#am reading The Girl on the Train
Author: Paula Hawkins
Tags: #gonegirl #domesticnoir #train
Discovered: Where have you been? This title has been hard to miss since late last year
Where read: (in part) Rose Cottage, Puddle Lane, Bonsall
What's the story?
Rachel travels in to London everyday in the same seat on the same train and fantasies about the 'perfect' couple she spies on when the train stops at a particular signal. Quickly fantasy turns to suspense as Rachel gets caught up in the lives of the couple she idolises but where does the fantasy end? Rachel is a flawed character whose drinking and erratic behaviour lead to questions about the authenticity of her as narrator.
Rachel travels in to London everyday in the same seat on the same train and fantasies about the 'perfect' couple she spies on when the train stops at a particular signal. Quickly fantasy turns to suspense as Rachel gets caught up in the lives of the couple she idolises but where does the fantasy end? Rachel is a flawed character whose drinking and erratic behaviour lead to questions about the authenticity of her as narrator.
The Word's Shortlist view:
The Girl on the Train is a page turner and to that extent you should believe the hype comparing the novel to Gone Girl. As a slice of 'domestic noir' Paula Hawkin's book delivers on all genre points (female viewpoint, suburban crime, adult relationships and recognisable settings).
The Girl on the Train is a page turner and to that extent you should believe the hype comparing the novel to Gone Girl. As a slice of 'domestic noir' Paula Hawkin's book delivers on all genre points (female viewpoint, suburban crime, adult relationships and recognisable settings).
The writing style is very accessible and the homely settings are instantly recognisable as demonstrated in the title of the book which directly (cleverly) reaches out to one of the largest and most prolific markets for paper-back books. The switching narrators; Rachel, Anna and Megan, tell the story from three different angles which is where Hawkins is most successful. Naomi Wood’s Mrs Hemingway adopts a similar technique.
For me The Girl on the Train is missing a likeable character, someone to root for and drive you to the end of the story. What’s more, the female characters lack depth - all we really see is their obsession with their boyfriends/husbands. With the pace slowed down to allow for more character development this would be a great novel. That said, its a crowd pleaser and anything that means office banter turns to fiction is a winner for me.
Looking for your next thriller? Try Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng,
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Spent a enlightening morning browsing the crooked shelves of @scarthinbooks #peakdistrict #bestbookstores
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