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The Girl on the Train - Chapter segment #2 from page 107, the first Anna chapter thru 2 more Anna chapters Spoilers welcome
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Chapter ten Anna (page 107) We finally hear from Anna herself. She had life in the previous chapters revealed through Megan's brief stint as a nanny to Evie with a nervous and fluttery Anna hovering, and from Rachel's revelation of her as the "other woman" that may have caused the break-up of Rachel and Tom's marriage. She was one-dimensional then, appearing unbalanced and nervous; and after her own chapter, still rather one dimensional. Perhaps it was the narrator's tone of voice.
Chapter eleven Rachel (Page 109)
Rachel is almost normal, actually getting dressed and cleaned up to see Scott. The lies she spins, her drinking, this is one unhappy woman, but she seems to want to do the right thing. She is desperate to be back on that street I think.
Chapter twelve Megan (Page 130)
Back to March again, Megan is starting to come unhinged and is showing some pretty self centered traits as she threatens Kamal; I can't help but wonder if the man in the hotel room was someone else. Megan is so troubled.
Chapter thirteen Rachel (page 135)
Rachel visits Scott and finds his Mother there, she is unwelcome.
Chapter fourteen Anna (Page 136)
Anna comes across as rather vindictive and mean towards Rachel. She isn't just the victim wife, she is aggressively trying to get Rachel away from her family.
Chapter fifteen Rachel (Page 140)
We spend a lot of time with Rachel, she is manic one minute and falling down drunk the next. What is left of her life, the deceptions and the lies, are starting to fall apart. She isn't pretending to go to work anymore. Scott is no longer trusting what she says.
Chapter sixteen Megan (Page 150)
Megan confides in Kamal outside of his office, she finally tells him her dark secret, what really happened when she was only a teenager living with Mac. Oh my, we don't know what happens after she falls asleep in the tub. She and Rachel really do have a lot in common, black-outs.
Chapter seventeen Rachel (Page 171)
Rachel meets her Mom for lunch, has a disturbing dream that she is in the woods, and can't remember what happened the night Megan disappeared, she knows she needs to remember.
Chapter eighteen Anna (Page 177)
Anna is obsessing about Rachel, and it appears she may be calling Detective Riley (not a Rachel fan)
I finished this section of chapters today and will summarize them later tonight. I almost feel like I have whiplash from the changes in my opinions of these characters as each chapter reveals a bit more. At some point in this section I have thought each of the men was responsible for Megan's disappearance. Especially Tom who I still wonder about. His affair with Anna while married to Rachel predisposes him to having another affair - so why not with Megan. Then the therapist comes across as a potential suspect in the book (even being arrested) and in my mind, he has a lot to lose if his sexual relationship with Megan is revealed. Both men do. This brings to mind my interest in the differences in British police procedures. Interesting only to me, I just read a book with those details from the 1920's. I feel like I understand the "rules" a bit more now. I like when that happens along with a good story. This definitely qualifies.
Ann, funny you mention suspecting all of the men. I'm not leaning toward one over the other either. I don't think I was thinking Tom was involved but you're right not to rule him out. Is it odd how patient he is with Rachel. Because of guilt for his affair, because he loved, loves her, or something else. I definitely suspect the red headed guy too. I'm afraid Rachel knows more than she remembers.
Dawn wrote: "Ann, funny you mention suspecting all of the men. I'm not leaning toward one over the other either. I don't think I was thinking Tom was involved but you're right not to rule him out. Is it odd how..."interesting about suspecting the men. at that point (i've finished the book and am just reading all the spoilers at once) i was suspecting anna.
and dawn, also wondering about the red headed guy. what's up with him?
For a change I didn't suspect any of the men, except maybe the husband, but then each chapter I changed my mind.
I just finished the book, and I also kept going back and forth.
I think the red haired guy was thrown in as a red herring. Seriously, I kept expecting more to come from his role in the story, and it really did nothing other than jog her memory, which is also sort of contradictory considering the explanation of how with blackouts there is absolutely NO memory... except in this ONE case...
Stephanie, I wanted to comment on this that you posted in the first section of the book. I know in this section particularly I wondered why Tom was so patient with Rachel. I also think that the fact that Tom was being so nice to her, I think she took as a sign that maybe there was still hope for them to reconcile. Each time she was disappointed, it made it so much harder for her to take care of herself and her recovery. Also, I wanted to say I'm so sorry you had to experience what you did as well. Ann: Yeah I think it's b/c I've been there - not an alcoholic, but I had a cheating husband, and I know how it messes with you. So I can understand how she was pushed to that point. I can understand her inferiority complex and the denial.
I mean, you get over it - and it seems like she isn't trying as hard as she could but I think that's what makes he feel real to me compared to other characters I've read. She went through something bad and is a hot mess -- where some characters go through worse and are like 'I'm fine' so quickly. Not everyone rebounds from trauma fast. And I like that she's a mess.
Dawn: I agree. (And thanks, it was terrible at the time but now I know I'm way better off!). I just keep wondering why Rachel doesn't delete his contact info - she seems totally embarrassed by her blackout calls and emails - yet she doesn't do anything to help herself there. (I know that's the first thing I do at the end of any relationship Hahaha).
Funny you should say that! Lol. I tell my kids when I was young and had a break up there was no contact afterward. Pre-cell phones etc if he wanted to call or vice versa we'd have to call the house phone with the possibility of getting a parent. Now with texting it's too easy to try to keep talking to them and especially Facebook and Instagram they see everything the other person is doing. It makes those break ups so much harder to get over
Exactly! I delete the person's contact info, I remove them from my social media... everything - this way there is no temptation. Plus, if you are happy, then they don't see it and feel bad, and if you are upset, you don't see them being all happy making you feel worse. It's just so much better for healing!
(Which Rachel clearly does not get in this book Hahahaa!!!)
Michelle: Yes, I was expecting more from the red headed guy too, especially since she was getting a very frightened vibe when she saw him. He was definitely a red herring - no harm in that, especially in a thriller. But, it's interesting that she was so frightened of him when he turned out to be so innocuous. I suppose it's testimony to her state of mind - that the alcohol and stress she was under made her an unreliable narrator incapable of reading people very well. As for the blackouts, I felt that was a bit illogical given her explanation of them, and I don't think that can be attributed to an unreliable narrator; although maybe her explanation of them wasn't actually correct. Confusing though.
I know I said I liked Rachel and Megan- as messed up as they are -- but I think I hate Anna. I just want to slap her. I don't know why... LOL
Stephanie: I agree, I thought that Anna is not endearing at all compared to the other two women.Stephanie wrote: "I know I said I liked Rachel and Megan- as messed up as they are -- but I think I hate Anna. I just want to slap her. I don't know why... LOL"
Are you reading the print book Ann? I was starting to think it was just that the voice actress for Anna might not be as good as the other two (they read like they are really the voices in the other's heads, where Anna just feels like a voice actress). Could also just be that Anna is a jerk.
Stephanie wrote: "Are you reading the print book Ann? I was starting to think it was just that the voice actress for Anna might not be as good as the other two (they read like they are really the voices in the other..."at this point in the book, i think she's just a jerk
Stephanie: technically I was doing both, listening and then supplementing with print afterwards to make the summaries for these topics. In the end I read print a bit more to keep moving between times I could listen. Anna did come off as "flat" or aloof or something like that on the audio. I really enjoy having access to a whispersync print/audio when I can.
Yeah I felt the same with the audio - so I was wondering if it was the same for print. I guess it's just Anna being a jerk overall LOL!!
I agree with the comments about suspecting the men, but at the end of the last chapter I switched to Anna. Don't like her either. Her comment about doing what she had to in order to secure Tom struck me as narcissistic and a touch evil. I too think Tom had the affair with Meagan probably cuz I think Tom is shady - and I attributed his patience with Rachel as guilt and trying to cover his tracks, trying to figure out what she remembers, saw, etc. His slamming the computer shut with Anna that one time - I thought he was communicating with Meagan not receiving an email from Rachel.
I've come to the conclusion I don't like anyone in this book and yet I'm still reading!
I've come to the conclusion I don't like anyone in this book and yet I'm still reading!
Christina wrote: " I too think Tom had the affair with Meagan probably cuz I think Tom is shady - and I attributed his patience with Rachel as guilt and trying to cover his tracks, trying to figure out what she remembers, saw, etc. "Uh-oh. Tom has an affair with Meghan? Never mind, don't tell me....
This book seems to be getting a lot of comments this afternoon as I finished these sections I started reading though the comments and got a call to go to my niece's for bbq so I could not finish. In the car going up to my niece's I bought it up. Since my sister read the book. She could not remember too much since she did not like it but she did not look i.e. Gone girl either. Our friend loved this book. But I was talking about different things and said I did not like any of the women she agreed and how I think any of the mem could have done it my brother in law who hasn't read it said if the book is making you think that it was most likely a woman who did it. Lol. Again a mess it has me thinking all different things. Trying to explain why I'm reading the book was also interesting. Thought it was funny my sister even said about the bookshelves on goodreads.She is getting techie. She knows how to go on there and check out books and series. I told her in the past I'm setting her up on it this summer she said no but I will get her on here.
DonnaJo: The Girl on the Train may not be as detailed in my recall now over a year later, but it is still vivid in my memory as to what I was thinking about Rachel mainly and her situation. I can see her riding on the train, I can see her view out the window looking into the homes and back yards of people she envies and wonders about. I can see her pretending and when she can't pretend anymore, her despair. It was a book that raised questions at the time, and that hasn't faded. Liking the characters at this point wasn't the problem, it became part of the fascination.
I agree, I think I'm at the stage the end is in sight and I just want it finished I'm going to concentrate finishing it up today. I have to run out this morning but I think I will do my ex bike first and read the few chapters I need to get though for the next thread just had to give up last night. I think I have 4 before commenting then doing the last chapters. My goal is finish it today
If the first poster(s) could attempt to summarize and maybe use the dates and times that are part of the text that would be helpful. This book is hard to break into segments.