Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
v.
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
v.
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
Judged by Kate Bolick who is a contributing editor for the Atlantic and a soon to be author. Her
first book, Among the Suitors: On
Being a Woman, Alone, is forthcoming from Crown/Random House, and
her Atlantic cover
story “All the Single Ladies” is in development with CBS as a TV sitcom.
I’m guessing no-one is going to be too surprised with the results of
this round.
Though I’m intrigued to see what another judge says about Gone Girl, cos
I yet have to agree with any of them!
I do love the fact that the judge did avoid Gone Girl like I did, purely
because the whole world loved it and the plot sounded dull.
Here’s what she says about Beautiful Ruins.
‘It opens in 1962 in a sleepy Italian coastal village the size of an
espresso cup, elegantly depicted in sentences as picturesque as the view,
luring you with a hinted-at pathos that promises high literary experience. And
then—flash forward—it’s modern times from the point of view of a grouchy
assistant film producer whose 72-year-old boss, an industry legend, is so
addicted to cosmetic surgery that his face looks “prematurely embalmed,”
“glistening, vaguely lifelike.”
Scritch, scratch went my pen, making appreciative checkmarks.
And then it’s the 1960s again. And then you’re reading a World War II
veteran’s (very good) unpublished manuscript. And so the story progresses with
subtle feints and daring switchbacks, meanwhile unveiling a very convincing
critique of Hollywood then and now, until all those seemingly unrelated
characters…well, I won’t ruin it. Richard Burton playing himself is a
highlight.’
Whereas she saw Gone Girl as being very obvious and blunt however…
‘And then—I wish I could pinpoint the moment this happened—the book
hijacked my life! Oh the tension, oh the dread. My pulse quickens just
remembering the merciless suspense! I read nonstop, guiltily avoiding other
deadlines. My stomach felt queasy. I was reminded of the distinct sensation
that is getting involved with a guy who tells you up front he’s not looking for
anything serious and then confuses you by being really serious in such a way
that you want the manipulation to last forever. As a friend, writer Amanda
Fortini, recently tweeted, “Gone Girl should
come with a warning label: ‘Abandon work and sleep all ye who enter here.’”
And yet: Just because a book makes your heart speed up and ultimately
culminates in a totally shocking denouement doesn’t mean that it’s great.’
Damn it, another convert!
TODAY’S WINNER: Gone Girl
Still not doing too bad in the table on Hungry Like a Wolf
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