Review: The Girl on the Train

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is psychological thriller, dark murder mystery so saying much will give away plot and spoilers. So without discussing plot let’s discuss characters, psychology, narration and motives.

There are three main female characters Rachel (depressed, drunkard, hallucinating, weak, meek, unreliable witness THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN), Anna and Megan. And three males Tom, Kamal Abdic and Scott. Almost everyone sleeps or at least get emotionally involved with everyone else and you lose track of what is happening if you don't pay attention.

It is compared to GONE GIRL, but is much better than this boring book in all respect.
It is dark, disturbing, depressing, has no message (maybe except adultery is evil) and leave you exhausted. But still I loved it. Why? Many reasons. Let me tell you one by one.

1. The title is totally misleading. The actual title should be "THE MEN ON BED WITH OTHERS’ WIVES" or “THE GIRLS ON THE BED WITH OTHERS’ HUSBANDS”. Please notice the plurals. The book has sex, sex and when you think Paula Hawkins is done with it you get to read some more sex. It keeps hitting you like unending ocean waves and leave you drenched.

2. But this doesn’t mean it is another “50 Shades of Grey”. The scenes are not described in graphic detail. In fact it is said that they did it and that is all. You just get to know who is screwing whom and not how. Sometimes Paula describes how the women feel about sex and that is done aesthetically.

3. Usually in psychological thrillers one or maybe two characters are mentally disturbed. Here you get a handful. Take your pick. A depressed, drunkard, hallucinating, weak, meek, addicted, confused THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN. Another one who think being the other woman (kept) is some kind of conquest and; is happy that if you trapped husband of someone and brought him to bed, you are better than her. How sick is that??? Another one took drugs and made a horrendous mistake while high. Still she again enters into extra marital sex just to beat the boredom as she has nothing better to do. And the she talks or righteousness. Cool no?? We have men who is a sex maniac, sex addict, compulsive liar and has kinda Narcissistic personality disorder. On top of it all there is a psychologist who sometimes engage with his patients.

4. So everyone has some problem and there is no justification. That is the best part. They are what they are. You feel repulsed by most. Maybe the poor Rachel deserves some sympathy because she tries very hard to do the right thing despite all his addictions and shortcomings. Also she is thrown out by her hubby for a younger, fitter, better looking woman.

5. The narrative is fabulous. The story is told in first person but from chapter to chapter that person change. It is told randomly by Rachel, Anna and Megan and you get to know how each one of them felt. Also it is not chronologically straight telling. It oscillates back and forth like a pendulum. So if you don’t keep track of dates or who is speaking it becomes very confusing. But it is a very ingenious method and gives you a peek into psyche of three main characters.

6. There is no happy ending. You don’t feel empathy with characters. I felt sympathy only for poor Rachel because, though she has many shortcomings she is constantly trying to do the right thing. she keeps going despite all her fears and depression. She has a lot of heart and she deserves to be the central character of the book.

7. The descriptions are very accurate. Paula Hawkins has in depth understanding of emotions and psyche of her characters.

For example see the description of depression. It can be described only by someone who has first hand experience or who has an in depth understanding of suffering of a depressed individual.

“I am no longer travelling to my imaginary office. I have given up the pretence. I can barely be bothered to get out of bed. I think I last brushed my teeth on Wednesday. I am still feigning illness, although I’m pretty sure I’m fooling no one.
I can’t face getting up, getting dressed, getting onto the train, going into London, wandering the streets. It’s hard enough when the sun is shining, it’s impossible in this rain. Today is the third day of cold, driving, relentless downpour.
I’m having trouble sleeping, and it’s not just the drinking now, it’s the nightmares. I’m trapped somewhere, and I know that someone’s coming, and there’s a way out, I know there is, I know that I saw it before, only I can’t find my way back to it, and when he does get me, I can’t scream. I try—I suck the air into my lungs and I force it out—but there’s no sound, just a rasping, like a dying person fighting for air.
Sometimes, in my nightmares, I find myself in the underpass by Blenheim Road, the way back is blocked and I cannot go farther because there is something there, someone waiting, and I wake in pure terror.”

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Rachel sees a fleeting glimpse of stranger's lives from train which is very reassuring.

"Twice a day, I am offered a view into other lives, just for a moment. There’s something comforting about the sight of strangers safe at home."
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Touch of your loved one can be so comforting.

"Sometimes I catch myself trying to remember the last time I had meaningful physical contact with another person, just a hug or a heartfelt squeeze of my hand, and my heart twitches."
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In India also we have a concept that if you take a dip in holy river Ganga all your sins are gone. Something like this:

"So, I’m going to see a therapist! Which could be weird, but it could be a laugh, too. I’ve always thought that it might be fun to be Catholic, to be able to go to the confessional and unburden yourself and have someone tell you that they forgive you, to take all the sin away, wipe the slate clean."
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Life after kids can change completely.

"I imagine it’s different for him now, no lazy Saturday sex or scrambled eggs, instead a different sort of joy, a little girl tucked up between him and his wife, babbling away. She’ll be just learning to talk now, all “Dada” and “Mama” and a secret language incomprehensible to anyone but a parent."


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See how well she describes awkwardness about some immoral relation:

“For a moment, neither of us move. I can hardly bear to look at him, but when I do, he doesn’t recoil from me. He doesn’t say a word. He puts his arm around my shoulder and pulls me to him, my face against his chest. I breathe him in and I wait to feel different, to feel lighter, to feel better or worse now that there is another living soul who knows. I feel relieved, I think, because I know from his reaction that I have done the right thing. He isn’t angry with me, he doesn’t think I’m a monster. I am safe here, completely safe with him.”
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In the end a very good book. A must read. It could have been a 5 star but for the dark and depressing subject. I hope Indian writers try something like this.

In the end the link to a proposed movie details. https://media.bookbub.com/blog/2016/0...


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