The Girl on the Train
Paula
Hawkins
For
what are probably decent reasons, given some of the recent prospects,
I often find myself hesitant to read the it
book
of any particular moment. When The
Girl on the Train
kept relentlessly popping upon my radar, however,
I finally checked out a summary; this
convinced
me to cast aside my doubts and read the book as a thriller, if not
exactly
as
a blockbuster publishing sensation. I was surprised (but no less
impressed) by Hawkins's mastery of the form, from her succession of
compelling narrators- each less reliable than the last- to the
consistent suspense that kept me eagerly reading from start to
finish. Despite choosing a fairly predictable crime and criminal, she
entangles her characters and readers alike in a dense
thicket of red herrings and false leads, to the point where one feels
that almost any character, however minor, could convincingly turn out
to be the culprit (or, at the very least, complicit). The numerous
false leads and partial clues would be maddening in less skilled
hands, but Hawkins possesses an uncanny ability to become utterly
absorbed in her characters' minds, to the point where the book is as
much a series
of complex
character studies
as
it
is a mystery or
a thriller.
Though
I am always a bit skeptical of books that rely on unreliable
narrators (casting aside the obvious postmodern counterclaim that no
narrative viewpoint is ever truly objective, either from the author
or within the context of the story), I think
it's reasonable to claim that
The Girl on the
Train provides
a classic case study for
the creation and effective deployment of these types of narrators.
Main protagonist Rachel's instability and penchant for lying to
herself (and readers alike) contribute to the novel's permeating air
of suspicion and suspense, while driving and interfering with the
plot. Her growing
panic
is often palpable to the point of being transferred to the reader, no
matter how irrational, frustrating, and utterly realistic her
alcohol-addled inferences and decisions become; its ever-present
effect on her judgment, even in absentia, provides a compelling
portrait of the destructive power of alcoholism, trading heavily on a
brand of dramatic irony that heightens the suspense.
Hawkins
provides clues only haphazardly,
revealing
background information at a deliberate pace that suits the
characters and the story.
As
contrived as the narration may seem, in practice it is essential to
the book's tone and, indeed, its success. Alternate
narrators
jump in at appropriate points, providing necessary alternate
perspectives that enhance and confuse the reader's understanding, as
necessary; most importantly, each stands out as distinct, playing
against the others and forcing the reader to confront and challenge
all previous assumptions. When combined with the chilling immediacy
of the present tense, the effect is, at times, stunning.
While
Hawkins may not surprise seasoned genre veterans with the book's
resolution and, indeed, some of its more crucial plot points along
the way,
the premise is remarkably original, rife with opportunities that the
author
does not hesitate to take advantage of. That she manages to pose and
explore deep philosophical questions about our relationships to
others, and our propensity for erecting little fictions as our own
personal scaffolding (who, after all, has not
wondered, in passing, about the lives of those we encounter only at a
glance?). Her authorial sensibilities and disposition are remarkably
literary, and the novel is as well-written as its voice is
well-conceived and well-executed, with a structure that not only fits
but also enhances its story, a complete project and in sum, a
remarkable achievement. I finished the book eager to read it again,
feeling that foreknowledge would only enhance my experience of the
book in future encounters. Surprisingly ambitious for a book of its
kind and
for its sudden ubiquity,
The Girl on the
Train
proves itself to be a specimen of that all-too-rare species, a
literary blockbuster that ultimately deserves all of the positive
attention that it has garnered.
Grade:
A
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