The Girl on the Train

Could this book be more English? /ChandlerBing

I thought my inclination to be passive aggressive was abnormal; turns out, thanks to this book, it's just because of my English heritage. Every character is flawed and neurotic; especially Rachel. I don't want to spoil anything about the plot (even the basic setup) because I'm sure most people will be seeing the movie coming out soon, but what I will say is that this book always kept me guessing. Just when I started assuming “whodunnit”, the very next chapter would introduce a a new flaw to a character that makes you say, “Well, shit. Now it's probably them.”

This book is a great example of the dark side of the old adage “the grass is always greener”. Experiencing Rachel's yearn for the life of a married couple seen only outside the window of her commuter train quickly spirals into the truths of breaking such a facade. Really engaging and written as neurotic as Rachel actually is. Once you get to the point where you're piecing things together, you realize that 3/4ths of the book is finished. I can't decide if I like that or not.

I did 50/50 reading and listening to the audiobook. The woman who reads Megan's chapters is SO GOOD! I wish she took on the Rachel chapters instead so I could hear more of her. She nailed the acting part of audiobooks.

I don't think there's enough substance to make the movie anything more than a cheap thriller, so definitely listen to the audiobook beforehand. It's the best version of this story.