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The Girl on the Train
#1A: The Girl on the Train
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I'm not too far into this book yet, but I'll go ahead and share some of my thoughts. This definitely isn't a book I would have read on my own. It has no fantasy or sci-fi element to it. However, I do find the plot intriguing. I'm wondering what happened to Jess/Megan and wondering if Rachel did it, which I think is the point.
I particularly like how we're only given snippets of their days - morning and evening. It makes the book stand out from over mystery novels if only in a small way.
I can't help but be frustrated with Rachel, though. Are we supposed to really sympathize with her? She's doing this to herself. She knows she gets black-out drunk and how that can cause trouble but she does it anyway. And she's mad that the police question her involvement in all this. I want to slap her and show her a mirror, which in turn would show her how dumb she's being. You can't just watch people every day and assume you know their lives, then lie to become involved and NOT expect some negative side effects.
I've actually already read this book earlier in the summer, so I'll have to say (without spoilers) that I really enjoyed the narrative structure of this story. While almost none of the characters were likable in any way, it thrust you into their worlds and it was almost like watching a TMZ feed of someone's horrible lifestyle. I would say that sympathy isn't anywhere to be found in this book, and it almost made me introspective about how judgmental and hateful we can be about strangers and the way they live their lives. It almost seems like the characters are crafted in a way that you are supposed to think negative things about them, and when your expectations are flipped you sort of... feel bad for being such a hater. It makes you reconsider the way that you think of others because of their flaws.
Mod
This definitely isn't a book I would have read on my own. It has no fantasy or sci-fi element to it. However, ..."
I'm glad that the book club is helping you explore other genres!
Anyway, I agree with everything that you said. Rachel can definitely be frustrating! But then that part of her blackout also gives us the mystery element of the plot. Rachel herself doesn't know whether she killed Megan or not.
Mod
:) Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the book Christie and joining our discussion despite having read the book earlier.
The author wants to lead us to suspect almost every character to have something to do with Megan's disappearance, so that probably explains presenting the characters in a negative light.
I wanted to clarify something, when you say that there is no sympathy to be found in the book, are you saying there is none between the characters, or between you and the characters?
I completely agree, and perhaps spoilers, but even at the end I still didn't sympathize with the characters. Each of them had significant issues and I couldn't picture being friends with any of them.
I can't figure out how to directly reply on mobile so I'll just post. I'd have to say on the sympathy aspect it was a bit of both. I'm struggling to recall names but if I recall correctly, none of the POV characters enjoyed the company of the other (apart from Rachel's obsession with Megan). Certainly if Megan had actually met Rachel, she wouldn't have liked being around her at all. And I know that the other woman (name forgotten) also has very low opinions of the other women. The ending of the book really brings up these striking contrasts as well. This is absolutely done to make (Ending Spoilers Follow) the reader think that Rachel was black out drunk and was the one who messed everything up, all the time. But the author really slaps you in the face with reality at the end and makes you feel like a total jerk for feeling such hate and distrust for Rachel. The extent to which Rachel is redeemed (despite her alcoholism) goes much farther than one would originally imagine at the beginning of the story and I think the backlash the reader feels is intentional by the author.
I liked this book. I actually read it on my commute to an from work on a subway train, lol. I started looking at people wondering if they were making up stories about us other passengers!
Spoilers included, so if you haven't read the end don't read this!I always suspected Tom... but then, I think we were supposed to suspect each of them at some point. But Tom just seemed Shady.
Anna was perhaps the most frustrating character. She was very self-absorbed and childish at times. She and Tom went well together, I'd say!
Mod
FUNNY! But that would have been a perfect setting to read this book though. :) I'm glad you had that experience.
Mod
They really did. It was quite a cast of characters, which also made it easier for the author to make us suspect each of them.
Mod
I always suspected Tom... but then, I think we were supposed to suspect each of them at some point. But Tom just seemed Shady.
An..."
It was really a roller-coaster of suspicions!
I think even Anna is too good for someone like Tom. She probably would have stayed with him though if she didn't have a daughter she wanted to protect. Even towards the end, she was still hesitant and eager to pretend that everything is alright and there is nothing wrong with her husband.
Mod
Despite her alcoholism though, for me, I never really disliked Rachel. She definitely had issues, but she also showed the most humanity out of all the characters. I felt so much pity for her. She was alone, she was miserable... and all she wanted was human connection. That is also why she got herself so involved with the case of Megan and even with Scott.
"it's because I feel like I'm part of this mystery, I'm connected. I'm no longer just a girl on the train, going back and forth without point or purpose. I want Megan to turn up safe and sound. I do. Just not quite yet."
Mod
Ooooh.. I'm loving your second theory :) Keep reading.
I am on page 140.Thoughts -
I do not like Tom. He cheated on his wife and left her for another woman who he then married and had a child with. What's to say he doesn't go cheat on Anna?
Anna is just the woman who stole another woman's man, kinda don't care about her (just like Rachael).
I do like Rachael. I feel bad for her situation. When she had the incident of blacking out and not remembering that Saturday night and waking up bloody, my first thought was she had been raped by the guy on the train who smiled at her.
I like Megan. Being bored is awful and I can see how she would want to spice it up a bit but how can she love Scott and what to be with other men? That I can't understand. I am curious to see what happened to her, I don't want to think she's dead and I don't think her therapist did anything to her because he wasn't interested in being involved with her outside the office.
Scott I don't really like cause he invades Megan's privacy by going through her email, that's wrong. He is insecure. I don't think he did anything to Megan because it seems he really cares for her.
I don't really make theories about mystery books because I just like to see what happens by reading the book. I am a very literal person and I don't really analyze it, I just take the book for what it is.
Looking forward to seeing what happens.
Mod
Thank you for sharing!
Just catching up on these past discussions . . .I did not care for this book at all! I know I am in the minority on this one. I did not like any of the characters - which seemed to be the point, but just got annoying very quickly. The story was just so-so and really unbelievable - sometimes authors can sell unbelievability, but it didn't work for me here.
To connect this to the discussion we had earlier today, if they make a movie of this, it is likely that I will not go an see it.
I am glad to see that most others liked it, though! :)
Sorry to be a party-pooper on this one! :)
Mod
I did not care for this book at all! I know I am in the minority on this one. I did not like any of the characters - which seemed to be the point, ..."
That's perfectly fine! That's what make discussions interesting. We don't have to agree about everything.
And I don't think you're a minority at all, in fact, I listened to a podcast discussing this book, and the hosts (there were three of them I believe) didn't like it too much either.
I think that it could use a little more depth in character development too. Basically, it's just the suspense of the whole thing that kept me going. In fact, after I evaluated all the aspects of the book, I ended up giving it a lower rating than what I thought I'd give it. But yeah, based on genre, I would probably rate it a 10.
Here's a link to my review, if you're curious: https://latestbookreleases.wordpress....
Feel free to share yours if you wrote a review of it on your blog or something. :)
This was my review on Goodreads - pretty short . . . I don't usually go on too long when I review:Matthew's Review of The Girl On The Train
HAPPY POSTING!