Not too long ago, our book club took on an assignment of the bestselling thriller The Girl On The Train by British author Paula Hawkins. It was timed to coincide with the release of the film, which we watched as a group after having read the novel. Ultimately, I found the film to be seriously lacking in comparison with the book for a variety of reasons, which is nothing new. But as this is a book review, I'll try my best to stick to that instead.
Rachel Watson is a woman in her twenties with a life in shambles. Abandoned by her ex-husband for another woman, stuck with a judgmental roommate, and nursing a not-so-secret habit of heavy drinking, she's watching her existence fall to pieces around her. Her only joy in life is during her daily work commute into London, watching a happy couple from her old neighborhood whom she has dubbed Jason and Jess. One day she witnesses something shocking from the train which shatters her illusions about the couple she has grown to envy and admire. This is further complicated when a disappearance makes the news in the area, and it haunts her in ways she cannot reconcile with her memories of the day in question. Now sober in the face of this turn of events, a newly-unemployed Rachel decides to become an amateur sleuth to puzzle out the details of the situation. The realities she unearths along the way bring her to the precipice of dangers she could not have foreseen. This allows her to unveil a truth connecting the circumstances of the present to her old life, which left me floored and speechless.
The story moves slowly at the outset, fraught with the complexities of a narrative based solely on Rachel's emotional and drunken mindset. It requires a measure of patience to arrive at the place where the action becomes intriguing. But once that point has surfaced, you won't be able to tear yourself away from the gripping tale of the protagonist's treacherous quest to discover the truth. In this case, the juice was worth the squeeze. :)
Rating: ★★★★☆
Rachel Watson is a woman in her twenties with a life in shambles. Abandoned by her ex-husband for another woman, stuck with a judgmental roommate, and nursing a not-so-secret habit of heavy drinking, she's watching her existence fall to pieces around her. Her only joy in life is during her daily work commute into London, watching a happy couple from her old neighborhood whom she has dubbed Jason and Jess. One day she witnesses something shocking from the train which shatters her illusions about the couple she has grown to envy and admire. This is further complicated when a disappearance makes the news in the area, and it haunts her in ways she cannot reconcile with her memories of the day in question. Now sober in the face of this turn of events, a newly-unemployed Rachel decides to become an amateur sleuth to puzzle out the details of the situation. The realities she unearths along the way bring her to the precipice of dangers she could not have foreseen. This allows her to unveil a truth connecting the circumstances of the present to her old life, which left me floored and speechless.
The story moves slowly at the outset, fraught with the complexities of a narrative based solely on Rachel's emotional and drunken mindset. It requires a measure of patience to arrive at the place where the action becomes intriguing. But once that point has surfaced, you won't be able to tear yourself away from the gripping tale of the protagonist's treacherous quest to discover the truth. In this case, the juice was worth the squeeze. :)
Rating: ★★★★☆
It sounds like it could be suspenseful. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteThere was a fair amount of suspense leading up to the climax, which was quite unexpected for my part. :) And thank YOU for being so kind and always leaving me a comment. I really appreciate you!
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