notebook filled with memories of their lives together. He reads to her to remind her of events lost due to her Alzheimer's disease. [2]

     He reads to Allie from her notebook about Allie's first love and an enchanted summer of love. The story continues as Allie and her love are forced apart because Allie's family disapproves of the young man, Noah, and because of "socio-economic realities." As they separate, Noah writes many letters to Allie, but none of them are answered, so in a final letter to her he professes his undying love and decides to escape her ghost and leave. Eventually, Noah, like so many young men of the era, find themselves soldiers in a horrific war (WWII.). 

[3]

     After the war ends, Noah returns home to settle down and he begins restoring an old farmhouse. A local paper publishes an article about Noah's efforts to save and restore the old farmhouse, and Allie sees it, and though it is now 14 years since the two parted, she reunites with Noah and they spend two wonderful days catching up. Allie is now faced with a life-changing decision: will she marry her fiance or return to Noah?

     The reader understands that the notebook is comprised of Allie's remembrances of her love, so we know the old woman in the bed is Allie. But which of the two men that Allie loved is reading to her--which man did she choose? Her fiance or Noah? [2]

     Nicholas Sparks has written a number of contemporary love stories, The Notebook, is but one. Sparks, well-known for writing the popular romantic novels, one of which we will be  looking at, today, has had success in having many of his books brought to the big screen. The novel I am reviewing, today, The Best of Me, is one of those. The Best of Me comes to theaters on October 17, 2014. Let's begin by taking a look at the synopsis of the book.

[4]

SHORT BOOK SYNOPSIS:
     Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole, high school students living in a small town, Oriental, North Carolina, fall in love during the spring semester, 1984. They find love, hope, and comfort with each other. Because Amanda is from a well-to-do family, her parents disapprove of Dawson. That, and the fact that the Cole's have a bad reputation in the area for criminal activity, fighting and violence, mean the Collier's don't want their beautiful daughter around the Coles.

     When senior year arrives the Collier's give Amanda an ultimatum to leave Dawson, or they won't support her through college. Dawson, not having a job and living in a friend's, Tuck Hostetler's, garage realizes he can't support Amanda and doesn't want to take college away from her. So, he says goodbye to Amanda and she goes away to college. Eventually, Dawson gets a job working on an oil rig out of state; he lives a solitary life and can't even bring himself to date. Amanda falls in love with Frank, a Dentist, and marries him, having three children. Amanda and Dawson each live their separate lives and the years pass.

[5]

     Twenty-five years after the two young lovers separate, their friend and mentor, Tuck, passes away. Dawson and Amanda come back for the funeral, and quite naturally, run into each other. Now the two are forced to confront the decision they made so long ago, and reconsider where they are in in life, their dreams, and responsibilities. Can the two overcome their past history, past mistakes, and change the paths on which they find themselves? The two confront these decisions and their past memories, all the while completing the instructions Tuck left for them upon his passing. Now, comes the hard part--deciding what to do.    

MY FAVORITE QUOTE:
     The relationship Amanda has with her mother is a bit complicated. Never having liked Dawson, Amanda's mom has constantly criticized Amanda and her choices. I like this quote because it is part of a dialog where the two are having it out about a number of things. Let's take a look at the quote.

[Mother] 'You made the decision, not I, and every decision has consequences. You need to learn to take responsibility for the choices you make.' [Amanda] 'You don't think I know that?' Amanda felt herself flush...She chose her next words carefully, 'I don't think it's a good idea to talk about this.' [Mother] 'I think it is,' her mother responded. [Amanda] 'Because I didn't tell you about Tuck?' [Mother] 'No,...[b]ecause I think it has something to do with the problems you're having with Frank....But if I were you, I'd think about what you really want, because when you get back home, you're going to have to make some decisions about your marriage. In the end, it's either going to work or it isn't. And a big part of that is up to you" (pp. 145-147). 

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     While this quote is only part of the discussion that Amanda and her mom have, it really is central to the overall argument. Amanda feels misunderstood and, obviously, harshly judged. Amanda's mother think's Amanda's relationship with salt-of-the-earth Tuck is more about her past relationship with Dawson than with Tuck and the problems Amanda is having in her marriage with Frank. I can't tell you too much more about the argument without giving away some important things about the book. But just know, that this argument, at least, in part, aids Amanda in confronting her feelings about life, in general, her path, her responsibilities, and even her children. It is a very powerful discussion between the two women.

THE BEST OF ME OFFICIAL TRAILER (#2) 2014:
     As I mentioned, above, the book-to-movie comes to the big screen 10-17-14. For fans of Nicholas Sparks, I know you will be looking forward to this new movie. I have the trailer for the movie, so let's take a look at it and get a glimpse of the upcoming movie: [7]

   

Paul Walker was originally
cast to play Dawson. [9]

     Directing the movie is Michael Hoffman (Director of Soapdish, The Emperor's Club, and The Last Station); writing credits go to Nicholas Sparks (book), J. Mills Goodloe, Will Fetters, and Michael Hoffman (for screenplay).  In a real life tragedy, originally, the lead role of Dawson was to be filled by Paul Walker; after Paul Walker's death last fall, the role was given to James Marsden. [8] Young Dawson will be played by Luke Bracey. Liana Liberato has been cast as young Amanda, and Michelle Monaghan as the older Amanda; Frank Reynolds (Amanda's husband) will be played by Sebastian Arcelus; the Cole brothers, Abee and Ted will be played by Hunter Burke (Abee) and Rob Mello (Ted). It is presumed that Gerald McRaney will play father-figure, Tuck. [8]

WHAT I THINK OF THE BOOK:
     WHAT WORKS FOR ME:

[1]

     I like the book cover. It has eye-appeal with great use of color with photography vignetting on the outside edges to force the viewer to look at the very center of the image. At the center of the image we see the young Dawson and Amanda which is repeated above with the older Dawson and Amanda. This kind of repeat is always good. Also at the center of the image are the words "The Best of Me." Psychologically, the word "Best" is received in a positive way and we are subtly influenced to like the book, or at the very least, the cover. I also like the title: The Best of Me. Again, the title is a positive statement likely to be interpreted positively by the viewer/reader.

     Another thing that I like about the book is that Nicholas Sparks has an easy-going and eminently readable style of writing. Dialog is realistic and the quantity of dialog is balanced with that of the exposition. Moreover character development is good, and pacing is appropriate to the story.

Even though this chart is for a Fourth Grade
class, it is simple, and includes the basic
needed elements of "Plot." [10]

      WHAT DOESN'T WORK FOR ME:

     What I really want to focus on, here, today, is what doesn't work. So, what is the biggest problem the book has? It is, definitely, the plot. So, while I acknowledge that many, many people like Nicholas Spark's stories because of the overwhelmingly emotive power he utilizes in tugging on the heartstrings, a problem does exist with plot. Let's take a look at that.

         Nicholas Sparks' story starts out happily enough, with two people in love, then comes the problem, followed by some very important events, and then the resolution of the book. So, if Sparks' story has all the elements, what's wrong with the plot? 

     I haven't read every single book Sparks has written, but enough to know that many of his novels follow the same plot. If we look at The Notebook, for example we can see the pattern: (1) Happy Times: The book starts out with two people in love, then (2) The Fly in the Ointment: If you prefer, the problems which arise [in Notebook the couple are separated by family and war]; (3) From Bad to Worse: a huge amount of time separates them and years of loneliness; (4) Can't Stop the Problem: The couple cannot prevent old age and Alzheimers from robbing Allie of her memories; (5) Catastrophy Occurs = Tragedy: Daily, Noah has to read to Allie to help her remember (she doesn't always), eventually, the story culminates in death.

[11]

NOTICE: SPOILERS IN THIS PARAGRAPH

Skip this paragraph if you don't want to read the spoilers.

     The Best of Me follows a similar plot arc: (1) Happy Times: The enchanted summer and time in high school when the two are together; (2) The Fly in the Ointment: Amanda's parents extort her compliance by sending her away to college, Dawson accepts the ultimatum; (3) From Bad to Worse: Dawson's family punish/ostracize Dawson and brothers attempt to kill him/Amanda has Frank's drinking problem with which to contend and then her son is horribly injured in a car crash; (4) Can't Stop the Problem: Amanda can't make Frank quit drinking, and their son needs a heart transplant or he'll die; (5) Catastrophe Occurs = Tragedy: Dawson is killed defending another person,  and his heart is transplanted into Amanda's son, so no matter what Amanda would have chosen, it is moot now--the two lovers will never be together.

_________________________________________________________

[12]

     I found a wonderful post at Cracked.com that is humerous and infor- mative and in a very pithy manner, it lampoons Nicholas Sparks cookie-cutter plots. The post is entitled, "How to Write a Nicholas Sparks Movie." Cracked.com  says that (1) Start with Two Pretty White People; (2) Include an Obstacle That Makes Love Between Them Seem Impossible; (3) They Fall In Love, Anyway; (4) Throw in a disaster (see the graphic just above); and (5) Go to the Only Poster Designer You Know. The movies the author compares are: A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, and Dear John. [12]

     In any event, the plots are all one singular plot--he's changed the names to protect the innocent--No, no, no, I'm sorry, that was a TV show. As I was saying, the multiple stories are basically the same plot. Many things are similar about them even down to using "letters" as a plot device. I really don't understand why, because most people just use e-mail these days. 

[15]

     In the quote at the top of the post, Sparks poo poos anyone who calls his stories tragedies, and calls them "cynics;" he says they are love stories. If you look at the definition of tragedy, Literary Devices defines tragedy in literature as, "a series of unfortunate events by which one or more of the literary characters in the story undergo several misfortunes, which finally culminate into a disaster of 'epic proportions'. [13] Or, if you will, Tragedy as defined by Merriam's Dictionary as "a play, movie, etc., that is serious and has a sad ending (such as the death of the main character)." [14] Sparks, however, can call his work anything he wants to call it, but that does not prevent the rest of the world from using traditional definitions--which I do.  

[16]

     In conclusion, the quality of the plot is brought down because of Spark's repetitive sameness of them. Nothing new is added to his books, nor are they creative. If, you enjoy Spark's books, however, that's fine. Some people enjoy reading the same thing over and over, again. And that is OK. I, however, do not like to read the same story over and over with the names and a few minor changes thrown in as the only differences. Oh--by the way--IMDb lists the genre as "Drama and Romance." 'Nuff said about that, I guess.

MY RECOMMENDATIONS AND RATING:

[18]

     Since the MPAA Rating is PG-13 [for sexuality, violence, some drug content and brief strong language], I think we can use that as a starting place for how to recommend the book. Those readers who are young or readers who are of a sensitive nature, should consider the rating before reading the book.[17]

[19]

     For all the reasons I have given, above, I rate this book 3.0 stars out of 5. If the story were more original I would have rated it higher; as it is, with the cookie-cutter plot recycled from other books and movies, I cannot justify a higher rating, even given the other positive things I noted, above. Although it is not a great book, it is a very quick read and enjoyable if you set aside the knowledge it is like so many others. Sparks does have a good style, and readers who "love" his love stories, will undoubtedly love this one.

     Thank you for joining me this week as we got to take a look at Nicholas Sparks book-to-movie, The Best of Me. The Best of Me will appear at theaters beginning 10-17-14.  Thank you for taking the time to read my book review and the time you spent in giving my thoughts consideration. Please take a little time this week to read something you will enjoy and be kind to those around you.

Until next time...

This flower is a double white Rose of Sharon. [20]

...many happy pages of reading.

My Love to You All,

Sharon.

_____________________________________________________
REFERENCES/SOURCES
[1] "The Best of Me." [Nicholas Sparks] amazon.com. Retrieved 10-02-14.
[2] "The Notebook."  [Nicholas Sparks] nicholassparks.com. Retrieved 10-04-14.
[3] "The Notebook (2004) Poster." imdb.com. Retrieved 10-04-14.
[4] "Synopsis." mywriterblog.com. Retrieved 10-05-14.
[5] "How to Choose Between Two Guys."  wattpad.com. Retrieved 10-04-14.
[6] "The Question That Changed My Life." getmesorted.com. Retrieved 10-05-14.
[7] "The Best Of Me Official Trailer #2 (2014)." youtube.com. Retrieved 10-01-14.
[8] "The Best of Me (2014)." imdb.com. Retrieved 10-02-14.
[9] "Paul Walker dead at 40: 'Fast and Furious' star killed in fiery car crash." nydailynews.com. Retrieved 10-15-14.
[10] "Fabulous Fourth Grade: Anchor Charts." pinterest.com. Retrieved 10-05-14.
[11] "Are You Bothered by Spoilers in Movie Reviews?" ropeofsilicon.com. Retrieved 10-15-14.
[12]"How To Write a Nicholas Sparks Movie." cracked.com. Retrieved 10-05-14.
[13] "Tragedy." literary-devices.com. Retrieved 10-05-14.
[14] "Tragedy." [definition] merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 10-05-14.
[15] "Tragedy." [graphic image] dreamstime.com. Retrieved 10-05-14.
[16] "Drama and Romance." [graphic image] giglets.net. Retrieved 10-05-14.
[17] "The Best of Me" [MPAA Rating] comingsoon.net. Retrieved 10-05-14.
[18] "PG-13." [MPAA Rating Graphic] collider.com. Retrieved 10-05-14.
[19] "Charlie Casanova." [3 star graphic] cinedork.com. Retrieved 10-05-14.
[20] "Pictures From My Garden." sparkpeople.com. Retrieved 10-05-14.

Bathing the Lion by Jonathan Carroll--This New Book Now Available on Bookstands!

[1]

Book Review by:
Sharon Powers.

"Dreams feel real while we’re in them. It’s only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange."  --[Cobb from the movie, Inception.] [2]

     A skilled thief by the name of Dom Cobb accepts a job to, not steal, but, plant an idea into the subconscious mind of a man--a feat he calls, "Inception." The impossible-sounding concept can only be accomplished when the target is asleep, deep within the dream state. To help Dom's team know whether or not they are within the dream state, they each carry a totem to keep them in touch with their reality.

[4]

     The "dream team," (Sorry about the silly pun, but I just couldn't resist!) enter the dream state and begin their work to plant the idea. As the team enters the dream landscape, immediately surreal things begin to happen. A train plows through the middle of a traffic-congested street, the hotel spins on its axis as gravity shifts, where the floor becomes ceiling--and then back, again, and even snipers shoot at the team from a nearby rooftop. [3]

[5]

     In the movie, Inception, the dreamer did not know someone had entered his dream, that his dream was being shaped by outside forces. Master writer, Jonathan Carroll, has taken advantage of the surreal landscape of the dream world, just as writers did for Inception, and utilized it as an important aspect in his book, soon-to-be-released, Bathing the Lion. No, the "dream team" from Inception does not make an appearance in Carroll's new book, nor do we have trains in the middle of the street, or snipers. But Carroll does get creative in dream imagery. So, let's get right to Carroll's book by first looking at the synopsis.

SHORT BOOK SYNOPSIS:

[6]

     The book opens benignly enough, albeit with a little anxiety-producing discussion between a husband (Dean) and wife (Vanessa) about separating from each other. Nothing is resolved and each goes off to spend a day away from each other, "to think things over." Their interactions seem to be normal enough, something that would, and does, happen in the real world. But what happens next leaves them and three others in shock.

     In the New England town in which they reside, some of the five know each other, some do not. Upon waking, each recognizes that what they thought was real was, instead, a dream; and then, each in turn, discover that five of them had the exact same dream--what does it mean? The dream seemed so real, and their reality is feeling very surreal. Soon, very soon, each member of the group will realize that, at one time, they lived the life of a "mechanic," not the car-fixing variety, but a kind of repairman who fixes things in the universe and helps to keep it all in order.

[7]

     These dreamers, these, "mechanics," used to clean up the messes of sentient beings, and also one other being--fear producing and inexorable, "Chaos." Chaos, at times, comes to town, touching down like a runaway locomotive tornado; unstoppable, Chaos ruthlessly wreaks havoc in its wake.

     Cleaning up and fixing the messes and problems of sentients and Chaos is very demanding. Living such a "grueling and exhausting" life comes at a price; mechanics wear out quickly and are forced into retirement after a period of time. A retirement that can find them in any location in the "cosmos" living a quiet life as a "civilian." As they are placed in retirement, their memories are erased and they are given new identities--ones that will fit in with the location in which they are placed. The retired "mechanics" live quietly where they are retired to, until the natural end of their lifespan.

[8]

     Yet, now, the unthinkable has happened: every single retired mechanic is being brought back to active duty. Chaos is at work, here, and has a new plan for humanity...it's not looking good, folks.

WHAT I THINK ABOUT, BATHING THE LION:

[1]

     Let's start with the cover, itself. I really love it. The imagery drew me in and had me considering the layering of images, juxtaposed one atop the other, creating an overall image of a hand--in shades of blues, with black surrounding the hand. This is highly reminiscent of a digital photograph created in Photoshop (by using "layers."). Having the layers superimposed the one upon the other results in the creation of a surreal image created in a realistic way. The photographer in me really liked this! So, even the cover art of the book reflects the inner workings of the story. Beautiful cover, and the hand as an image for the cover is so apropos--once you read the story, you'll understand. 

     The genre: Since this book is an Advance Reading Copy (ARC) from NetGAlley, I obtained the genre information from the "Title Details" page about the book, Bathing the Lion. The Title Details page indicates the genre as "Literature/Fiction (Adult)." [9] Goodreads readers list the genre as Fantasy/Science Fiction and Literature. [10] 

[13]

     Amazon readers describe the book as, not fitting into any particular genre, resists "pigeon- holing," as literature genre, and even fantasy/sci-fi/mythic fiction. [11] And then, Kirkus Reviews classifies it as speculative fiction. [12] It seems that everyone has an opinion on what genre Bathing the Lion fits into, but little consensus seems to be reached. 

[15]

     So, how do you classify any book into a specific genre? First, know that genre is a category "marked by a distinctive style, form, or content." [14] Some readers classify Bathing the Lion, as Science Fiction (or Sci-Fi). This genre usually has at its nucleus, advanced technology (usually advanced beyond what is current reality) that is treated in a way consistent with, say, militaristic principles (militaristic sci-fi). [For a review of that genre, see my blog post of Terms of Enlistment by Marko Kloos, by clicking the link, here and, All You Need is Kill (The Edge of Tomorrow) by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, by clicking the link, here.] It is understandable that some readers would include Bathing the Lion in this genre because the "mechanics," travel the cosmos and although we don't actually see advanced technology, it can be implied. 

[16]

     If we look, instead, at Fantasy, we must begin by assuming that the world contains magic of some sort. In addition, Fantasy novels can be set on other worlds and may contain mythical creatures or even mystic personages. Many of these stories contain a hero's journey. One book I've reviewed that is an epic fantasy is, The High Druid's Blade, by Terry Brooks; see that review by clicking the link, here; also see, Words of Radiance, The Stormlight Archive, by Brandon Sanderson by clicking the link, here. The focus is often on world-building, plot and setting (Note: this is often true for the Sci-fi or Fantasy/Sci-fi genres, as well.).

My favorite book  (OK, well, really,
series) in this crossover genre is
Anne McCaffery's, The Dragon-
riders of Pern. [17]

     In addition, you might see a bit of a crossover genre here, called Fantasy/Sci-Fi. One series that I really loved reading that is considered in this genre is Anne McCaffery's The Dragonriders of Pern books. Again, I can see why some would include Bathing the Lion in Fantasy or Fantasy/Sci-Fi because we are dealing with "mechanics" that work in the cosmos and can wield unlimited power to heal, bring back the dead, and fix anything that needs fixing that has become a problem created by sentient beings or "Chaos."

     Finally, looking at the last proposed category, the genre of "Literature/Fiction (Adult)," we first recognize that Bathing the Lion, is indeed fiction and is written for the adult reading audience. But does it fit into the "Literature" category? Well, let's see.

Kirkus Reviews, above, indicated that the book fit within the 

Speculative Fiction genre. Here in this diagram you can see

just how closely aligned Literary Fiction and Speculative Fic-

tion can be. While Literary Fiction, generally, utilizes

character-rich attributes, it does not exclude having a plot.

Nor does Speculative Fiction exclude character development.

We are speaking in generalities, here. HERE, we can see

just where the publishers have placed Bathing the Lion--

in Literary Fiction (Adult) genre. It really could be a tough

call for someone if they didn't know how it was placed by

the book's publishers. [19]

     Some "literary" novels (1) do not have an obvious plot, though by the time we work our way through Jonathan Carroll's book, I think we can safely say, his book has a plot. Other notable attributes of "literary" novels include (2) sometimes being published in smaller numbers; (3) some- times trying to "break the mold" to be their own literary form (or even deny having a genre); (4) sometimes "liter- ary" novels are considered to be both literary as well as mainstream novels; (5) some so-called literary novels are dubbed "literary" in attempt to add class to the novel or to a publishing house. Finally, and I think, most importantly, is the attribute that the novel tends to highlight the quality of the prose over the narrative arc, itself (which takes us back to tangentially related #1, just above.). [18]

     I went through all of these genres for you, today, basically to show you why I agree with the publishers about how they categorized this book. Of course, I really didn't start from scratch to figure it out for myself; I had a huge head start with the information I received from NetGally about the book (and they obtained the info. from the publishers). 

    Lastly, Jonathan Carroll's Bathing the Lion, is NOT magic realism (genre)--I will not cover that genre, here, as I have reviewed it, in depth, in my post about Winter's Tale, by Mark Helprin. To see my review of that book and magic realism, click this link, here. Carroll's emotive and charac- ter rich book has its charac- ters considering their place in, not the world, but the cosmos. With shifting lives, perspec- tives, and experiences, it is no wonder that the beauty of the "fruit," is captured with the photographer's lens (in the book) and "seen" in his digital photographs. I know, you're probably thinking, "What the heck is she talking about?" Well, if you read the book, my cryptic sentence will be made clear to you. 

     The book is surreal in many ways. After all, we start out with a dream that seems too real, and real life that is bizarre. Sometimes the plot, dialog, and even action, seem chaotic--I think that this simply mirrors the story, itself. And, yes, I really liked the quality of Carroll's prose. I found it haunting, beautiful, and memorable. By the way, you will find the end of the book resolves your major concerns, the same way that Dom had his problems resolved in the movie, Inception. And, like the movie, Inception, Carroll ends his story, similarly. You see, Carroll, in a sense, ends the story in a somewhat ambiguous (not in a bad way) manner. Oh, yeah. Just between you and me...I loved the dogs, "D Train," and "Kos." 

MY RECOMMENDATIONS AND RATING:

     The author's publisher's tell us the genre is Literature/Fiction (Adult). This book's target audience is the adult reader. Since one suicide takes place in the book, young and sensitive readers should consider before reading the novel. 

[20]

     For all the reasons I have listed, above, I rate this book 4.0 stars out of 5. Well-done Jonathan Carroll. I highly recommend this book to all mature adults. I believe this book is an important work and Jonathan Carroll should rightly be proud of his hard work and wonderful accomplishments in this literary work.

     Thank you for joining me this week as we looked at a very interesting Adult Literature/Fiction book, Bathing the Lion. I deeply appreciate your time and attention to reading this post and considering the book I have reviewed, today. Please join me, again, next week when I will be reviewing another book for you, one quite different than the one I reviewed, today. This week, please be kind to yourself and remember to say something kind to someone else, and make their day. God bless you.

Until next time...

This flower is a double white Rose of Sharon. [21]

...many happy pages of reading.

Sincerely,

Sharon.

________________________________________________________

REFERENCES/SOURCES
[1] "Bathing the Lion." [Jonathan Carroll] amazon.com. Retrieved 09-29-14.
[2] "Inception Quotes (2010)." imdb.com. Retrieved 09-29-14.
[3] "Inception (2010)." [storyline] imdb.com. Retrieved 09-29-14.
[4] "INCEPTION The Dream is Real." [by Obsessive 13] deviantart.com. Retrieved 09-29-14.
[5] "RAW Dream Team." rawhealthintl.com. Retrieved 09-30-14.
[6] "Before You Divorce: Good Behavior." moneycrashers.com. Retrieved 09-29-14.
[7] "The Balance Between Order and Chaos...." glow-management.com. Retrieved 09-29-14.
[8] "Friday Drinking Game #49--Men In Black." bestforfilm.com. Retrieved 09-30-14.
[9] "Title Details Page: Bathing the Lion." netgalley.com. Retrieved 09-30-14.
[10] "Bathing the Lion-genre." goodreads.com. Retrieved 09-30-14.
[11] "Bathing the Lion--Reviews." amazon.com. Retrieved 09-30-14.
[12] "Bathing the Lion--Book Review." kirkusreviews.com. Retrieved 09-30-14.
[13] "Command of the Genre." sanddollarpress.com. Retrieved 09-30-14.
[14] "The Free Dictionary." [by Farlex] thefreedictionary.com. Retrieved 09-30-14.
[15] "Top Ten Science Fiction Books That Every Geek Should Read." dailyindia.org. Retrieved 09-30-14.
[16] "Fantasy." indulgy.com. Retrieved 09-30-14.
[17] "Science Fiction Fantasy genre conroe." [by Teri Lesesne, Professor] slideshare.net. Retrieved 09-30-14.
[18] "How to Figure Out Your Book's Genre." rockyourwriting.com. Retrieved 09-30-14.
[19] "The Spectrums in Science Fiction/Fantasy." amazingstoriesmag.com. Retrieved 09-30-14.
[20] "Dark Souls II Review." giantbomb.com. Retrieved 09-30-14.
[21] "Pictures From My Garden." sparkpeople.com. Retrieved 09-30-14.
[*] "NetGalley Disclaimer--Home." netgalley.com. Retrieved 09-30-14.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn--This Book-to-Movie Available on Blu-ray & DVD!

[1]

Book Review By:
Sharon Powers.

     Do you remember what movie plot that had a husband conspire to get his wife pregnant by Satan? More hints? Well, the husband helps neighbors drug his wife so she can't resist when the demon rapes her. She gets pregnant and in the end she agrees to raise the "demon spawn." The creepy horror movie is none other than Rosemary's Baby. [2]

     No, Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is not a supernatural thriller with demons, nor does Flynn's story contain fallen angels, like Azazel, in the movie, Fallen. And, it doesn't even have a killer sniper like the movie Phone Booth. Yet, the popular novel is, indeed, a mystery, thriller--just one without a supernatural bent to it...and no snipers.

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     I'm very excited to talk to you, today, about Gillian Flynn's popular mystery/thriller, Gone Girl. So, let's get started by taking a look at a short synopsis of her novel.

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT! SOME SPOILERS ARE PRESENT, BELOW, IN MY BOOK REVIEW 

AND ANALYSIS.

SHORT SYNOPSIS OF GONE GIRL:

     It's a beautiful, warm summer morning when Nick gets up and wonders if he's ready; he tiptoes downstairs to find his beautiful wife making crepes for their five-year anniversary breakfast. Nick watches Amy for a few minutes until she spots him in his grubby boxers and unkempt hair. Amy leans against the kitchen counter and says, "Well, hello, handsome." Then, "[b]ile and dread inched up [his] throat. [Nick] thought to [him]self: Okay, go." (7)

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    Later when Amy turns up missing, the cops begin focusing on Nick as a suspect. He doesn't seem capable of doing anything right. Nick smiles at a press conference and the picture is widely circulated. Nick hires an attorney who has only repre- sented guilty clients, and to make matters worse, Nick's mistress calls a press conference and lets the world know about Nick's infidelity to Amy. And then, Amy's diary turns up revealing her fear of Nick and that she thought he might kill her.

     Nick's life just keeps unspooling. Pressure from Amy's parents, being labeled as America's Most Hated Man--he can't even get served drinks at a bar, and then, he is arrested for murder and gets out of jail on a bond. Whew! And Nick's lies just don't stop. Nick is a liar, he is unfaithful to his wife, gets drunk when he shouldn't, gives interviews when he knows it is just wrong, fails miserably at breaking up amicably with his oh-so-young mistress, and acts inappropriately wherever he goes. 

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   Family, friends, law enforce- ment, and reporters ask Nick if he killed Amy. No other suspects are on the radar, yet, Nick adamantly denies killing her. The only important question is, is he lying, yet, again? Law enforcement believe Nick is guilty. They build a case against Nick, he is arrested and a trial date is set. They will ferret-out the truth. 

MY FAVORITE QUOTE:

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     This book is full of great quotes, but I chose one I think really carries the tone of the book as well as revealing what Nick and Amy's relationship is like under the skin. Here it is:

Yes, I am finally a match for Amy. The other morn- ing I woke up next to her, and...tried to read her thoughts. For once I didn't feel like I was staring into the sun. I'm rising to my wife's level of madness. Because I can feel her changing me again: I was a callow boy, and then a man, good and bad. Now at last I'm the hero. I am the one to root for in the never-ending war story of our marriage. It's a story I can live with. Hell, at this point, I can't imagine my story without Amy. She is my forever antagonist. We are one long frightening climax. (413)

     Wow! This is a story he can live with? What? What? What? He is going to bring a baby into the world with a sociopath mother and raise that child in an environment of a "never-ending war story," with his mother as a "forever antagonist"? And what about the fact that he is rising to his "wife's level of madness"? If any two people shouldn't have a child, it is these two--that is a really scary thought.

Some traits of a sociopath. [7]

     This passage is fraught with anxiety due to the cool and dispassionate way Nick delivers the quote.  A child will be born into his parents' psychotic world. The child, undoubtedly, will be the pawn, the tool, of two horrible parents...with the end result, the child will become just like his parents. Gillian Flynn masterfully creates an unsettled feeling of imminent peril for the expected child that that anxiety is transmitted to the reader. I also felt sorry that Nick changed so much that he became part of Amy's sick world. Gillian Flynn's writing is shockingly beautiful and scary, but it is done well. 

GONE GIRL, THE BOOK, COMES TO THE BIG SCREEN:

     As I've mentioned in other posts, any author who manages to write a novel that garners the attention of film makers to the point where it comes to the big screen, should be justifiably proud. And so it should be for author, Gillian Flynn, since her book-to-movie comes to the big screen on October 3, 2014. Let's take a quick look at one of the available trailers for this movie:

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     Directing Gone Girl is David Fincher, with writing credits going (surprisingly, ha, ha, ha) to Gillian Flynn for her novel, and Gillian Flynn also for the screenplay. Well-known stars have been cast for this movie, including Ben Affleck as Nick Dunne and Rosamund Pike as Amy, Neil Patrick Harris will portray Desi, Tyler Perry will fill the shoes of Tanner Bolt, Nick's attorney, and Sela Ward will portray Sharon Schieber. Rounding out the cast will be Emily Ratajkowski as Andie (Nick's mistress), Carrie Coon as Margo Dunne (Nick's sister), Kim Dickens as Detective Rhonda Boney, and many others. [9]

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     The movie run-time is 145 minutes and is listed by IMDb as a "Drama/Mystery and Thriller." The metascore from Metacritic.com is 87/100 (from a total of 12 reviewers). The Motion Picture Rating (MPAA) Rating is: "R," for bloody violence, strong sexual content and nudity, and for language (There is a lot of cursing in the book, and I guess, now we know, the movie, too.). [9]

     There has been speculation that the movie ending has been changed from the book's ending scenes. We just won't know what's in store for the viewing audience until the movie opens. What a switcheroo if Gillian Flynn rewrote the ending for the screenplay, basically, rewriting how the story in the book ends, too. What do you think? Just food for thought....!

WHAT I THINK ABOUT THE BOOK:

     Gillian Flynn certainly has the ability to write a novel that can captivate a reader's interest in a manner that leaves the reader pensive and filled with anxiety for the protagonist. This, I believe, is Gillian Flynn's trademark style. She definitely knows how to write in the mystery/suspense genre with success.

     So, let me tell you how the book is organized. Flynn has divided the book into three main sections: Part One: Boy Loses Girl, Part Two: Boy Meets Girl, and Part Three: Boy Gets Girl Back (Or Vice Versa). The novel begins with Nick telling us his story about what's going on in the present; the second chapter is from Amy's point of view (but we only get to see her from the words in her diary starting in 2005). This is the pattern the rest of the book follows, alternating points of view and characters, getting each side of the other's story as we move through time.

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     One thing I like about Flynn's writing is that even though her characters may not start fully fleshed-out, as her story develops, the characters also develop. For example, in Gone Girl, Nick starts out looking a bit of the dufus with his "grubby boxers and unkempt hair." But, that's just the beginning.

     Then we see Nick nervous--we don't know why...yet. We gradually get more and more glimpses of Nick and find out he lies, and then he lies through omission, and then he just lies some more. We also get to see him make stupid, bad choices, and struggle to make sense of everything. By the end of the book, Nick has changed, dramatically, and then he gives us the quote I gave you above, as my favorite quote. The same type of fleshing out of character occurs with Amy. The way Flynn uses the couple, each with their own story, as unreliable narrators contributes mightily to the feeling that something is really wrong with this picture.

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WHAT DIDN'T WORK FOR ME IN THE STORY:
         While the character development was really very good, it fell apart, somewhat, near the end of the book. Learning that Amy was a sociopath explains her ability to charm others through her beauty and manipulation. It seems, though, that Amy goes against some of her own character traits.

     Remember, Nick was her object of vindictiveness and vengeance. Since Amy had the reputation of holding grudges for years and years, why let Nick off the hook? I expected Amy's retribution to result in scorched fields. Why not just have Nick sent off to prison, or death row?

     The two nefarious creatures, Greta and Jeff, who rob Amy of all her money, well...it was a clumsily done scene. Amy, so careful, organized, thoughtful, and hyperaware would not have let the two get a drop on her. Amy didn't fight, but just lamely surrendered the money. That whole scene seemed contrived, something that wouldn't have happened to Amy. It would have been far better to have Amy robbed at the point of a gun while she was in a convenience store somewhere.

     Also, Desi's murder at Amy's hands. I can actually see that Amy might have been able to kill Desi; the problem I have with the murder is all the loopholes. Earlier in the book, Desi always appeared with his mother close by. She seemed to always interject herself into the scene and take control. So when Amy and Desi get together for the last time--Mama has dropped off the face of the planet. Also, any investigator would check to see if Desi had an alibi for the date of Amy's abduction--he can't be in two places at once. It would likely have been Amy's downfall.

     The ending. What can I say? Well, it just doesn't work well, does it? Again, all this forgiving Nick is so out of character with Amy. Nick says (in my favorite quote, above) he is rising to Amy's level of madness...wouldn't it have been better to have a stalemate between the two spouses? Nick could have held on to the manuscript and given it to his lawyer in the event of his untimely death with the last lines saying, "I catch [her] looking at me with those watchful eyes, the eyes of an insect, pure calculation, and I think: This [wo]man might kill me. So if you find this and I'm dead, well..." (p.205) If he is rising to her level, he shouldn't have burned (deleted) the manuscript but kept it as leverage.

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     The other thing Flynn could have done was to make Nick the killer for a great twist at the end. Have him stage his own frame-up and later, when Amy's body is found floating down the Mississippi, to have other evidence found to exonerate Nick. Of course, it would be Nick leaking evidence to exonerate himself and inculpate (to frame) someone else--perhaps Desi. We find all this out after Nick is released from prison (and it looks like justice has been served and the good guy is out of prison) and he goes to look at his hidey-hole where he has stored his notes and plans for Amy's murder--we realize Nick is the murderer.

     So, while the book has much to recommend it, the latter third of the book falls down with numerous problems. Too many unlikelihoods from the characters find the plot failing at the end, as well as the characters. Flynn's novel is really a good yarn in many ways, but falls short at the finish line.

A FEW ADDITIONAL WORDS ABOUT GONE GIRL:
     Gone Girl, is a book rich with discussion material. I have only scratched the surface, here, in this blog post and book review. For example, I have not covered a number of delicious themes, such as: Is the book misogynistic (against women)--Flynn's novels have been accused of portraying women in a negative light. What do you think? Also, I've covered a bit about Nick's lying ways. What about dishonesty in the marriage, dishonesty by Amy or the media, and even the police?

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     The media seemed to have convicted Nick in the court of public opinion. Many attorneys claim they can't get their clients a fair trial because of one-sided media reporting. How do you feel about this? How do you feel about Amy stealing money from Nick's and Amy's joint accounts? Should Nick be forgiven for his infidelity? How much blame does Amy hold for the failed marriage--does the fact that she is a sociopath alter that fact? Can she be excused because of her mental problems? Do you feel like marriage is "a long con job?" (the way Amy seems to feel). Well, I can't cover everything, but I hope these few ideas prompt you to give the book a little additional thought. [18]

     One reason I brought up Rosemary's Baby, Fallen, and Phone Booth, at the top of this post is that none of these movies have happy endings. Does a book have to have a happy ending to be good? Can a book be good if the ending is ambiguous? In Gone Girl, Amy wants to punish Nick for his lies, deceit, and infidelity, yet Amy doesn't consider her lies, deceits, and even murder as wrong or that she should be punished. This seems eerily like the ending in Phone Booth where the sniper has made Colin Ferrell toe the mark and be honest to the people in his life or die. Ironically, the sniper kills people yet doesn't hold himself accountable. Do you like stories where the bad guy or woman gets away? How about Gone Girl?

MY RECOMMENDATIONS AND RATING FOR GONE GIRL:

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     Since the MPAA rating for the movie is "R" for bloody violence, strong sexual content and nudity, and for language, I think we can use that as a guide for the book, as well. Anyone who is young should not read this book, nor persons sensitive to violence, rape, or psychological injury. Also, anyone who does not like cursing, then this book may not be for you--there's a quite a lot of cursing and swear words in the novel. But, however, anyone in the intended audience, mature adults, this book should be fine.

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     For all the above reasons I have given you about Gillian Flynn's novel, Gone Girl, above, I rate the book at 3.5 stars out of 5.

     Thank you for joining me this week as we got to look at Gillian Flynn's, Gone Girl, coming to the movies on October 3, 2014. And, thank you for taking time to read my post and consider the novel. Please join me again next week as we leave the world of mystery, thriller, and suspense and travel to the genre of science fiction. Take care, my friends and do a little reading every day.

Until next time...

This flower is a double white Rose of Sharon. [21]

...many happy pages of reading!

My best to you all.

Sharon.

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REFERENCES/SOURCES

[1] "Gone Girl." amazon.com. Retrieved 09-15-14.

[2] "Rosemary's Baby." imdb.com. Retrieved 09-20-14.

[3] "Rosemary's Baby." [graphic image] imdb.com. Retrieved 09-23-14.

[4] "The Most Hated Man in America." [by Sharon Powers] memegenerator.net. Retrieved 09-23-14.

[5] "Liar Liar Pants on Fire." allthingslearning.wordpress.com. Retrieved 09-23-14.

[6] "You Don't Really Understand...." catlumb.com. Retrieved 09-23-14.

[7] "Sociopath Characteristics." buzzle.com. Retrieved 09-23-14.
[8] "Gone Girl Trailer #1." youtube.com. Retrieved 09-24-14.

[9] "Gone Girl (2014)." imdb.com. Retrieved 09-24-14.
[10] "Thrillers: Mystery and Suspense." nlg-steampunk.blogspot.com. Retrieved 09-23-14.

[11] "Character Development." deeannwaite.com. Retrieved 09-23-14.
[12] "When it fell apart." soundcloud.com. Retrieved 09-23-14.
[13] "Gone Girl." amazon.com. Retrieved 09-24-14.
[14] "Gillian Flynn." gillian-flynn.com. Retrieved 09-24-14.
[15] "Gillian Flynn." wikipedia.org. Retrieved 09-24-14.

[16] "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing." askdrrobert.dr-robert.com. Retrieved 09-23-14.
[17] "Since You've Already Been Convicted by the Media...." condenaststore.com. Retrieved 09-24-14.
[18] "Summer of Monuments: Gone Girl." en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 09-24-14.
[19] "JK's Movie Blog: Rated R." thatdutchfilmlover.wordpress.com. Retrieved 09-24-14.
[20] "3.5 stars (out of 5)." dpnow.com. Retrieved 09-24-14.
[21] "Pictures From My Garden." sparkpeople.com. Retrieved 09-24-14.