The Girl On the Train by Paula Hawkins published 2015 was a nice suprise and I say that because in the past few years I have had disappointing experiences with bestselling psychological thrillers: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn The Dinner by Herman Koch, And Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell to name a few.
And so when I picked up The Girl On the Train I was cautious but I didn't need to be because though this is a book that takes twists and turns they are believable, the writing is first rate, particularly in the creation of Rachel Watson who narrates a major part of this novel. The two other narrators are Anna Watson, who is the new wife of Rachel's ex-husband Tom and Megan Hipwell the beautiful young woman who lives with her husband Scott a few doors down from Anna and Tom.
But mainly this is Rachel's story and when we first meet Rachel her life has gone downhill. She married her husband Tom a few years back but found out she was incapable of having children which she so wanted. Rachel tried everything but it was not to be and she began drinking heavily, arguing with Tom and he began an affair with Anna, the woman who is now his new wife. And so Rachel who is now a full blown alcoholic aimlessly rides the train each morning to London and rides it back home each evening because she has told her roomate Cathy that she still has a job when in reality she was fired a few months back.
But the daily train ride for Rachel has become something she looks forward to, a source of excitement in her life because one of the train stops looks out on her old house where Tom now lives with Anna. Rachel is obsessed not so much by Tom and Anna anymore but rather the attractive young couple who live a few doors down. Rachel doesn't know them but she can see their patio from the train. She has named them Jason and Jess and as Rachel tells us: :
"Jess is often out there in the mornings, especially in the summer, drinking her coffee. Sometimes, when I see her there, I feel as though she sees me, too. I feel as though she looks right back at me, and I want to wave. I'm too self-conscious. I don't see Jason quite as much, he's away alot with work. But even if they're not there, I think about what they might be up to. Maybe this morning they've both got the day off and she's lying in bed while he makes breakfast, or may they've gone for a run together because that's the sort of thing they do".
Rachel is not jealous of Jason and Jess. Quite the contrary. She is kind of in love with them and likes to think about the wonderful life they have planned. But then one morning from her train window Rachel spots Jess on the patio in a romantic embrace with another man. Rachel is devastated and hurt. How could Jess cheat on Jason ike this and she feels a kinship with Jason since she knows what being cheated on feels like. And so Rachel decides to go to Jason and Jess' house on a Saturday evening when Jess is out and inform Jason about his wife's infidelity.
It's a very bad idea of course and the next morning Rachel wakes up with an injury to her head, some blood on her clothes, and no memory of the Saturday night before since she was in an alcoholic blackout. A day later Rachel is readiing the paper and learns the real name of Jess and Jason. They are Scott and Megan Hipwell and the newspapers are reporting that Megan went missing the night Rachel went to Scott's house to warn him. The police find Megan's body a few days later and it's now a homicide.
So what happened? Who killed Megan? And will Rachel's memory of that night return to provide answers? There is more than one suspect and I was kept guessing throughout the book and most important for me the ending was satisfying, even hopeful.
I would say that how you feel about The Girl On the Train will hinge on how you feel about Rachel. Some will be exasperated but I was drawn to her. People suffer disappointments in life and sometimes they can't pull themselves together. And in the case of Rachel to give herself something to look forward to she imagined an ideal life for a beautiful young couple only to discover she didn't know them at all. I highly recommend The Girl On the Train
I've wanted to read this book for quite awhile, but just never checked it out. And some of the reviews I've read haven't been very positive, so I'm glad to know you liked this one. It sounds like a good read to me.
ReplyDeleteI was suprised by that too that more reviews than I would have thought are not positive although Publisher's Weekly gave it a starred review. I think a big part of how someone feels about The Girl On the Train depends on how they feel about Rachel because she is the main character and narrates a major part of this book. I bonded with her and felt bad for how her life had gone so downhill. But others may be frustrated as to why she can't pull herself together. I do think Rachel is very well drawn and realistic and what I particularly liked is that when I got to the end of the novel the rug wasn't pulled out from under me
DeleteI avoided this book like the plague when it first came out. Too popular, talked about too much so I knew too much about the story, and too much buzz. Now, seven years later, I have read some opinions that encourage me to give it a try. And I found a copy at the book sale and hope to read it soonish.
ReplyDeleteI avoided it too because I had read a few blockbuster books and I didn't care for them but two months ago when I saw The Girl On the Train in the library at my condo I figured why not and I liked it because I liked Rachel or I had empathy for her. If you review it would love to hear your thoughts.
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