Like many hyped books (Gone Girl, Before I Go To Sleep), this was readable but not especially life-changing or memorable. It's like a Fast and Furious film - entertaining but soul-less.
I don't read many books these days but decided to read this one due to its popularity.
I got to the end as I'm a completist but although the story was engaging/intriguing, the characters were not. In fact, the writing was so flat, you couldn't really tell them apart - "characters" was too good a term for them due to a distinct lack of definition.
The narrative was bland and repetitive so only the story stopped me from giving up. The format was different, as all the sub-stories slowly blended into each other to reveal the dawning reality.
I suspect it may be a rare case of the film being better than the book when it's finally released as adding some atmosphere, character definition, imagery and tension will help things immensely in turning a decent enough plot into something substantial.
The film is initially set in London then goes to New York - why, why change the premise of the book so much! I really wanted to see the film in the cinema but I won't bother now as this has irritated me so much.
The film is initially set in London then goes to New York - why, why change the premise of the book so much! I really wanted to see the film in the cinema but I won't bother now as this has irritated me so much.
That's indeed disappointing. How's that even going to work given the plot? Bizarre.
The film is initially set in London then goes to New York - why, why change the premise of the book so much! I really wanted to see the film in the cinema but I won't bother now as this has irritated me so much.
I finished the book yesterday which I enjoyed. Then I watched the trailer and was really disappointed to see it was in America.
Ok I've not read the thread as I don't want any spoilers. Just started reading and I'm enjoying it, but a little muddled
I'm on page 68.
So Rachel lived with Tom. Rachel now lives with cathy, well has been given notice, Tom still stays in their old house with with Anna and baby, Rrachel watches the couple at the end of the row from the train, she calls them Jason and Jess but their real names are Megan and Scott, and we flit from one year to previous year....
Managed to pick this up a few months ago in hardback for £1.99. Pleased that I didn't pay anymore for it!
I felt compelled to finish it, but I found
the ending to be quite lack luster. Why would Anna protect Rachel when she hated her so much? I felt that if Rachel was killed by Tom would have been more plausible.
Also I dreaded Anna's chapters; my eyes would roll into the back of my head whenever she popped up talking about her sexy teddy underwear and her affair with Tom. I could not care less. I was impressed that she appeared to be the most well written character of the book... Then I discovered that this isn't Paula Hawkins "debut" at all, and had ghostwritten several romance books where an Anna was always the main protagonist.
I'm still not 100% sure why this book was so well received when it is just a basic, average thriller. I wasn't shocked or found myself turning every page with excitement. I felt I had to finish as I owed the characters a duty. I managed to finish it within 3 days, reading only a bedtime.
I moaned about this to a friend who in turn recommended me I Let You Go and YOU which are far superior thrillers who got less attention.
Ok I've not read the thread as I don't want any spoilers. Just started reading and I'm enjoying it, but a little muddled
I'm on page 68.
So Rachel lived with Tom. Rachel now lives with cathy, well has been given notice, Tom still stays in their old house with with Anna and baby, Rrachel watches the couple at the end of the row from the train, she calls them Jason and Jess but their real names are Megan and Scott, and we flit from one year to previous year....
I think I've kind of got it LOL :D
The names threw me off loads. When I picked it up one night, I was like "who the eff is Megan??!" 😂
Read it in 3 hours on a plane last week. Kept me gripped enough to keep reading but didn't really like any of the characters. Thought the ending was a bit extreme.
I really enjoyed it, kept me reading till the end. I only paid 75p for the hardback edition in a charity shop, absolute bargain! Couldn't believe it when I saw it on the shelf there.
Entertaining and a page turner but also a little bit so what for me. I read it after Before I go To Sleep which was better and then I got bored of women with amnesia.
I havent read many books this year as I just havent had time but i picked this up to readon my jolly holly
I thought it was just an average thriller, I disliked the characters and guessed what the ending was as soon as soon as a certain character went missing
I jut didnt care what happened to who so there was no thrill in my thriller
As a thriller I thought it was ok but I thought the depiction of a woman's dependency of alcohol was actually really well done. Made me squirm with shame for her.
I got this book out of my local library on Friday and read it over the weekend, I wouldn't say it was the best book I've ever read, but it certainly had me hooked, and no, I didn't figure it out until the end.
Why on earth they have set the book in the US and not London is just ludicrous, and why hasn't Emily Blunt been given star billing, her character is who the book is about, she should be the star.
Loved it, I do find it funny people who don't like books feel like they've been ripped off. I didn't buy it based on hype or recommendation. I simply saw that Emily Blunt was playing the main character and I love her.
For me it had it all, it had a flawed narrator that I was cheering all the way throughout, It did lose me here and there but only because I had quite a bit going on in the last week.
I thought the characters were all quite well detailed also
The story was intriguing and genuinely had good plot twists and caught me out a few times
My only disappointment is that I've finished it and just found out the movie is based in the US, which is just silly but I bet the author has made a fortune from it so didn't kick up a fuss :)
I got this book out of my local library on Friday and read it over the weekend, I wouldn't say it was the best book I've ever read, but it certainly had me hooked, and no, I didn't figure it out until the end.
Why on earth they have set the book in the US and not London is just ludicrous, and why hasn't Emily Blunt been given star billing, her character is who the book is about, she should be the star.
Is she not? I haven't read reviews, I've only seen the trailer a couple of times but she's the main focus as far as I can see from that.
I read this over Friday to yesterday and thought it was OK. I agree with the poster who said all the narrative voices are identical, that was so difficult to tell them apart. They all spoke the same, same age, similar everything. I did get the killer wrong, I thought it was
Anna and I was furious with Tom, because he was just a weak, stupid arsehole who blamed his wives for his own inadequacy. You're meant to think Rachel is deranged, mental, evil, twisted etc etc - she has problems, and I just felt sorry for her. She and Anna were both victims as was Megan.
There are a lot of this type of book around with "twists" - some of which aren't twists - and they are getting very similar, in the same way that chicklit books are all similar and you know who cops off with who by reading the back cover.
But this isn't really a murder mystery, it's about the psychology of individuals.
But I agree it was overhyped. It was good, but not mindblowing as we were lead to believe. Am still seeing it at the cinema though just to see how it is treated in that medium.
Rachel during a blackout, because so many people said it was so predictable and they figured it out so early.
The movie was okay. I was also confused (and disappointed) as to why they changed it to the US, but it worked out all right. The one thing that really bothered me in the movie was that the psychologist was Bosnian (and even if you didn't know that, he was clearly Muslim of some foreign extraction, and because of the last name my guess was in the Balkans somewhere) but broke out in Spanish when he got angry. If they were going to change him to a Spanish-speaking Muslim, they should have changed his last name.
Comments
I'd agree with this, I expected much more and it was pretty easy to guess the outcome in the end.
I got to the end as I'm a completist but although the story was engaging/intriguing, the characters were not. In fact, the writing was so flat, you couldn't really tell them apart - "characters" was too good a term for them due to a distinct lack of definition.
The narrative was bland and repetitive so only the story stopped me from giving up. The format was different, as all the sub-stories slowly blended into each other to reveal the dawning reality.
I suspect it may be a rare case of the film being better than the book when it's finally released as adding some atmosphere, character definition, imagery and tension will help things immensely in turning a decent enough plot into something substantial.
That's indeed disappointing. How's that even going to work given the plot? Bizarre.
Plus Emily Blunt is playing Rachel so I don't know why they changed the setting
I finished the book yesterday which I enjoyed. Then I watched the trailer and was really disappointed to see it was in America.
I'm on page 68.
So Rachel lived with Tom. Rachel now lives with cathy, well has been given notice, Tom still stays in their old house with with Anna and baby, Rrachel watches the couple at the end of the row from the train, she calls them Jason and Jess but their real names are Megan and Scott, and we flit from one year to previous year....
I think I've kind of got it LOL
I felt compelled to finish it, but I found
Also I dreaded Anna's chapters; my eyes would roll into the back of my head whenever she popped up talking about her sexy teddy underwear and her affair with Tom. I could not care less. I was impressed that she appeared to be the most well written character of the book... Then I discovered that this isn't Paula Hawkins "debut" at all, and had ghostwritten several romance books where an Anna was always the main protagonist.
I'm still not 100% sure why this book was so well received when it is just a basic, average thriller. I wasn't shocked or found myself turning every page with excitement. I felt I had to finish as I owed the characters a duty. I managed to finish it within 3 days, reading only a bedtime.
I moaned about this to a friend who in turn recommended me I Let You Go and YOU which are far superior thrillers who got less attention.
The names threw me off loads. When I picked it up one night, I was like "who the eff is Megan??!" 😂
I thought it was just an average thriller, I disliked the characters and guessed what the ending was as soon as soon as a certain character went missing
I jut didnt care what happened to who so there was no thrill in my thriller
I just dont get all the hype
Why on earth they have set the book in the US and not London is just ludicrous, and why hasn't Emily Blunt been given star billing, her character is who the book is about, she should be the star.
For me it had it all, it had a flawed narrator that I was cheering all the way throughout, It did lose me here and there but only because I had quite a bit going on in the last week.
I thought the characters were all quite well detailed also
The story was intriguing and genuinely had good plot twists and caught me out a few times
My only disappointment is that I've finished it and just found out the movie is based in the US, which is just silly but I bet the author has made a fortune from it so didn't kick up a fuss
Is she not? I haven't read reviews, I've only seen the trailer a couple of times but she's the main focus as far as I can see from that.
i'm looking forward to seeing this on Wednesday.
There are a lot of this type of book around with "twists" - some of which aren't twists - and they are getting very similar, in the same way that chicklit books are all similar and you know who cops off with who by reading the back cover.
But this isn't really a murder mystery, it's about the psychology of individuals.
But I agree it was overhyped. It was good, but not mindblowing as we were lead to believe. Am still seeing it at the cinema though just to see how it is treated in that medium.
The movie was okay. I was also confused (and disappointed) as to why they changed it to the US, but it worked out all right. The one thing that really bothered me in the movie was that the psychologist was Bosnian (and even if you didn't know that, he was clearly Muslim of some foreign extraction, and because of the last name my guess was in the Balkans somewhere) but broke out in Spanish when he got angry. If they were going to change him to a Spanish-speaking Muslim, they should have changed his last name.