Review – The Girl on The Train

Cover of The Girl on The Train

I acquired this novel after a raving recommendation by a very close friend (we have a history of sharing and discussing literature). I recall racing through my previous read, so that I could begin this one. My journey with Rachel Watson, the female protagonist, began in a traffic-affected car journey in Bangalore. Every interstice in the following three days, between a job and exam preps, was occupied by this work of fiction. Allow me to trace the reasons that kept me hooked to Rachel’s life.

Let me first mention the rainy London setting and the author’s effective use of imagery. I must also ascribe the little-wooden-houses-with-glass-doors dream that many of us cherish. Such a backdrop, added to the already-existing theme of mystery, form a centrifugal force towards discovering what the girl on the train is upto. The uncannily accurate description of how we spin a story about every stranger we encounter, as well as the diary-entry style of writing, were enough to grasp my attention in the first few pages itself.

At the core of the story, are themes of domestic violence, depression, alcoholism, fear and suburban loneliness. The manner in which these themes have been intertwined with a cogent storyline, is appreciable. Continuing upon the previous two points, I imagine the screenplay of the movie is going to be pretty grand.

Paula Hawkins surely loves her female characters – and this novel has many of them. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this book revolves around its females. The different characters embody the different aspects of urban dwellers.

The Girl on the Train is a perfect pick for a 5-hour indoor read on a rainy afternoon. I found it to be rather unputdownable. I’m looking forward to the movie releasing later this year. I hope it gives me the Gone Girl thrills.