November 2015 Book Club Book: The Girl on the Train: By Paula Hawkins

Discussion in 'TMB Book Club' started by Truman, Nov 3, 2015.

  1. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22557272-the-girl-on-the-train?ac=1

    A debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people’s lives.

    Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

    And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

    Compulsively readable, The Girl on the Train is an emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller and an electrifying debut.

    Arkie Proud The Blackfish pls pin this thread
     
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  2. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Through the 2nd Rachel Chapter

    It's a quick read, but I think a lot of people are going to bail on it fast. So far it's just two women that complain a lot. Rachel sounds like the worst roommate ever. :laugh:
     
  3. The Blackfish

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    I am not a mod, cannot pin the thread. I'll start after I finish Uprooted
     
  4. nexus

    nexus TMB’s TSO
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    Read this a couple months ago and enjoyed it even though the ending was fairly obvious. Not a "thriller" either, but entertaining enough.
     
  5. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Through 3rd Rachel Chapter

    Im guessing that Rachel killed/did something to Jess/Megan during her drunken trip there. The only thing I that makes me doubt it is how could someone so drunk get away without anyone knowing.

    This seems too obvious, which makes me think Im off. We'll see
     
  6. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    I read this and liked it, I'll be interested to see other's opinions
     
  7. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Through Megan (Ch 13) 43%

    Book is picking up. Enjoying it

    This book hits home a little bit. I have an ex like Rachel. Nowhere close as bad, but certainly wouldnt let shit go. Would show up at the same bars as me ect. Shit sucked.

    Megan is going to plot against her therapist. We know she wins him over at some point. Still struggling how Rachel murked her without remembering and hiding the body where no one could find it being so hammered.
     
  8. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Through Anna - 83%

    Im not sure what's gong on. Did Tom attack Rachel? Cut her w his keys? Earlier when she was in the ER, the doctor said her cut was from something serrated.
     
  9. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    Oh boy, this was harder to read than anything in the book. That truly sucks.
     
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  10. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    I forgot to comment after I finished.

    Maybe Im really dumb, but I didnt think ending was that obvious until the end where the author wanted you to know :idk:

    I liked this book. 7.5/10

    As I said, I was trying to figure out how Rachel could be the one that killed Megan. I knew it wasnt possible in her drunken state. This book felt like one of those 90s Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd movies where the nice guy turns out to be the bad guy in a twist at the end.

    Pretty sure those are based on books too.
     
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  11. Blackterno

    Blackterno Well-Known Member
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    I'm 60% through...

    It's not bad. The writer clearly is trying to piggyback on Gone Girl. Rachel is a lunatic. There is much more to Anna imo. Megan is like a carbon copy of Amy Dunne it seems.
     
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  12. RonBurgundy

    RonBurgundy Well-Known Member

    Yeah along came a spider?
     
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  13. Blackterno

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    Finished

    It turned out better than I expected. The authors attempt to emulate Gone Girl worked out pretty well for her. Until she told us about the true Tom I didn't know who the killer was. Yes women are whiny and insane but it wasn't terribly overbearing in the storyline. So I liked it. 7.5 out of 10 seems about right.
     
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  14. KJROD20

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    TBH I was disappointed by the ending. Guess I just wanted a giant WTF moment and only got a small one.
     
  15. BigRed

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    We read this for my IRL book club two months ago. Everyone enjoyed it, and glad to see most here are enjoying it as well. The cast for the film is fairly stacked, so it might be good. Just not sure about it taking place in New York, rather than England.
     
  16. Gin Buckets

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    Reading this now... I like it, but it's depressing. My suspicions were confirmed, 3 miserable humans making up the main characters in a melodramatic fashion.
     
  17. Gin Buckets

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    Going to finish on this drive today. Can't figure out if there is a twist.

    Not sure any dude one train that helped Rachel or what the point if him is.

    Rachel seems like most obvious culprit, but Hawkins has done a good job making it hard to figure out what happened to Megan.

    I hope it's not a split personalities thing, but don't think it is.

    Driving. Hard to type, but will write more after.
     
    #18 Gin Buckets, Nov 25, 2015
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2015
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  18. Gin Buckets

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    Still not done but know the big reveal despite not being named quite yet...

    I loathe the way this is wrapping up -- to the point I'm not very interested in finishing the last 2 hours. I didn't realize I was reading a Russian Mary Higgins Clark book or "Along Came a Spider". I hate nothing more than the reveal being seemingly the best person in the book. It's been done WAY, WAY too much. I didn't call it, because I respected you guys enough to not recommend a shitty ending like this.

    I hate Along Came a Spider, I hate the depressing books, I hate Mary Higgins Clark, I hate Ashley Judd's movies, I hate it when it's the person you'd least expect because my intelligence feels insulted. I expected better for a book that's getting this much publicity. I hate obviously formulaic. I hate "gotcha." This is all of that jumbled into 1. It's utter bullshit writing that's been done ad nauseum. Literally, literally, any of Rachel, Megan, Scott, the Dr, or the red herring platform guy could be the culprit of her disappearance and I'd be happy.

    Tom. It's the nice guy Tom. The guy who was so painfully obviously the guy who could play that role. He was the only good guy in the book. What a joke, and what a slap in the fucking face.

    We should never ever have a formulaic "gotcha" book ever again.

    Not going to finish now, despite I'm about 83% done. 1/10.
     
  19. Fancy

    Fancy thanks, i hate it
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    Just finished.

    Quick read but an enjoyable one. Started to see that Tom was the killer about 65% through given his previous infidelity, Anna's infidelity, and the unlikelihood that they'd make Rachel the killer. Still loved the unraveling, and all that.

    Very excited about Emily Blunt playing Rachel in the movie :lovelove:
     
    #20 Fancy, Feb 17, 2016
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2016
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  20. The Blackfish

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    About 50% through, listening to the audiobook with my wife. I'm pretty sure I accidentally opened a spoiler in here a while back and know part of the ending, but still enjoying the book. Rachel chapters are hard to read. Girl is a Trainwreck :awesomeface:
     
  21. prerecordedlive

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    Such a quick read. 8/10 for me. Not too excited for the film but I'll see it.
     
  22. MORBO!

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    I enjoyed it enough. 7/10.