Book Slayers

Betty (00:00.15) When we come, how long do I leave to break for the music in between before I start?

Stacey Assu (00:05.972) Just couple, like a couple seconds.

Like I usually go one, two, three, and then I talk.

Cause I'll like, have to able to add a chapter in there so that I can add the thing in there.

I know I like all the ticks and tricks of Riverside.

I'm to take a master class on that next to learn how to do all the extra stuff.

Cause apparently I'm missing a lot of speeches.

I could be do hacking.

Okay.

Are you ready?

Betty (00:28.632) Yes.

Stacey Assu (00:31.582) I hated this book with the passion of a thousand suns.

Every page made me want to scream.

The characters were idiotic.

The plot was far-fetched and the pacing don't even get me started.

And yet Betty here loved it.

Loved it.

She thinks Amy is a genius, but Nick is relatable.

I'm losing brain cells just thinking about it.

Betty (00:57.371) You're so dramatic!

The book is like a masterclass in suspense and manipulation.

Stacey Assu (01:05.796) master class?

Don't you mean disaster class?

But fine.

We're diving in.

Let's talk Gongrel, the book that broke my brain, and apparently Betty's heart.

Betty (01:22.348) Welcome back to Book Slayers.

Today we're going to dive into a book that broke the internet and apparently Bonnie's brain, Gone Girl.

So I really, really, really liked it.

Bonnie, well, she's here to judge anyone that gave it more than two stars.

Join us as we dissect the so-called perfect marriage of Nick and Amy.

We'll pull apart the plot and the tropes.

You can get the lowdown on our thoughts, views, and how many holes Bonnie punched into her wall.

and what we thought about the book to movie adaptation as well.

So stay tuned.

Stacey Assu (01:57.64) Yeah.

Don't even get me start me on that movie.

Okay.

So for anybody who was very smart, very intelligent to have not have read this book.

This is just a quick recap for you guys.

So it's about this marriage between Nick and Amy and Amy disappears on their fifth wedding anniversary.

And it looks like foul play.

Obviously he doesn't know what the fuck's going on.

So.

It's all about him trying to convince the police that he didn't do anything wrong, but he ain't acting that way.

And there's a diary of her.

Don't even get me started on fricking diary entries about all the things that he's been doing to her over the past years.

And it's literally the timelines of their past and their present and what happened to Amy and what did Nick do to her.

Stacey Assu (02:53.642) UGH!

Why did you- Betty (02:57.646) I can't believe that you hate this book so much.

I really don't get it.

I liked it.

I watched the film first, which I think was a bit of a mistake because I think it made reading the book long, but just because I had to get it done for today and I'd read the book.

So I was like, I know what's going to happen.

And I just need, I just wanted to see the differences, but actually it's quite close to the film.

Like everything is quite spot on actually.

Even like I noticed there was lines.

Stacey Assu (03:23.058) Yeah, you know?

Betty (03:25.528) that were literally repeated in the film.

And I was like, yeah.

Yeah.

I actually think that the person who did the movie actually stayed very true to the book, which in some ways really pissed me off because I probably would have liked the movie had they done what most of them do.

And that was, you know, re-imagine it.

That might have sat better.

But if we're going to start with the movie, my God, Ben Affleck.

No, just fucking no.

He's nicking the book.

Okay.

He's an idiot.

Okay.

Betty (03:43.265) You Stacey Assu (03:56.554) He's a freaking moron and Ben Affleck is obviously a freaking moron, but he's a really like bland moron.

Like Nick at least come across as having somewhat of a personality, even if he was stupid, but Ben Affleck was just like, I'm walking around like, and I'm like, Oh my God, where?

No, no, no, Amy, at least on the screen, I was like, you're, you're, you're it, aren't you?

You are a psychopath.

You are a nutcase, but you're selling it to me.

I get it.

You're.

Betty (03:58.466) Yeah.

Stacey Assu (04:26.398) Yeah, she's charismatic too on the screen and I'm like, I didn't like her.

I didn't like her anyway, but she sold it.

Ben Affleck just didn't sell it.

I'm like...

Betty (04:27.533) Yes.

Betty (04:37.166) I was quite happy with the movie.

Me and my daughter watched it together.

But I will say at the beginning of the movie, I don't know if they were saying wrong with like how it was on Disney.

I don't know, but we had to put subtitles on.

So at the minute they were like, we was like, what?

Can you speak up?

I can't hear you.

And it's like, we had to tune in to how like, anyway, it probably was Nick at the beginning, wouldn't it?

So it was just a bit deadpan, I guess.

But I just got missed.

Stacey Assu (05:02.846) Yeah, he was mumbly and weird and boring.

Like, I don't know.

I guess I knew the book because I did the book first.

I did the book first.

And then I was like, I just wanted to see the differences, right?

I wanted to see where it differed, it made my brain hurt.

Like Mike's like, are you still watching that movie?

I'm like, I keep having to take breaks.

He's like, why are you watching the movie?

I'm like, because me and Betty are going to see what the differences were, which one was better.

Betty (05:10.816) Mm.

It's the best way to do it.

Stacey Assu (05:33.278) He was like, you made so many complaints about the book.

I'm like, yeah, I know.

He's like, I don't know why you're doing this to yourself.

I'm like, because I'm a masochist, obviously.

Like, did you not get that?

Like, did you not know?

Betty (05:41.39) No!

I liked it.

I liked everything felt true from the book, but I do wish I do prefer to read the book before I watch watch the movies.

I enjoyed all of it.

There was like the suspense.

Like said, it was all exactly how it was in the book.

I thought they did a really good job with the film.

I just don't...

Stacey Assu (06:03.388) don't get me wrong.

as far as the book to movie adaptation was, the only problem I really had of it was Ben Affleck.

But I just, didn't like the book.

So obviously how do you like a movie when you really don't like the book?

So it was hard.

It was hard for me.

And there was some, there was some really weird things in there too, like the shower stuff.

I don't know.

It was weird enough in the book, watching it, watching them in the shower when she's whispering.

Betty (06:15.916) Yeah, true.

Betty (06:27.458) The shower stuff.

at the end, the veggies.

yeah.

Stacey Assu (06:32.05) I don't know, it was cringy.

was like, could have done without that.

I like, but trying to fast forward, I'm like, yeah.

But no, in all honesty, if it was just looking at it as a movie, the movie was done very well and stayed true to the book.

I'll give you that.

Betty (06:37.368) you Betty (06:49.172) Would you have liked the story if you hadn't read the book?

Do you think you would have enjoyed the movie as in liked the story the plot the but no still hate it Stacey Assu (06:54.388) Yeah.

You know what, probably, okay, sorry.

The book for me is still a one star.

There's no getting away from that.

Now the movie, I might have given a three if I hadn't read the book already, but Ben Affleck really irritated me I probably would have turned it off because it was a lot of Ben Affleck at the beginning.

And if I got a dollar for every time I said Ben Affleck today, I'd be pretty happy.

I'm gonna stop saying that.

Betty (07:15.31) Yeah, let's move on from from our penny boy.

Stacey Assu (07:20.564) He's going to find himself now and he's going to go, didn't like my movie.

No, I didn't.

I like Ben Affleck as an actor.

I just say his name again.

I did not like him in that movie.

don't.

He just, he didn't sell the Nick from the crappy story to me, I guess.

And that, how do you not?

Like, how do you not?

But for me, okay.

Let's move to the book.

Betty (07:25.346) Bitch.

Don't like your- Betty (07:31.202) Yeah.

Betty (07:34.551) No.

Betty (07:40.515) next Betty (07:45.774) I don't know, spot three.

So first half of the book then is just purely focused on Nick's wife Amy has gone missing.

He doesn't know, he just comes home.

There's like disruption in his living room.

Like things have been turned over and he's, and the front door was wide open.

His nosy neighbor had rung to be like, your cat's outside and your door's open.

So he had to go home.

Amy's missing.

He obviously then calls the police and then they start an investigation, which they don't at first kind of pin it.

Stacey Assu (07:52.394) UGH, okay.

Betty (08:18.442) into him but as it goes on weird shit starts happening it does come up that it's normally the husband right?

Stacey Assu (08:26.954) Well, yeah, apparently that is actually a statistic that something like 91 % of missing person and murder cases is the spouse.

It's well known.

So if you, I know you're single, but anything that happens to Mike, I'm going to be like suspect number one.

Muggins, yeah, right here.

Betty (08:35.48) Fuck you.

Betty (08:42.956) You're number one.

And all they've got to do is go back and listen to all these podcasts of listening to podcasts about how to kill men and get away with it.

You're in trouble.

You keep him safe.

That's all I'm saying.

Keep that man safe.

Stacey Assu (08:50.154) no!

I am going- Stacey Assu (08:56.334) my god!

I am!

He's gonna be wrapped in cotton wool now!

I gotta go first.

Stacey Assu (09:06.526) That's so bad.

My biggest, okay, number one point for me with this book, they had this whole like perfect couple, perfect marriage persona, right?

Like to everybody looking in, they were, she was so great.

Like, he didn't turn up for drinks with my friends when their husbands all turned up.

I don't care.

It's okay.

Do you, baby, right?

And as a husband, if you're that person and your wife's like, yeah, I'm okay.

This is so great.

Betty (09:17.87) Thank Stacey Assu (09:34.814) And really inside she's going, I'm going to cut your balls off.

Like, and then she starts to suddenly go, I don't want to be this way anymore.

I don't want to pretend because that's what she used that exact word.

I don't want to pretend to be something I'm not.

And then he's like, wow, who the fuck did I marry?

Because all of a sudden she's starting to get a little crazy.

Betty (09:38.186) Yeah, she's not gonna be happy.

Betty (09:56.471) Yeah, I married the cool girl.

She references that a lot, doesn't she?

Stacey Assu (10:00.829) Yeah!

Betty (10:01.026) that she was the cool girl and he wanted the cool girl and she was cool with him going out, she was cool with him coming around or not.

She was cool with, I don't know, football and I don't know, all this crap that a man wants a woman to be like.

But do we not all, like, when you first start dating someone, I realised that they got to marriage before it became a problem, but we all kind of show up as our best self and we might let things slide a little bit, even though it might be a little bit red flaggy, but when you like someone, you make more of an effort.

So I feel like...

Betty (10:28.898) They've portrayed this in the book and I think that's what people naturally do, you show up as your best self on your dates but I think that they both kept it up for so long and then they got married and all of a sudden, bam, Nick's not trying anymore, he's being lazy, he can't be bothered, he doesn't woo her, he doesn't buy a flower, like he doesn't do shit anymore and then she gets a bit fucking knocked about it.

Stacey Assu (10:49.278) Yeah, if you, yeah, well, yeah, I'd probably get a little bit knocked too, but the whole catalyst of it was that he lost his job and then she lost her job.

So they're literally living on her trust fund.

And if you're a man who's always paid your own way, where you worked as a kid, like you were mowing lawns or you were, you know, washing cars or whatever, and you've always had a job to suddenly be dependent on your wife's trust fund, that's really demasculating.

So yeah, he was probably depressed.

Betty (10:56.332) Yes.

Betty (11:13.256) Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Stacey Assu (11:17.832) Rather than understanding that, hey, you little terrorist, I've got my own Amy.

She literally decided to make it even harder for him.

Betty (11:22.382) Yeah Betty (11:30.008) Yeah, I didn't even really take that into account, because you hear that from her side, but then she kind of admits that she was pretending to be away, whereas I don't think he admits that from like his thoughts in the book, does he?

No, but she does that she put on this cool girl persona.

Stacey Assu (11:41.928) Nar.

Yeah.

Because she wanted, she wanted him to love her because that's her thing, right?

She needed, she needed him to be obsessed with her.

But she had this whole, look at me, I'm amazing Amy.

My parents wrote all these books about me and now I have to live up to that.

But I think she got to the point where she was like, actually I am, because I got the feeling she was a sociopath.

I did.

She is.

Stacey Assu (12:14.042) certifying nuts and she's trained in psychology.

Like how do you beat that?

How do you beat that?

And her, it sounded like she was like super smart and the way her brain worked, but she spent her whole time manipulating people.

Like in all honesty.

Betty (12:18.23) Yeah.

Betty (12:27.011) Yeah.

Yeah, she just used them clever for that just to manipulate everybody Stacey Assu (12:33.854) Yeah, I hated Nick.

Okay.

I hated Nick.

If weaponized incompetency look like a person weaponizing competence, not incompetency look like a person to be him.

Okay.

Because he's like, no, can't do it.

You're so much better than me.

I'm going to over here and be an idiot.

Can you stop barking at me?

She apparently she loves gone girl so much.

She's giving me shit.

So I didn't like him anyway, but as the book progresses, and I think this is what they want you to understand is that it starts out that you see him as being the bad guy.

They kind of confirm that he is, but it's not the way you think.

And honestly, how did he not spot the red flag sooner?

Like no wife is that tolerant.

I'm sorry.

What woman out there is going, sure, honey, you can always not turn up and I'm going to keep smiling and I'm going to have sex with you on the dining room table.

Like, I don't believe it.

I don't, I don't believe that.

He was an idiot to believe that.

Betty (13:05.965) Yep.

Betty (13:27.095) you Betty (13:30.999) Yeah, but then it wasn't then that they was having the massive problems.

It's like he looked they lost their jobs, then they moved to a different town so he can care for his parents who are both ill.

And then they become quite unhappy with each other.

She's not happy there either.

So that kind of plays into like her feeling more unloved and like, I don't even like living here kind of thing.

And then he has an affair.

He's out shagging one of his students from, he does, he has one job.

What was his job?

I can't remember though.

He had a main job, didn't he?

And then he'd done teaching on the side as well or something.

And he met a student who's like 23.

I can't remember how old they're supposed to be at this point.

30s?

Stacey Assu (14:13.354) She's almost 40 because she mentions that a lot about like, it was funny when he was laughing at people when, you know, older women trying so hard and he's like, now I'm like almost 40.

Like now I'm one of those women, right?

So that was a factor for the insanity that she was going through.

But the reason that he cheated was like, I don't know if you realize that, but he's talking about how Amy was always like.

Betty (14:26.509) Yeah.

Stacey Assu (14:38.298) why can't you just do this?

You don't do that, right?

He was like, she was just a giant nag.

I was like, and she was withholding sex and he wanted a kid and she didn't want a kid.

And like, you can understand that their marriage was already over.

It's just, hadn't said anything.

And I really hate miscommunication in any book and the fact that they didn't even talk to each other.

So, and she's getting pissed off.

He's getting pissed off and it's just getting worse.

But do you really turn to what she did?

Betty (14:44.855) Yeah.

Stacey Assu (15:07.914) my god.

Betty (15:08.822) No, you really have to let's just focus on him first.

he's like, yeah.

No.

Stacey Assu (15:12.362) Can you just stop for a sec?

Just stop.

Can you not see my light?

The dog just moved it.

Stacey Assu (15:28.008) Holy shit.

Normally she sleeps during podcast day.

Okay, let's get back to Nick.

Betty (15:29.902) there we go.

Stacey Assu (15:36.201) honey.

Betty (15:40.323) Blower.

Now let's just get back to Nick for a minute and then we'll come really quickly back to Amy.

But he didn't need to then go and cheat.

But his thing was he wouldn't leave her because she paid for the bar and she could take that off him and that was his only income.

And I think just because she had the trust fund, like she had money, he didn't.

So he kind of kept that secret.

He shouldn't Stacey Assu (16:01.896) Yeah, but it's pretty much gone.

Yeah, but it was pretty much gone.

She gave it to her parents, right?

And then what was left over, she used to buy the bar.

So there wasn't anything left.

Okay, but okay, so she could still take the bar.

Yeah, so I think that's never an excuse to cheat, but I understand that the the author was explaining through the book how he'd got to that, to that point, how unhappy he was and stuff.

And that's normally why people cheat, right?

Like they're not really happy.

Like you said, they won't communicate about it.

So they'll just do dumb fucking shit.

So that was the start of it.

And then Amy.

Stacey Assu (16:15.454) Yeah, correct.

It was hers.

Betty (16:40.558) psycho bitch find out about Stacey Assu (16:45.009) She is certifiable.

Betty (16:48.462) Do you know what I'm most impressed with?

I'm patient when I need to be, especially you know, like work, stuff and shit.

I'm very impatient like if I want to sing or I wanna do something like, but that girl...

How long does she fucking bide her time for?

How long did she build all this?

That's what I'm amazed by because I couldn't keep living with someone for like over a year.

You know they're off cheating.

You know every time he says he's working late or you know he's just going to the bar where he works but don't carve like you stay home.

She knows every time when he's going out and cheating on her.

And it's like I don't know how you can.

keep, I couldn't, with stuff like that, I'd have to fuck it, I'd launch at him, I'd be like, get it both barrels straight as soon as I found out.

Stacey Assu (17:33.802) She watched them the very first time walk into that girl's place, right?

Like she saw him go in there.

I would have been like...

Betty (17:38.304) Yeah.

You fucker.

Yeah, as if you wouldn't say anything then.

Obviously she didn't know that was the first time though either.

She doesn't know that.

Stacey Assu (17:50.868) She was watching, he said it had been going on for about a year and she had been planning this for about a year.

So I don't think it was, they hadn't been going at it very long.

Betty (17:59.755) No, but I think that was the first time, but I'm just pointing out that I don't think Amy knew that.

She just turned up to the bar one night and then see them leaving and this girl doesn't live too far away, does she?

But like she maybe she didn't stop him because she thinks it was already going on.

I don't know.

Stacey Assu (18:13.17) Yeah, but still wouldn't you...

automatic reaction would be...

What the fuck?

Betty (18:19.626) Yeah, yeah, but that's what I mean.

That's why she's so fucking crazy because she's gone.

Okay.

I see you.

I see what you're doing.

Watch this.

Stacey Assu (18:24.361) I Betty (18:30.07) And then she waited a whole year, like, all of that diary out.

So the first half of the book is Nick's point of view, obviously Amy going missing.

And then it flicks back to the diary entries that she's written, which are basically a buildup of the last few years and including their moves.

So it's all like the lovely stuff.

So you automatically don't like Nick because she's staying all the nice stuff and he's like not to...

Betty (18:54.31) I think he is bothered that she's missing but we know that he's having an affair and he doesn't really want to be with her so he's already the baddie.

She writes this fucking diary for a year.

I know.

And he's like, she doesn't keep a diary.

But that's what I mean.

Okay.

So she played the long game, but even with the diary entries, okay.

And I know in the beginning, you're supposed to believe that Nick is like this horrible monster and he was unsupported and she was the wonderful wife.

I could hear right from the get-go that she was lying.

Her version of the narrative from her diary wasn't ringing true for me.

And it wasn't because I already knew, it's just I could hear with the tone of the way, because I listened to it and I was reading it, that the narrator was doing her voice, it's like, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

I'm like, you're a liar.

You are a fucking liar.

And it really, the diary entries were the worst part for me, like listening to the, blah, blah, look how wonderful I am, I'm Amy, wah, I'm like, I would have killed you sooner.

You'd already be dead.

Betty (19:48.526) Yeah.

Betty (19:56.783) Do you think it's worse?

Was it worse because it was on an audiobook or do think you would have read it like that in your head?

Stacey Assu (20:04.874) No, I was switching between the two because I wasn't sure which was gonna be better for me, whether it was gonna be listening or reading it.

I needed to know.

So I did the first, probably the first half of the book, I switched every few chapters between the two.

And then I finished it with the audio book because I just didn't wanna touch the fucking book again.

Like that's how I ended it.

And if I created a video with me with my headphones on and I literally fling them off, I'm like, fuck, that's over.

Betty (20:12.93) Okay.

Betty (20:24.302) you Betty (20:31.884) I do think though the first half of the book does build up like a good amount of suspense because you actually like if you're reading this for the first time obviously we knew the ending but when you read it the first time you actually don't know why Amy's missing you don't know what's happened I do feel like though reading it I feel like you can tell that it wasn't Nick but you don't actually know why I don't I don't know why you don't know why she's missing.

So it does build all of that up really well.

And it builds up and obviously what Amy's done while writing this diary, she's also laying little traps everywhere.

Like she does a treasure hunt for their anniversary every year.

And it takes him to literally like, I'll go from, you found this in...

Betty (21:12.766) location A now you have to go to location B it's that like takes you all around everywhere so he's he's used to that but he she literally takes him to all the places that he's had sex with Andy who's having an affair with sorry he might have to cut try and out these coughs and then Stacey Assu (21:29.634) that's all right.

Betty (21:32.501) She sets up things like she starts running loads of shit up on a credit card to make it look like he's got debt, hides all the shit in his sister's shed out the back so that one day they're going to come to that and he doesn't know that that's going to happen but that's what happens.

She ups the life insurance but he's had to sign for it.

She staged the crime scene in such a way that there's like this ottoman which is quite a big thing that literally won't tip over it would only like push along the floor so it's like this has been staged then they find the blood in the kitchen she's like Stacey Assu (21:58.697) Yeah.

Betty (22:02.384) literally cut her arm open and bled all over the kitchen, then really messily cleaned it up so that it can be picked up on one of them fancy light thingies.

And on the morning of, because it's their anniversary, the day that she goes missing, she gets him to go and think about their relationship and she knows where he'll go and think is on a beach where he hardly ever goes and where no one's actually gonna see him and the idiot does it.

He goes to this beach.

I mean, I think that is quite...

Yeah.

Betty (22:30.88) Not far fetched, but she's lucky that he did that because that cancels out his alibi, doesn't it?

And she can't surely, she would think he would do it, but it's not guaranteed that he would.

So what she's done is laid all these traps.

So the first half of the book, all these little things are building and it's looking bad for Nick.

And then you get the surprise literally like 50 % of the way through the book that ain't alive.

Yep.

But for me, I didn't like her in the diary entries.

I didn't like him.

And even when the script gets flipped and we understand what's happened, I still didn't like him.

I didn't.

I obviously I don't wish what she did on him at all.

Like I'm not saying that, but both of them were so unreliable.

I couldn't care less.

And that was one of the biggest problems for me is that I didn't want either of them to win.

I was hoping, I was hoping both of them would die.

Betty (23:22.446) I think...

God.

Stacey Assu (23:22.634) That's where I was at.

for me, sorry, I was going to say for me as a reader, I need somebody to root for.

I need somebody to win.

And I think that's where this book went completely wrong for me is that I hated them both of equal measure.

Betty (23:40.281) See, I think the first half of the book, you're just trying to work out what's going on.

So I don't know if I was rooting for anyone at that point.

It was just more of a mystery.

When you hit the second half of the book and you realize what she's done, I'm impressed that she's put all this together.

Betty (23:56.207) I don't like either of them as like people but I don't really have an issue with not liking the characters in that way but I think you start to see the injustice for Nick that yeah don't get me wrong cheating's bad don't be fucking assholes and do it but for what she's doing bearing in mind that if he gets arrested for her murder it's death penalty so she's literally murdering him that's a little bit too far I can understand being pissed off but so then you sort of stop So then I sort of started wanting him to work it out and to be able to like over her but then the longer it went on it was kind of like you're a badass bitch and I kind of maybe I maybe I want to see how how fucked up this can end basically and then I just wanted the really fucked up end in which you kind of get.

Stacey Assu (24:39.562) Do you know?

Yeah, you kind of do.

Now I find it very clever the way that she managed to undo it all, but that was probably a contingency for her.

Like what if, like she had it all mapped out.

If he does this, I'll do this.

If he does that, I'll do that.

If he does that, I'll do this.

Like her brain was terrifying.

Betty (24:51.982) Yeah.

Betty (25:02.54) There was a part in the book, I think it literally says, always back up your backups or something or back up your or she says something like that.

So yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if she had several kinds of plans, but her original plan actually, which is even more fucking crazy, is she was actually going to kill herself.

She had no...

Stacey Assu (25:08.072) Yeah!

Stacey Assu (25:20.978) I don't believe that.

Yeah, I know, but I don't believe she ever.

She said it, because I think that it was the author did that to garner sympathy, like that she was really so hurt that she'd kill herself.

And then she's like, no, that's, that's extreme.

Really?

That's the part you thought was extreme.

Betty (25:36.719) No.

I mean, yeah, I think maybe she believed that that's what she would do and then later on realized, wait, why am I dying?

He's the arsehole.

I haven't done anything wrong except be the best wife ever.

And then she decides not to kill herself.

And then, yeah.

What about the two characters that she meets when she goes and hides out at the cabin?

Fucking knew the same was coming a mile off, didn't you?

Stacey Assu (26:01.854) You know what?

I'm cut- Or you could feel it.

She's already in a place where people are fishy as fuck and no pun intended, because I know he was catching fish, but he was really dodgy.

And I felt that way.

And the friend that she was like, Oh, hey.

And then she's making all these comments.

I'm like, she's you're a mock.

That's what you are, honey.

And you're so like, Oh, no one's going to get me.

I'm so you didn't even see it coming.

And part of me was like, you know, you're a fucking moron.

Betty (26:06.392) Betty (26:23.158) Yeah, 100%.

Stacey Assu (26:33.172) For not seeing that, the other part of me is like, they should have given you a slap.

I would have loved that.

Fat pan across the face.

Betty (26:37.23) Yeah, you say that like we've all have had sort of cleverness and like she's done psychology you'd think that she thinks she can read people she obviously didn't read them very well or was it that she was just sort of in an environment that she's not used to and she's kind of winging it at that point because this wasn't her original plan was it because the original plan died but yeah I did think that maybe Amazing Amy would have seen it coming.

Stacey Assu (26:55.344) Gnar.

Like, I don't know.

There was something about that whole situation.

I don't think it was necessarily that she was in a different environment where she didn't have money.

Cause I think that's a big thing for her, right?

She always feels very confident and very sure of herself when there's money to fall back on.

And she didn't really have very much, but I got the feeling that because she couldn't see the threads, like she hadn't anticipated that somebody would want to do something bad to her.

Yeah.

Betty (27:30.476) Yeah, or maybe she didn't even anticipate like meeting someone that wanted to be friendly.

She was just going to hide out on her own.

So she hasn't been able to plan for like massive cover stories or anything like that, has she?

So maybe that's everywhere as well.

Stacey Assu (27:31.816) Like she's that egotistical.

Stacey Assu (27:47.324) No, it didn't seem- I don't think she was expecting to actually talk to anybody and that's retarded.

You are out.

People are going to get curious as to why you're alone and you're not doing anything.

Like, I don't know.

She, it felt to me like she was really smart, but really fucking stupid.

Betty (27:53.58) Bye.

Betty (28:06.254) She was stupid in that scenario.

And then she does the stupid thing when she rings Desi.

Stacey Assu (28:08.51) Yeah, she was.

I don't know.

just, you know what?

She needed money and she knew he had money, but she also didn't anticipate that he was going to go, you need something from me.

I'm going to now control you.

Where she's the one that's used to doing all the controlling.

Betty (28:27.95) Exactly.

Yeah, she I think she literally says that in the book That she was she got to a point with Desi So she goes she goes and meets Desi who's like an old boyfriend who?

I don't know She broke up with when she was younger and this guy's like totally in love with her still writes her letters and stuff Or is it him or is it her keeping him there?

Don't know That could be either but Stacey Assu (28:47.336) Well, shit.

Well, it's definitely him sending the letters, but they make it seem like she never sent any back.

And I don't believe that.

Betty (28:54.766) No, that's what I mean.

I think she could have kept it open and then she was receiving letters and then she makes out she froze all away.

Don't know.

I think she's kept him there because he's like multi-millionaire.

But I don't know why she didn't want him then as a but I don't know.

That's when they was younger.

So then she rings him, they meet up and then he takes her to his, I don't know, like holiday mansion.

Yeah.

And then Stacey Assu (28:59.998) Yeah.

I don't think she was doing that.

Stacey Assu (29:16.02) Summer harm.

Yeah.

Betty (29:22.418) After a while of being there, she starts to realise how much he's controlling her, like he brings in the food, all of that, and then she realises, I can't control him.

He's actually doing it.

Stacey Assu (29:32.425) No.

But you know why?

This was something I actually did know.

The reason why she couldn't control him is that she didn't have the power anymore.

Whereas when she had the power before, the power dynamic was that she was on top, she could control him.

But when he realized that she needed him, he was not giving that up.

She's like, can I have some money just in case?

He slips her 40 bucks like he's doing her a favor.

I was laughing.

That was probably one of my favorite moments in the book was when she was like, she thought she could get all this money to like leave.

Betty (29:57.356) Yeah.

Stacey Assu (30:03.038) And he's like, here you go, honey, here's your boy bucks.

And then he's like trying to make her lose weight because she gained weight.

Betty (30:03.744) it.

Yeah, I've actually noticed that down.

So she's supposed to have only been there a couple of weeks and apparently she's put on like quite a bit of weight and within a couple of weeks she was feeling better.

Back to her normal self.

Stacey Assu (30:17.556) She was doing, no, no, she put on, she was putting on the weight before she left.

She was wearing big summer dresses so that he wouldn't notice, but he wasn't having sex with her anyway.

That's how he didn't notice.

So she'd been plumping up for a while.

Betty (30:31.202) But then we know that she's not eating exactly great because she talks about like, like fast foodie type stuff that she eats while she's at the cabin.

So I don't feel like she was actively trying to lose weight then, but she's at Desi's for like a couple of weeks and then it's, I'm almost back to my weight, my actual weight.

And I was like, well, that was a bit quick.

Cause if I, if I put on a stone, it's not coming off in two weeks.

Do know what I mean?

Stacey Assu (30:52.486) Some people it can though, like, especially if he's like counting out how many peas she can have and she only gets like not quite a full glass of wine.

Like you can probably see that.

Yeah.

I think if somebody, I think if somebody, yeah.

Well, she was losing weight at the cabin too.

Like she obviously had gained some while she was before she was trying to hide her identity.

Think about it.

was skinny and pale and she had the long blonde hair.

And then all of a sudden she was more, you know, Betty (31:02.166) Maybe, I don't know if it's bit of a line, but I guess the point...

Betty (31:12.674) Yeah, maybe.

Stacey Assu (31:22.878) Fulleran.

Betty (31:22.914) But this is more of the book, isn't it?

In the film, you don't really get that because she's slim all the way through it.

They didn't do that bit.

They didn't chunk her up for it.

Yeah, that's right.

Yeah.

And she did it more to disguise herself, but on the...

Stacey Assu (31:28.765) No.

No, they didn't.

I was okay with that.

Like that was a really minor thing not to worry about, but it really bothered Desi and that was a big key thing in the book, right?

I wanted to Betty (31:44.97) on the film she just well and in the book actually she cuts off all of her hair and then dyes it like a really mousy plain Jane kind of colour rather than her bright blonde and then what does Desi do?

Lose weight, put your hair back to the right colour.

Stacey Assu (31:58.408) Yep, because he can because she needs him and that's kind of the point there.

I really, yeah, it's funny watching the script get turned because I still didn't feel bad for her.

I still didn't.

I still, I was like, you asked for this.

You set this up and somebody is beating you your own game now.

So what did you expect?

Betty (32:15.424) yeah, no, I definitely didn't feel sorry for her, but it was definitely a moment where you're like, she's got to get out of this.

And then the way that she gets out of it, it's quite brutal in the film, isn't it?

Like in the book, it was a bit like, you didn't feel like he would suffer because she basically gives him sleeping tablets after they've had sex so that she's got his stuff inside her, because then she's going to cry rape.

Betty (32:42.966) So he's knocked out and then she kills him.

But in the film, they literally finish having sex, she pulls out a knife and then just cuts him through the throat, like brutal.

Like shocking in the film.

yeah.

Stacey Assu (32:45.844) Mm-hmm.

Stacey Assu (32:52.552) Yeah, I think they were going through, I actually thought that was better.

I actually thought the movie did that better.

But do know what was really?

Betty (33:00.258) But movie's got to be more dramatic though, hasn't it?

It's got to be more...

not, mean...

Stacey Assu (33:04.348) Yeah, you have to able to see it.

Like it's not, it's not.

Yeah, I get why they did that.

But did you not hear what she said about how she was abusing her own vagina to make it look like rape?

Good.

Stacey Assu (33:16.522) I'm like, dear God, I already hate this book and you're really making it worse for me.

Like it was, yeah, it was horrible.

But there was something I wanted to ask you about, because we kind of jumped ahead a little bit.

How do you think like the media manipulation played into Amy's, what she wanted to happen?

Because she couldn't have planned that the media would literally build up this hate storm about him.

But that's what happened.

And I wonder what you thought about how much of it Amy had set into place, like had the notion that that would happen or whether that was just an off, like that just happened.

Betty (33:48.386) Yes.

Betty (33:52.591) I don't know, I think without anyone else clearly in the frame, everyone's going to start after a while of not finding out anything.

you're gonna then look to the husband.

Also, she knows her husband quite well and knows that he's quite unemotional, he's quite stoic in the face, he doesn't really give anything away.

I can't remember why, it's something to with his childhood where he keeps everything bottled up.

So even when he's doing them press conferences, there's no emotion, there's no crying, there's no breakdown, is there?

It's just him quite bland.

yeah, and he's so...

Stacey Assu (34:24.254) No, but he smiles.

Apparently it's like the smile was like someone looks at him or says...

Betty (34:30.05) because he wants people to like him and for some reason they get him to stand next to the picture a bit more and then the dickhead smiles.

Like that's literally the worst thing you can do.

So maybe she just knew that he wouldn't come across well or maybe it just, or she knew that they would go for the husband when nobody else is obvious.

Maybe it all just kind of worked out for her, but maybe she was smart enough to know that it was probably happened that way.

Don't know.

Don't know if she thought about that in the plan.

It's definitely not in the book.

Stacey Assu (34:38.558) Yeah Stacey Assu (34:49.5) Yeah.

Stacey Assu (34:59.814) No, I just, wondered what you thought.

Cause I'm like, she had to know that he was going to come across looking like the village idiot that he clearly is.

And that people are going to hate him.

Cause I'm like, that is such a clever use of something that you can't actually predict how people are going to react, but you know how that person is going to react in that situation.

Like he became like, everyone hated him except for that lady that kept like touching him and flirting with him.

Like what a creep.

Betty (35:09.675) Yeah.

Betty (35:17.262) Mm.

Betty (35:22.839) Yeah.

Betty (35:28.654) that really done my head in.

What was that woman thinking?

Should we have a selfie?

If that was me, like, or a normal bloke, you would literally be like, can you fuck off my wife's missing?

Like, it's very obvious what she's trying to do.

Like, why don't you just tell her to fuck off?

this is another thing that really bugs me.

The whole thing with Andy at the beginning where she turns up after Amy's gone missing, Andy turns up at the house and, you know, he's sort of trying to keep her on site, but also can't be seen with her.

Why wouldn't he play on her emotion?

Stacey Assu (35:31.859) What a great- Stacey Assu (35:57.086) Yeah.

Betty (35:58.561) and be like, babe, listen, like they're gonna start looking at me soon and if they find out about us, I'm going to jail and they're gonna kill me.

So for us, for our future, know, lay it on fix, she's only young.

For our future, we really need to stay very separated for now, but don't worry, I'm coming back for you.

He never says anything like that.

He's just like, oh no, we just need to He's not.

Stacey Assu (36:16.522) But he kind of did.

He kind of did.

He kind of did try and play on that.

But she was like, but my feelings, what I mean, I'm scared.

You could tell that she's a moron.

Betty (36:27.244) don't think he said it like that.

He definitely, yeah, she is of course and she's, yeah.

Stacey Assu (36:31.784) No, there was a, no, cause I know what part of the book you're talking about.

He turned around and said to her, look, he was like, they're going to look at me.

We got to cool this for a bit.

Like we were in danger right now.

So I love you.

Betty (36:42.242) No, he was saying it all about him.

He wasn't saying, and we'll have a future.

He was like, look, they're looking at me.

I've got to protect myself basically.

Like you need to let me, and she's, if he gave her a bit more of it was about both of them.

That's what I didn't get.

Cause that's how I was playing on someone else's emotions and the fact that he would die.

it's indefinitely.

No, I'm manipulating like Amy.

Stacey Assu (37:01.256) How sneaky you are.

How sneaky you are.

Yep.

I know, but that lawyer was the one that told him basically what to say.

So really the lawyer kind of fucked up there because that's what he told him.

Like you have to distance yourself, make her realize that you're going to be in a lot of trouble playing on the fact that she thought he was more important than her.

But you could tell by the way she was talking, she's like, but you have to call me every day.

I have to see you.

And she's trying to straddle him and stuff.

like, okay, you Betty (37:15.404) Yeah.

Betty (37:22.211) Yeah.

Betty (37:30.612) it's so pathetic.

Stacey Assu (37:36.222) You picked a crazy wife and just a fucking insane crazy loser of a girlfriend.

Like you are not, you're batting two for two right there, buddy.

Like seriously.

Betty (37:42.541) Yeah.

Betty (37:47.576) Fucking dumbass.

Yeah, I had to get that.

Stacey Assu (37:49.362) Yes.

But let's talk about the revenge.

How far she went, as you said, for writing the diary for a freaking year and the little, she set that little game up of doing the treasure hunt and then she's got the underwear in his office and all the places they had sex and the fucking, Punch and Judy dolls.

Okay.

The one thing about this book.

Betty (38:10.724) Stacey Assu (38:13.384) The Punch and Judy dolls might have been the only thing that I'll ever remember for the rest of my days from this book, because I'm like, wow, she really, really painted a very horrific picture about what she was trying to make them think about him, especially with the missing handle, like the missing club.

I'm like, I'm like, my God, she just went from like nutcase to full blown psychopath and everybody should lock their fucking doors.

Betty (38:42.926) It was good though!

She's clever!

Stacey Assu (38:44.924) I'm like, my god.

It was creepy.

That was the only time during the whole book where I was kind of like, was like, and I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck prickle.

And I went like this, no word of a lie, I went like this.

Betty (38:56.715) Ha ha ha!

Stacey Assu (39:00.692) just to make sure there was no one behind me.

And that was the only time in the book where I thought maybe if it kept going on that trajectory, maybe I would be slightly wrong and it would have raised the star.

No, but that was only a good part.

That was it.

Betty (39:15.086) No, you're wrong.

Stacey Assu (39:17.094) No, I am right.

You are.

You have a right to your very wrong opinions.

OK, you're very wrong.

no.

Betty (39:22.848) Same, right back at you baby.

what else have I written down?

Jacqueline, me.

It's me, Desi's mum.

Stacey Assu (39:34.144) my God.

Do you know what I thought was really funny?

Was that they looked really similar, Amy and her.

Like that was, yeah.

So he clearly wants to have sex with his mom.

Something seriously wrong with this kid.

She bosses him around.

So when I was like looking at the whole situation, now I'm like, clearly he wants to control his mom and he's doing it through controlling Amy.

him and Amy, yeah that's what creeped me out.

I was like this man is a weirdo.

Betty (39:58.231) my god, did you do psychology or something at school?

Only a GCSE, I didn't go far.

Stop whining.

Betty (40:05.482) I didn't even think about it like that.

just thought, ooh, he wants to fuck his mum.

Motherfucker.

Stacey Assu (40:09.994) No, I could, because she was like, oh no, Desi's not doing that.

Oh, you're going to go now.

You'll do this.

You'll do that.

And you could see that he was still a little boy as far as she was concerned.

So he was taking out all the things that he couldn't say to his mom out on Amy is what it felt like to me.

And I'm like, oh my God, know what?

Gillian Flynn is kind of a fucking weirdo.

Like there's something like her brain works in a really weird way.

I do get why people like this book.

I get why people like this book.

do.

I can understand.

Betty (40:19.789) Mm.

Betty (40:24.782) Betty (40:34.059) I love it.

Stacey Assu (40:39.24) why it's so popular.

just was not for me at all.

At all.

Not even a little bit.

Betty (40:45.868) Yeah, I've taken the liberty to write down some funny quotes from the book that I enjoyed.

Do you want to hear them?

Stacey Assu (40:54.64) Let's hear them!

Yes, I bloody do!

Betty (40:57.774) Okay, let me work out.

So this was near the beginning.

I think this might be Amy talking about Amazing Amy, the book, but I'm not sure.

This is a line from the beginning.

And she's put, whole book made me want to punch Amy right in her stupid, spotless vagina.

Spotless?

Because so amazing Amy's perfect, I guess.

That made me laugh.

And then, go.

She's eating peanut butter.

Stacey Assu (41:06.282) yeah, she's Betty (41:26.858) really enjoying it and she says if I had a dick I'd fuck this peanut butter lovely very lady-like which Stacey Assu (41:32.457) Yeah.

Stacey Assu (41:36.126) that would work though, that would feel weird.

Betty (41:42.362) I'm not sure who this is talking about.

I feel like this might be talking about Desi's mum, but I don't know who's saying it.

I could smell her.

I could smell her though.

A female scent, vaginal and strangely lewd.

I don't know what lewd is either by the way.

I haven't even googled that.

Vaginal, ugh, it's when someone smells vaginal.

Stacey Assu (42:03.914) Yeah, but that's, what, like, ish?

like musty fish?

Betty (42:07.95) I don't know.

You know, like, I'm gonna say something really gross.

When you use like a public toilet and a woman's been in there before, when she comes out and you can smell it.

Oh, so gross.

So gross.

Have a wash.

Don't have a wash, Oh.

Stacey Assu (42:26.466) Give me a lock!

Betty (42:32.49) This is Amy talking about Nick and when he would come back and even though he'd shower she'd still feel like she could smell Andy on him.

This is, these are all gross things, all very vaginal.

So she's, she says never entirely erase the stink though she must have one rank pussy.

I feel like you'd just say that to make yourself feel better because your husband's fucking someone else.

But.

Stacey Assu (42:58.28) You would, I'm telling you right now, if she didn't know, she wouldn't know.

Like she wouldn't be saying that.

Betty (43:02.154) Yeah.

And then this just made me laugh at the end.

So this is Tanner, who's the lawyer and he's so Amy's already back and he's getting all the backstory of what Amy's done and Nick and just how this has all played out.

And he's like, you two are the most fucked up people I've ever met.

And I specialize in fucked up people.

And I was like, yeah, I think that sums it up.

Yeah.

Would you know what?

It was funny because we're going to talk about like the ending in the marriage and whatnot, but watching how you kind of, I had a glimmer of sympathy for him when she came back and he was trapped and he was trying to work with the police to like get the truth out there.

And then now she's pregnant and he's like, no, I have to stop.

And I'm like, Betty (43:40.91) Mmm.

Betty (43:48.94) You're an idiot.

Stacey Assu (43:49.194) Are you fucking retarded?

Your kid is gonna grow up with that psychopath as a mother and you think that you're better?

And that, actually, after I just remembered, after reading that I'm like, you know what, she's a little less fucked than you are.

Betty (44:02.634) What?

No.

Stacey Assu (44:03.86) That's how I felt because, yes, because he is trapping that child with that crazy ass mother instead of getting her put to jail.

Betty (44:10.466) Yeah, but if he's not there, then that child's on its own with that mother.

Stacey Assu (44:16.318) Yeah, but he's trying to get her put in prison and he stops talking to the police.

Betty (44:23.827) so you were saying he could have carried on and he would have got the baby out of jail.

Stacey Assu (44:28.19) Yes, she would have had the baby in jail because that would have just been what happened.

Betty (44:30.454) What?

They've been trying it for quite a long time.

He wasn't getting anywhere.

He had nothing.

She's too clever.

He was never gonna trick her.

Stacey Assu (44:38.494) Yeah, but being pregnant, pregnancy brain's a real thing.

She would have slept.

I'm telling you, right?

Fucking hell, I've been pregnant a lot, okay?

A lot.

I have, The pregnancy slips are fucking real, Real.

Betty (44:53.486) So what was his reason then for when he was just like, oh, she's pregnant.

I'm going to have to stay with her now.

Oh, no.

She had she'd she'd like also kept other stuff, didn't she?

Like she'd alluded to in her diary that he tried to poison her once and she kept the sick because she's fucking right.

Stacey Assu (44:58.068) The reason that he Stacey Assu (45:10.462) No, she's, yeah, so it looked as though that he'd been doing this over a period of time poisoning her with antifreeze.

Betty (45:18.382) Yeah, but she kept it but he did find it and then he just left the empty jar out for her and she was like oh and she weren't bothered but wouldn't that freak you out and go but what else has she got?

She's got other shit.

Maybe he was just really fucking scared and was like I'm gonna stop doing this because I might be able to get her down but she's gonna take me down with her.

Like we don't know.

It's got planned.

Stacey Assu (45:19.85) I'm chief.

Stacey Assu (45:36.522) No, what he said, he said to that cop lady, he is like, I have to stop because now there's a child.

And if I have to be around to protect that child.

So I don't think that he thought that he couldn't do it.

He literally went, Oh, well, I'm not going to be like my dad.

I'm going to be a great dad.

Cause he had a terrible dad.

But I don't know.

My estimation of him would be what is she going to do to you?

Look what she's put you through.

Okay.

Betty (45:47.831) Hmm.

Stacey Assu (46:06.09) This kid's going to keep her up.

This kid's going to puke on her and piss on her.

What if it says, hate you one day.

What are you coming home to?

Because she is insane.

She had that girl.

This was one of the things that was like terrifying.

It was when she had that girl pretend to be her.

Do remember when she had her do her hair as a kid?

And then was going up to go say to my mom, I'm going to be the new Amy, like stuff like that.

And I'm like, this girl ruined that.

Yeah.

Betty (46:06.178) Yeah.

Betty (46:25.044) you didn't know?

Betty (46:32.418) These are bits that film it.

Stacey Assu (46:35.88) I'm like that girl, she ruined that girl's life because she wanted to what?

Psychologically damage her parents because she had to be perfect because they had one kid.

They were terrible parents.

Like I'm sorry, okay?

She literally punished her parents too.

She's punishing her husband.

You think that kid's gonna get away from that?

Especially if it doesn't like her.

Betty (46:49.122) Yeah.

Betty (46:57.484) Yeah, but she doesn't like her parents though.

And to be honest, there is something fucked up there.

So they use her as a base for these amazing Amy books.

And they would kind of base it on her life.

But every time she didn't achieve something or if she gave up something, then amazing Amy would do it and be amazing.

So it's like she never lived up to, her parents were literally writing like what they wanted her to be in her eyes, like this amazing person.

And she wasn't, and she never lived up to it.

So I don't think she really cared.

And I don't really care that she was not actively hurting her parents but didn't care about hurting her parents because they were hurting her and making her feel like shit.

I wouldn't want parents like that.

Stacey Assu (47:36.424) Yeah, but if you think about it from the logic that she's unreliable, she's lied all the time about Nick.

How much of that's true about her parents?

Betty (47:46.585) But it's in the books that amazing Amy does this stuff.

She never says shit about it, but I think I, as a reader, took that because she's constantly being compared to a much better version of herself.

Stacey Assu (47:51.219) Yeah, but how do Stacey Assu (47:59.946) Yeah, but you're saying that, like that her parents were doing that on purpose.

How do you know that they weren't writing these books, that she was doing it at the time and then she stopped and then they moved on to something else?

We're taking that she, the reason that she's punishing her parents and that we should be okay with that is that she's saying these things happened.

How do we know it's true?

Because you can't know, you can't know.

All she's done is lie about Nick.

She's told all she's done is lie.

So what's to say that she wasn't lying as a child?

Betty (48:21.806) Mmm.

Stacey Assu (48:27.05) Like you have no idea whether or not these things truly happen.

Betty (48:29.23) The books are amazing, Amy.

So it does infer that Amy didn't start violin and then quit after two weeks to follow what normal Amy was doing.

She'd become a, I can't even remember the word, posh word for an opera thing.

But do know what I mean?

I do, I feel like that is, what's the word?

I don't know, like a musician, I guess.

It's not musician though, I was thinking of a fancier word.

Stacey Assu (48:48.106) Footward.

Betty (48:53.046) I do think it infers that that bit is a bit true because the book's literally called Amazing Amy and everyone loves Amazing Amy.

I don't think she does.

Stacey Assu (48:59.9) If I write a book about my kids and I call it Amazing Thomas and Thomas today put all his coloring books back and Thomas didn't, is that really me saying that I wish Thomas would put his coloring books back or is that I am advertising that my kid is like that, but she's not really because you want the world to believe that.

Maybe this wasn't anything about Amy and that's how I was viewing it because I already didn't trust her and she did all these horrible things to her parents.

Like, come on, she pushed someone down the stairs.

Like she did a lot of horrible stuff, but that's what I mean.

So her, her saying the reason I do this is because my parents wrote this book series and they always made Amy better than me.

Did they, did they, or did you decide that you didn't want to do something anymore, but the book was already published or the book was already being written.

You're not going to change what you've written because your daughter suddenly changed what she wanted to do.

Well, I didn't trust her.

So I can't say that her parents were good or bad or whatever, because her dad kind of seemed okay.

I don't know.

I kind of got.

Betty (49:30.03) I'm not saying that he's any better, but like...

Betty (49:49.387) you Betty (49:58.915) Yeah.

Stacey Assu (49:59.22) The mom was a bit weird.

Like I'm not saying that, but I think it was more to do with the fact that she wanted them to go on her and they were psychologists and that's not what psychologists do.

So she was punishing them and she needed to give you a better story like she did for Nick.

Like, he was abusing me, tried to kill me.

Cause it wouldn't have, if she disappeared and there was no diary and no one's there saying, well, he was abusive or she was pregnant or whatever.

Would the story have sounded so good?

Would you have felt sympathy for?

Betty (50:23.758) Bye.

Stacey Assu (50:27.05) No, you wouldn't have because it would have just been, well, she ran off because she was unhappy and no one would have looked any further than that.

But the second all these things started coming out, it's like, oh, now there's blood.

Oh, now there's underwear.

She had to tell a story to make it, somebody to believe that she was in danger and that something bad had happened.

So she's a master storyteller and I think that started as a childhood and I think she's just a crazy person.

Crazy!

Betty (50:32.48) Yeah, no, true.

Betty (50:40.152) So.

Betty (50:44.962) Well yeah, yeah obviously all of that.

Betty (50:51.288) Yeah, but is she crazy because her parents have made her like that and made her feel so insecure and kind of rejected and not loved because amazing Amy was so much better?

I think that does play into it.

Stacey Assu (51:00.554) That's what she wants you to believe.

That's what she wants you to believe.

I don't trust her.

So I think that's what really boils down to did her childhood create that person or was she already innately that person and she's using an excuse to be worse.

I don't know why you keep getting down.

No, we won't, but I don't like her.

I don't trust her.

She's crazy.

Betty (51:24.674) I don't think anyone likes her.

Apart from I think she's really clever.

She's very clever.

Stacey Assu (51:27.522) I don't know.

was maybe not like her, could understand being pushed to a limit.

Like, I don't know.

Betty (51:36.948) No, I don't get time for a year.

That's too long.

She is a nut job.

Stacey Assu (51:41.514) She was crazy, but she also took their toxic marriage and then trapped him in it.

It's like, you can't get away from me.

We're gonna be so happy.

Like she literally turned it.

Betty (51:51.097) Yeah, and more the book went on.

Yeah, but she's like, as long as you keep being good and be the Nick that I like, we'll be fine.

So now he's got to live the rest of his life being the perfect husband.

But he's almost like, his view was, yeah, but then if I just do that, then we'll be all right.

It's like, no, you're self-having crazy too.

Stacey Assu (52:05.779) Look, I- Stacey Assu (52:11.996) How hot?

Yeah, but she's gonna watch everything.

Did he wash the spoon right?

And now I'm gonna be like, my God, I'm re-washing fucking spoons because what if Mike doesn't like the way I washed my spoon?

Did I rinse it enough?

Betty (52:16.313) yeah.

Betty (52:23.294) Do you know what though?

There should be, she should do a second book.

It's been a very long time.

but then we can see what their kid turns out like.

We can see how their marriage ends up.

We could find out all the answers to these questions.

I vote second book.

I do.

You don't fucking read it.

Stacey Assu (52:29.554) God!

Don't!

Stacey Assu (52:43.026) I don't care.

I don't...

Betty (52:51.234) I do.

You love it really.

How did you feel about the end though?

Like, you wish that...

Betty (52:59.852) I liked it, I liked that it was nuts.

I liked it.

I liked being left out.

And I liked that it...

I think when I watched the movie, me and Lace literally looked at each other was like, was that it?

Why does it just stop?

We need more, but it literally stops on we're gonna stay together and we're pregnant.

In the book, it goes a little bit further, all the way through our pregnancy, he's still there.

Stacey Assu (53:21.086) We're going to be- Stacey Assu (53:25.834) Well, yeah, I had no choice.

Betty (53:26.112) And like, don't know, he's like rubbing her head or something.

And I don't know, she sort of thinks he's going to say, thanks, sweet.

And he's like, I just feel sorry for you because you have to be you every day or something like that.

And it's really funny.

And yeah, so it's like, I'm still here, but yeah, it's a not so ending.

Like you wouldn't predict that ending.

Stacey Assu (53:36.445) Yeah Stacey Assu (53:45.574) No, I did.

I did.

I do think that she closed it out probably the best way she could have for the story.

But again, I just I didn't like any of it.

No one got their comeuppance.

I hated everybody.

The pacing was god awful.

Like, my God, really?

Like, how long did they drag out that she was not really missing?

And we had to listen to Nick be an idiot for half a buck.

And that was a 20 hour audio book.

Twenty Betty (54:12.46) Yeah, I mean, actually...

Yeah...

Hang on, I'll go...

Stacey Assu (54:15.778) hours so ten of that was him going, you stupid!

Betty (54:21.006) What was it?

We spoke about this the other day and I was saying like how long it was and you said it's 20 hours but then I said it's 400 odd pages and you was like it's nearly 600 and I was like no it's not and it's not.

Would you listen to an extended version?

Yeah, there's two types.

There's, well, they, well, they called it the movie tie-in.

So I don't know if they added extra crap in there or what, but there was two books.

One of them was almost 150 pages more.

That, funnily enough, is not the copy I own.

And some of the audio book stuff wasn't in the book I had.

Cause I had the original.

Yeah.

So not only.

Betty (54:54.798) Did you notice anything extra like good in it though on this extended Stacey Assu (55:01.724) No, there was like extra diary entries and more Nick being an idiot.

Like I'm, I'm sorry.

I already, I got the gist of that from, from.

Betty (55:07.956) okay.

So maybe it got cut from the original book, but they kept it because it wasn't terrible.

They was just trying to trim down the books.

I think 400 is normally a good length for a book, Stacey Assu (55:18.474) For a thriller, absolutely.

350 to 400 is the sweet spot.

But I think what they did was I think, well, you might be right, maybe they cut stuff out, but the movie tie-in, so they re-released the book with the movie cover and it had more pages in it.

And I don't know if they did that to kind of explain some of the stuff in the movie that originally wasn't in the book.

Like, I don't know.

I'm not dissecting that.

Do not make me fucking go down that road.

I will kill myself.

But it was, okay.

It didn't make sense why somebody would see your husband cheating and automatically go, fuck you, I'm going to frame you for murder.

So you die in jail.

That didn't make sense.

It didn't make sense that he was that retarded that he didn't realize that all these things were, he was here being set up.

Like, I don't know.

He just, he was an idiot.

She was too smart for her own good, but she was also an idiot.

And I just, yeah, I don't know.

I don't know.

I didn't like it.

Betty (56:15.148) You're a happy night.

Stacey Assu (56:17.276) I was so glad when it was over, I did a little jig.

And then Mike's like, don't you need to write notes now?

I'm like.

Betty (56:24.11) Ew.

Stacey Assu (56:27.21) He's like, you're gonna have to think about it a while now.

I'm like, I hate you.

You can make dinner.

Betty (56:31.992) So what did you rate it then, just to finish up?

It's not all one style.

Stacey Assu (56:34.698) watched it on one stop!

honestly, yeah I did.

Yeah, one stop.

But you know what?

After talking to you, I- Betty (56:44.494) Someone else has got something.

Stacey Assu (56:46.19) She doesn't agree with me, okay?

Every time I say something bad about this book, my dog goes bonkers.

Tell me what think.

Amy's right, see?

Betty (56:58.734) From one bitch to another.

Stacey Assu (57:01.13) One star.

Yeah, one bitch to another.

One star for you.

After talking to you though, I can actually see some of the brilliance in what they were trying, what the author was trying to do.

It's just, was too slow.

And you know what?

If it had been better paced, if the pace had been better, if it had been cut down by maybe a hundred pages, maybe, maybe if they tightened up some of the plot holes, because I felt like some of the stuff was really unbelievable.

I think it could have been a really good book.

I think I'm just so used to Betty (57:16.632) Mm-hmm.

Stacey Assu (57:31.242) like that being boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, whoo, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

And there's always one person that I go, I hope it works out for you, honey.

This book, I'm like, I hope you all die and I hope someone sets fire to you.

And I hope that they all sing on TV, whoo, ding, dong, the witch is dead.

And none of that happened.

And I think that really disappointed me again.

And I knew she wasn't gonna die, but I was really sad.

Really sad.

Betty (57:49.069) Thanks.

Betty (57:56.525) Well, was five star from me and I vote for a second book.

So there you have it.

Stacey Assu (58:02.506) I'm going to growl at you.

think from now on, I'm telling you right now, my dog does not agree with me.

Okay.

Cause she sat and watched the movie with me.

We were on the bed, had my laptop and she was watching it.

And every now and again, she told her head, I don't care.

Your opinion doesn't matter.

You don't have a podcast.

out of here.

But you know what?

I don't actually regret redoing it because I think I needed to know that my hatred was justified.

Betty (58:06.125) Yeah.

Betty (58:31.274) Okay.

So next week, this episode, we'll be doing our mini pod where we're going to discuss a couple of books that overlap.

Can't remember what ones we're doing.

I'm doing Dungeon Crawler Carl.

I'm doing Dear Debbie, which I have done actually.

And I'm trying to find your books.

Where's my notes?

I keep fucking adding stuff to this planner and then I'm like, where are you?

it's that one.

Betty (59:00.53) A novel crime by Deborah Leveson and Wolf Worm by T Kingfisher.

So to make sure that you don't miss out on that episode because we'll be talking about all of those, make sure you follow or subscribe wherever you listen to your podcast and you'll be the first one to get the episode.

And then do you want to say what our next deep dive is going to be?

Because we've sort of planned this already.

Yeah.

Stacey Assu (59:18.302) Yes, you.

Yes, we have decided that as we're running down this older path of thrillers that we are going to do the silent patient next.

And actually, I'm really glad that you haven't because my opinion of it was I gave it a two star originally, but now that I've read more from the author and now that I've just done this book in a new mindset, think that Betty (59:31.882) Yay, I never read it!

Stacey Assu (59:46.622) I'm going to change my opinion.

think there's a good chance that I'm going to go in with a new understanding and appreciation of this book.

So I'm excited actually.

This one I'm actually excited to do.

Betty (59:54.67) I so.

I hope I don't get any messages from you or see TikToks or whatever of you with this book going, oh my God, I hate it.

I was about to say, I did, I loved it.

I loved thinking of you over there in Canada and how much you hate Betty.

Stacey Assu (01:00:04.298) Did you enjoy my TikToks?

Stacey Assu (01:00:13.578) I did curse you twice, so if you suddenly get a pain in your back, was the pin I stuck in it.

Betty (01:00:21.646) Well, this has been fun.

Stacey Assu (01:00:24.732) Yeah, let us know in the comments whether or not you are a fan of Gone Girl or whether you're like me and you found it lacking.

We'd love to talk to you about your thoughts and feelings on the book that we have very different opinions on.

We hope that you have the reading week that you deserve and we will catch you next week.

Take care, readers.

Betty (01:00:43.692) See you soon.

Book Slayers

Gone Girl: Is It a Thriller Masterpiece or Overhyped? Book vs Movie Review”

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