The Girl on the train is the story of Rachel Watson’s life,
post-divorce. She is an alcoholic who rides on a train aimlessly. On her way,
she travels past an old house where she and her then-husband, Tom used to live.
However, there is one house that she waits to see each day. She watches Megan
in her seemingly perfect relationship with her husband. Then one day Rachel
sees Megan cheating on her husband. So, she decides to communicate with her.
However, she has a blackout and is awaken with bruises in her apartment. Soon
she learns that Megan is missing and detective Rilly interrogates her since she
was seen wandering in the area.
The language used in this book is simple, understandable,
and subtle which makes the readers get interested in reading the book. The
themes of the novel are that of gaslighting, manipulation through questioning
or validating a person’s sanity as the three women are abused by the men in
their lives. It also deals with a very strong theme that some things are not
always what they seem to be. In some respect, the novel is a connectional
mystery.
Rachel Watson is the titular girl on the train and novel’s
protagonist. She is complicated and an invaluable character. She is a divorced
and deeply depressed person because of her impotence and failed marriage. Megan
Hipwell is a young, sensitive woman with a dark past. Megan is not at all the
model wife that Rachel imagines her to be. Megan begins dwelling into the depth
of her trauma of losing her baby. Anna Watson is threatened by Tom’s ex-wife
for calling and texting Tom all the time. She fails to see the unearthed trauma
and pain in Rachel’s odd behavior and views her as a loser. Tom Watson
disguises himself as a loving husband but in reality, he is a liar, cheater,
murderer, and antagonist of the novel.
The Girl on the Train is a 2015 psychological thriller novel
by Paula Hawkins. The novel debuted in the number one spot on The New York
Times Fiction Best Sellers of 2015 list dated 1 February 2015, and remained in
the top position for 13 consecutive weeks. In January 2016, it became the
number 1 best seller again for two weeks. The book has also sold 15 million
copies around the world. The readers of this book loved it warm-heartedly. The
author did a really great job with the three character’s voices. It deals with
powerful themes all the while weaving the story into a heart wrenching tale of
obsession and madness. One cannot help but get reeled into the chaos of it all,
questioning oneself at times of who is what, and whether everything is as it
is.
There is no need of any suggestions for this novel as it is
one of its kind. The writing is quite masterful as the writer gives away only enough
with each chapter. Hence, this novel is perfectly paced.
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