The girl on the train – Book Review

It was irresistible. Usually I am good at self-control. But last Sunday, it went for toss. The cover caught my attention and it didn’t leave me before I bought it for me. I am talking about the book The girl on the train. I had no intention of buying this book. I haven’t even heard of it. I was with my friend Mahesh at Starmark last weekend and he suggested the book. He said he will send me the e-book, but something said that I should own it. And I am really glad that I bought the book.

 

Paula Hawkins had made a great debut. I finished the novel in six hours straight. It wasn’t a easy read. But a compelling one.

Synopsis:

Rachel takes train everyday from her place to London and she usually sits in the same seat everyday. When the train stops for signal she sees a happy couple in their home. She gives them imaginary names and imagines what they would be like. But there is a problem. She is an alcoholic and jobless at the moment. Adding to that she has frequent blackouts. She don’t remember what she does, or says during those episodes. Jess and Jason, as she calls the couple she watches from the train, are not as happy as they seem. One day, the girl Jess disappears and Rachel was almost at the scene but she had that blackout. What happens then is told in a awesomatic of the aromale way by Paula Hawkins.

What I liked:

After a very long time, I read a novel for the way it is written than for the content. It is a pretty forward whodunit kind of story. But then, there is no inspector investigating things or detective stumbling over skeletons. The episodes read like diary entries of three women. Rachel, Megan and Anne. Rachel is our unfortunate protagonist. Megan, the real name of Jess who goes missing and Anne who is the current wife of Rachel’s ex-husband Tom. I don’t know about others but reading a book from a woman point of view was refreshing. One of the characters is a compulsive alcoholic. The way her portions were written will give you claustrophobia and you will feel how pathetic it is to be jobless, lonely and alcoholic at the same time.

One of the other women is free spirit. She does what she likes. Sure she has some skeletons in her closet but her portions comes as fresh air. After a while joins the house-wife. A beautiful and dutiful house-wife struggling to maintain between a new born baby and her husband’s insane ex. What binds three of them and how their lives are interwoven forever forms the novel. The mystery part was maintained till the last dot of the novel.

What I didn’t like:

If you are in reading spree like me, especially the crime novels and whodunit genre, you will get who killed whom easily. It is that predictable but the writing makes you read till the last page.

Would I recommend it?

Absolutely

Last week was productive reading wise. I have finished Child 44, The Secret Speech, The Girl on the train, Irene, Alex and did some editing for my own work in progress too.

I wish I had time to write about all the above said books. But let us see how it goes.

If you are a fan of the genre or if you are simply a book lover, you should have this in your book case.

Happy Reading.