Reviewed by girlinthepages on
I was ALL OVER this book initially, considering the movie was receiving so much hype (and I really like Emily Blunt). I put off seeing the movie because I really wanted to read the book before I saw the movie (which I heard from many friends and coworkers was really good). Unfortunately, it took me so long to finish this book that I pretty much missed the opportunity to see the movie in theaters. While I didn't love Gone Girl, I found it to be a very engaging read, and all of the comparisons to it enticed me. However, I found The Girl on the Train to be painfully slow to get through, especially in the first half. I understand unlikable protagonists have their place and you don't have to like a protagonist to find them compelling, but Rachel was SO depressing and pathetic that I was legitimately angered by listening to her inner monologue and reading about the choices she made. It was so, so repetitive and I found that I couldn't become engaged in the narrative and really only finished it out of a sense of obligation because I paid for the book.
I also struggled to become super invested in the mystery itself. I realized I was over halfway through the book and felt like I was still waiting for the mystery element to pick up and really get into the "whodunnit" vibe. I had some suspicions that turned out correctly, but I also found the big reveal sort of implausible to be honest I just don't understand how all of these women were A) so into Tom and B) Didn't realize he was a totally shady troll right away. I suppose when you get right down to it I felt that the characters weren't super complex or nuanced in their motivations, and therefore I had a hard time believing that things escalated to the point they did, and that certain characters managed to hide what they did from others so well. The lack of interest in the characters, for me, was really what killed the Gone Girl comparisons that everyone was talking about, since Amy was so, so twisted and complex.
Overall: This book was the slowest thriller I've ever read, and felt more like a study in reading about miserable and unsatisfied middle aged people rather than a mystery. I hardly ever say this, but I probably should've just seen the movie instead.This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 2 November, 2016: Finished reading
- 2 November, 2016: Reviewed