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The Grownup
by
Gillian Flynn (Goodreads Author)
A canny young woman is struggling to survive by perpetrating various levels of mostly harmless fraud. On a rainy April morning, she is reading auras at Spiritual Palms when Susan Burke walks in. A keen observer of human behavior, our unnamed narrator immediately diagnoses beautiful, rich Susan as an unhappy woman eager to give her lovely life a drama injection. However,
...more
Hardcover, 64 pages
Published
November 3rd 2015
by Crown
(first published October 1st 2014)
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Popular Answered Questions
Kellie
That's it. Makes you think and of course decide on your own, but i felt like it was a cop out. At least it only took me a half an hour to read.
Carol Miller
Yes, just with a title change.
Community Reviews
(showing 1-30)
The first part of this short story is... expected. It is exactly what I would expect from Gillian Flynn. An unnamed female narrator manipulates people every day in her job - from giving hand jobs to wealthy men to reading people's "auras".
She's smart, ambitious and perceptive. She has a laid back attitude towards sex, even as a form of manipulation. And she isn't afraid to screw ...more
I didn't stop giving hand jobs because I wasn't good at it. I stopped giving hand jobs because I was the best at it.
She's smart, ambitious and perceptive. She has a laid back attitude towards sex, even as a form of manipulation. And she isn't afraid to screw ...more
VERY GOOD AND CREEPY MUCH WOW
Dec 14, 2015
karen
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
creepy-children,
hey-shorty
holiday hand jobs are sad for everyone.
2/3 of this story is fantastic. the ending is not.
you know how at the end of clue, you get a reasonable explanation for the murders and then this flashes on the screen:
followed by a less-satisfying solution
and then this
followed by the big, silly ensemble ending? that's kind of what this feels like, but with all the fun sucked out. clue can get away with twisting and turning and running all over the place making no sense and just having a good time because i ...more
2/3 of this story is fantastic. the ending is not.
you know how at the end of clue, you get a reasonable explanation for the murders and then this flashes on the screen:
followed by a less-satisfying solution
and then this
followed by the big, silly ensemble ending? that's kind of what this feels like, but with all the fun sucked out. clue can get away with twisting and turning and running all over the place making no sense and just having a good time because i ...more
I loved the book! What better compliment can I say?
TWISTING YOUR MIND
Gillian Flynn! You did it again!
I loved to read this short story!
I loved how Gillian Flynn, the author, played with my brain. At the end of the reading, my mind was so screwed up (but in the good way!), that I was thankful that she didn’t gave up a clear explanation about what just happened in those couple of hours while I was engaging into the book.
Sometimes you need explanations, and I have no doubt that some people need ...more
TWISTING YOUR MIND
Gillian Flynn! You did it again!
I loved to read this short story!
I loved how Gillian Flynn, the author, played with my brain. At the end of the reading, my mind was so screwed up (but in the good way!), that I was thankful that she didn’t gave up a clear explanation about what just happened in those couple of hours while I was engaging into the book.
Sometimes you need explanations, and I have no doubt that some people need ...more
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Before I begin this “review” – here’s a little Public Service Announcement for all you fine folks. While The Grownup had a publication date of yesterday – the story actually came out back in 2014 under the title What Do You Do? (Sidenote: New title is mucho better) which was contained in the short story collection Rogues. When I hopped over to the library website there were FIFTY people ahead of me for The Grownup. There were zero for ...more
Before I begin this “review” – here’s a little Public Service Announcement for all you fine folks. While The Grownup had a publication date of yesterday – the story actually came out back in 2014 under the title What Do You Do? (Sidenote: New title is mucho better) which was contained in the short story collection Rogues. When I hopped over to the library website there were FIFTY people ahead of me for The Grownup. There were zero for ...more
2.5
Let me just start by saying- I am a huge Gillian Flynn fan. I loved Dark Places more than words can say- and I adored Gone Girl. So I am not one of the "what is all the hype about?" people.
...but where THE GROWN UP is concerned....I don't get it. This is just not good. Not good at all.
It started out good.
I am not a person easily shocked or put off by unlikable characters doing smutty things.
So when the story started out with a women who gave perfect hand jobs- I said "YAY!!! Way to go you pe ...more
Jan 07, 2016
Jaidee
rated it
did not like it
Recommends it for:
Gillian should reimburse everybody and give them a free novel.
Shelves:
under-two-stars-books
1 "this short story is the biggest scam and piece of crap" stars.
This book f'in infuriated me!
Some of you know I was not a big fan of Gone Girl (2.5 star read). Not badly written but ridiculous.
Yesterday we were in Indigo bookstore and they were selling this little piece of doo-doo for $12.99.
Can you f'in believe it?
This is the biggest sociopathic money-grab I've seen in publishing.
I read this in 25 minutes and I borrowed it from the library.
Waste of time about a poor con-artist who tells fortu ...more
This book f'in infuriated me!
Some of you know I was not a big fan of Gone Girl (2.5 star read). Not badly written but ridiculous.
Yesterday we were in Indigo bookstore and they were selling this little piece of doo-doo for $12.99.
Can you f'in believe it?
This is the biggest sociopathic money-grab I've seen in publishing.
I read this in 25 minutes and I borrowed it from the library.
Waste of time about a poor con-artist who tells fortu ...more
I really didn't think I was going to bother with this one.
The very first description I saw was:
"Gillian Flynn’s Edgar Award-winning homage to the classic ghost story, published for the first time as a standalone."
After reading that description I wasn't all that interested. However, after reading a few reviews that piqued my interest I thought ah it's only 60ish pages long. What's the harm?
I think if I hadn't known it was a short story when I bought it, I may have been a little ticked off....ma ...more
The very first description I saw was:
"Gillian Flynn’s Edgar Award-winning homage to the classic ghost story, published for the first time as a standalone."
After reading that description I wasn't all that interested. However, after reading a few reviews that piqued my interest I thought ah it's only 60ish pages long. What's the harm?
I think if I hadn't known it was a short story when I bought it, I may have been a little ticked off....ma ...more
It takes some serious skill to write a story that is so layered and has such well-developed characters in only 65 pages. But leave it to Gillian Flynn to do it. I loved this modern take on the classic haunted house story. It's messed up and so well executed. She's really great at creating voices that are identifiable and confidently written. Once again I'm out of Flynn material to read. Can't wait for whatever she comes up with next.
For my first Flynn, it really wasn't bad for the most part. (The ending made my eyes roll, but more on that later.) It seems that the writer is a keen study of the human condition, her snark is cold yet captivating and really cuts to the truth.
(view spoiler) ...more
(view spoiler) ...more
A 64 pages like..having A Hand Job..
..for the mind by A Real Hand Job & "Aura read" expert, A Desperate Housewife, An Ancient Creepy Victorian House, A Wicked 15 years old boy -but looks 12- AND Gillian Flynn herself.
Gone Girl جيليان فلين مؤلفة
ستتلاعب بعقلك بشكل جهنمي هنا،مع فتاة خبيرة في منح الرجال العادة السرية وأيضا قراءات هالات البشر الروحية , ربة منزل بائسة, منزل فيكتوري مقبض مرعب , وطفل غريب الأطوار في الخامسة عشر من عمره -شكله فقط 12 عاما- لمدة 64 صفحة
بصراحة لا أنكر انني صدمت بالسطر ...more
..for the mind by A Real Hand Job & "Aura read" expert, A Desperate Housewife, An Ancient Creepy Victorian House, A Wicked 15 years old boy -but looks 12- AND Gillian Flynn herself.
Gone Girl جيليان فلين مؤلفة
ستتلاعب بعقلك بشكل جهنمي هنا،مع فتاة خبيرة في منح الرجال العادة السرية وأيضا قراءات هالات البشر الروحية , ربة منزل بائسة, منزل فيكتوري مقبض مرعب , وطفل غريب الأطوار في الخامسة عشر من عمره -شكله فقط 12 عاما- لمدة 64 صفحة
بصراحة لا أنكر انني صدمت بالسطر ...more
Despite the short length, The Grownup is another fantastic example of Gillian Flynn's talent in creating a tense,creepy tale through her terrific writing.The short story follows a fake psychic who agrees to help Susan as she's encountering problems with her 15 year old son, Miles and believes it could have something to do with their new house.
This is another chilling tale by Gillian Flynn and never turns out how you expect it to.I really enjoyed how the story unraveled, although I felt it could ...more
This is another chilling tale by Gillian Flynn and never turns out how you expect it to.I really enjoyed how the story unraveled, although I felt it could ...more
Flynn, you definitely know how to lure in a reader. Full shock value obtained in the opening page with the whole hand job introduction. I was unaware you could get carpal tunnel syndrome from giving too many although I guess any "job" comes with its occupational hazards.
This story isn’t about hand jobs though. It’s a little twister that involves some creepy characters and a plot that just isn't deep enough. I need a longer story, Flynn!
When I read your acknowledgements you wrote this little sto ...more
This story isn’t about hand jobs though. It’s a little twister that involves some creepy characters and a plot that just isn't deep enough. I need a longer story, Flynn!
When I read your acknowledgements you wrote this little sto ...more
Audiobook....freebie from the library....
Having 'zero' knowledge or information about this book...I downloaded it...
only remembering that I saw it around on Goodreads. I couldn't even remember how people rated it, let alone what it's about.
If the start of this book doesn't catch your attention, no book will.
I was crackin-up...walking on the trail... ( hoping nobody could hear what I was
listening too).
....But then it got less interesting ...
....Then a little less interesting...
....Then just wei ...more
Having 'zero' knowledge or information about this book...I downloaded it...
only remembering that I saw it around on Goodreads. I couldn't even remember how people rated it, let alone what it's about.
If the start of this book doesn't catch your attention, no book will.
I was crackin-up...walking on the trail... ( hoping nobody could hear what I was
listening too).
....But then it got less interesting ...
....Then a little less interesting...
....Then just wei ...more
I'm not usually one who loves paranormal or ghost stories, but I do love Gillian Flynn's work so I wasn't about to shy away because it's a genre I don't usually gravitate toward. Hence why I picked up The Grownup and was suddenly immersed in a world that is, well....let's just say "kooky."
The Grownup is a short story that I read in about an hour. Set in a small town, the main character is an "aura reader" who is roped into conducting a sort of makeshift spiritual cleansing of a client's house. F ...more
The Grownup is a short story that I read in about an hour. Set in a small town, the main character is an "aura reader" who is roped into conducting a sort of makeshift spiritual cleansing of a client's house. F ...more
4.5-5
This kept me guessing the entire time. I still don't know what to believe! Given that this book is just over sixty pages, I wasn't expecting a lot to be honest. I felt there was a complete story here though. I was pulled in and invested in what was happening to the characters. My only complaint is (view spoiler) ...more
This kept me guessing the entire time. I still don't know what to believe! Given that this book is just over sixty pages, I wasn't expecting a lot to be honest. I felt there was a complete story here though. I was pulled in and invested in what was happening to the characters. My only complaint is (view spoiler) ...more
I would have loved to see this as a full length novel. I wasn't too impressed with it though. I guess I was expecting it to be more scary and it was pretty tame.
Dec 30, 2015
Iris Pereyra
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
dark-humor,
short-stories
The Grownup
Who knew Gillian Flynn had such a great sense of humor? The first 15 pages or so of The Grownup are so hilarious and made me laugh so hard I thought that alone justified the $2.99 I paid for the story!
The story is breezy, funny and just a little bit spooky. I am big fan of Flynn's writing and love her capacity to entertain the reader while exploring very dark stories and characters.
But The Grownup shows a more humorous side of Flynn than anything I'd read from her in the past.
The unn ...more
Who knew Gillian Flynn had such a great sense of humor? The first 15 pages or so of The Grownup are so hilarious and made me laugh so hard I thought that alone justified the $2.99 I paid for the story!
The story is breezy, funny and just a little bit spooky. I am big fan of Flynn's writing and love her capacity to entertain the reader while exploring very dark stories and characters.
But The Grownup shows a more humorous side of Flynn than anything I'd read from her in the past.
The unn ...more
Gillian Flynn does it again!
The Grownup was written in a completely different vein from what I had expected, given the genre of her other books. One thing that did remain the same, though, was that she manages to shock and misdirect her readers page after page!
This follows the story of an unnamed sex-worker-turned-phony-physic and her bid to help a family plagued by a haunted house and a crazed step-son.
The story begun in a hilarious fashion and I warmed to the uncouth yet honest and likable pro ...more
The Grownup was written in a completely different vein from what I had expected, given the genre of her other books. One thing that did remain the same, though, was that she manages to shock and misdirect her readers page after page!
This follows the story of an unnamed sex-worker-turned-phony-physic and her bid to help a family plagued by a haunted house and a crazed step-son.
The story begun in a hilarious fashion and I warmed to the uncouth yet honest and likable pro ...more
1.5 A rather steep price is wanted for this short story. 9.99 for the book, 2.99 for kindle. Luckily I did not pay for it. The story was originally part of an anthology and possibly I would have liked it better there, surrounded by other writers and other stories. Or maybe not. Hand jobs to evil in a house, while at times amusing, did nothing for me as a whole. I wonder if Flynn's publisher advised her to put this out there, since she hasn't written a novel for a while? The reading public can be
...more
HA! I bet you've never read a novel that begins like this one.........
I went to bed last night shaking my head and smiling after reading Gillian Flynn's new short story. (written for George R. R. Martin)
Yep, it's dark, Yep, it's creepy-weird, and Yep, it has an ill-fated ambiguous ending and a nameless narrator. (no more hints)
What do you believe? (view spoiler)
A child who terrorized his little brother and threatened his stepmom. Who told me calmly that I would die. A kid who cut the tail off the family pet. A house that attacked and manipulated its own inhabitants. A house that had already seen four deaths and wanted more.
In true Flynn fashion, The Grownup will leave you scarred for a good few months (if not for the rest of your life). It's spooky, it's twisted and, as always, there's that creepy as hell 'whodunnit' aspect that will make you check ...more
Of course this was a crazy mind-fuck like her other books and I loved every moment of it. I'll talk more about it in my November wrap up. :D
Here's the big-time anti-snooze opening line:
“I didn’t stop giving hand jobs because I wasn’t good at it. I stopped giving hand jobs because I was the best at it.”
Hm...that looks a little loud and shocking in boldface! But who cares? How can you beat an opener like that? And talk about having no idea where the story would go (could go) after that!
For a minute, I was worried that the whole story might be about hand jobs—maybe it would talk about methods and mistakes or other seedy aspects, which ...more
“I didn’t stop giving hand jobs because I wasn’t good at it. I stopped giving hand jobs because I was the best at it.”
Hm...that looks a little loud and shocking in boldface! But who cares? How can you beat an opener like that? And talk about having no idea where the story would go (could go) after that!
For a minute, I was worried that the whole story might be about hand jobs—maybe it would talk about methods and mistakes or other seedy aspects, which ...more
Flynn is a fucking queen, and that was the greatest first line ever.
I would be referring to this as a "booklet" if it were not hard bound. It is tiny. Really, really small. My hand can almost completely cover the book. And it's thin. It took me less than 30 minutes to read it. Have I mentioned this is not a large book? No tome here. There is a lengthy waiting list for this wee volume, I should have read it at the library and turned it back in for the next in line.
I loved Sharp Objects, Dark Places, and Gone Girl. This one just didn't do much for me, aside from ...more
I loved Sharp Objects, Dark Places, and Gone Girl. This one just didn't do much for me, aside from ...more
3.5 stars, it's a bit hard to wrap my head around a book that discusses hand jobs like it's the afternoon tea time. Gillian Flynn puts it all out there. That aside, the book was well written and written like most of Flynn's novels. I thought it was witty and got a good laugh out of it.
The whole book centers around this hand job/psychic reader that a woman comes to for help with her house and her evil step son. So this spooky story is our background for the book. Then strange things start to happ ...more
The whole book centers around this hand job/psychic reader that a woman comes to for help with her house and her evil step son. So this spooky story is our background for the book. Then strange things start to happ ...more
This was a complete waste of money. I truly feel like I am the one who was tricked, conned, taken advantage of. I wish I had given this $3.00 to a homeless person. I wonder if Gillian Flynn will donate the proceeds of this to charity.
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
I have been living under a rock. That is honestly the only explanation that I have. How else could someone that reads as much as I do somehow miss out on reading Gillian Flynn? I mean I have heard of her and have had every intention of picking up one of her books. I think I even checked one out from the library at some point. I just never got around to actually reading any books with her name stamped on the front. When I saw this story, I kne ...more
I have been living under a rock. That is honestly the only explanation that I have. How else could someone that reads as much as I do somehow miss out on reading Gillian Flynn? I mean I have heard of her and have had every intention of picking up one of her books. I think I even checked one out from the library at some point. I just never got around to actually reading any books with her name stamped on the front. When I saw this story, I kne ...more
I was a bit taken aback when I finished this short story, and it's because I enjoyed it. I normally don't read that much short stories but this one is written by one of my favorite authors. I've read Gone Girl and Dark Places, wherein I gave them both 5 stars. This short story lacks the climax that the author really knows how to create. I believe that the problem is the fact that it's a short story. Mostly people tend to forget about short stories. They only read it merely for fun and sometimes
...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Play Book Tag: The Grownup - Flynn - 4 stars | 9 | 15 | Dec 12, 2016 04:53AM | |
| Play Book Tag: The Grownup by Gillian Flynn - 4 stars | 2 | 17 | Dec 09, 2016 05:08PM | |
| Around the Year i...: The Grown Up, by Gillian Flynn | 11 | 61 | Aug 08, 2016 09:31PM | |
| The Ending | 12 | 225 | Aug 01, 2016 10:22PM | |
| Play Book Tag: The Grownup by Gillian Flynn-4 Stars | 3 | 16 | Mar 18, 2016 11:17AM |
Gillian Flynn is an American author and television critic for Entertainment Weekly. She has so far written three novels, Sharp Objects, for which she won the 2007 Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for the best thriller; Dark Places; and her best-selling third novel Gone Girl.
Her book has received wide praise, including from authors such as Stephen King. The dark plot revolves around a serial killer in a Mi ...more
More about Gillian Flynn...
Her book has received wide praise, including from authors such as Stephen King. The dark plot revolves around a serial killer in a Mi ...more
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“Books may be temporary; dicks are forever.”
—
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“But I wasn't a well-read bookworm; I was just a dumb whore in the right library.”
—
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Nov 16, 2016 05:47AM
Dec 27, 2016 11:48AM