For this week’s post, I am bringing you my review of the #1 Bestseller and thriller book by Author Paula Hawkins, "The Girl On The Train."
First and foremost, without giving out any spoilers to those who have already read it, this is one nail-biting thriller which takes you back into the much-appreciated thrillers by the talented Alfred Hitchcock. I bought a copy of the hardback cover of this book last year, and I could not put it down. Let’s begins by first mentioning how Hawkins wrote her story with three main points of view by Rachel, Megan, and Anne. I love how Hawkins takes you into the characters and scenery right away. For example, the main protagonist is Rachel, and she is an unreliable narrator who is excellent for the plot to work in this story.
Rachel is a woman scorned due to the fact she now ex-husband Tom has left her for his Mistress Anna who got pregnant and now they both lived in the neighborhood where she used to live with him. To add more insult to Injury, Rachel is forced to take a train every morning as part of her daily commute into work and has to pass by what used to be her old neighborhood and the saddest part is Tom still lives there.
The plot begins when Rachel who sinks her sorrows in the bottle sees what appears to be a crime scene, and a woman is found dead. However, Author Paula Hawkins can create the instability of this character by showing you her thoughts, and wondering if Rachel is inventing this, or is the one who has committed the crime. Then there is the third narrator, Megan. She is also a big part of the plot. She is the one who appears stable. She lives in the suburban London neighborhood with her husband, and Rachel sees them and decides to create a story about the life she could have had with Tom.
However, Rachel is the unreliable narrator and the one who keeps this story going due to her constant blackouts on the count of her drinking. Rachel lurks around her ex-husband, and Anna loves to taunt her about taking what was hers. The thriller takes shape when Megan goes missing, and Rachel is the only witness who may have seen the crime. But due to her drinking, the police are not sure how credible she can be. The Girl on the Train is one fascinating Thriller who has so much of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic themes. For example, it compares to Hitchcock's rendition of the book by Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca; it's a page-turner. I highly recommend this book.
Furthermore, as many as of you know the movie will be out this Friday. So far the reviews are excellent. In retrospect, I am curious to see Emily Blunt portray the tormented unreliability of Rachel which has already gotten an early praise. I hope you will check out the book first, and then go out and watch the movie. For now, I leave you with the movie trailer.
