Log# 6

Group reading

Book title: The girl on the train 

Pages: P91~P196

    As I mentioned last time, at the beginning, the author says: “She’s buried beneath a silver birch tree…” Besides, she also says:” one for sorrow, two for joy,  three for a girl …” So, we can infer that some people died. After I read P91~P197, the author still hasn’t revealed who is the death and the points are focus on the process of the investigation. Rachel is very warm hearted. Since she has peeped Scott and Megan’s life for a long time, she tries to help Scott. Because she believes that Scott must not be the murder. However, her current condition is very bad. Not only because of she divorces, but also because she lost her jobs, lost control sometimes and drinks a lot, thus, people will tend to look down on her or even suspect her that she is the suspect. Nevertheless, even she feels the process to testify is not very comfortable, she still stands out. For one thing, she tries to protect Scott’s innocence. For another thing, she is very curious about this criminal case. On Megan’s part, we know that she has worked in a gallery in the past. She seems very attractive to men, she always accompanied by men who are his husband or not, I’m not sure. In the end of the part, she is talking with Scoot, but after he left, she said: “I feel horrible then, like the worst person in the world. I can’t wait for him to shut the door because I know I am going to cry.” It seems implies she may have extramarital affairs. It also seems like the person is her Psychological counselor Kamal. Rachel tries to tell Scoot that Megan has affairs with other men, but she tells him a lie that she knew Megan. The criminal case is still full of questionable points. 

    After I’ve read more than half of this book, I have some reflections. First, this story is not easily to be understood, but the author uses different characters to tell their own story and details. So I can figure out my questions when I read another person’s Story. I think it’s a very special technique to write a story. We, like the jury, listen to the suspects and victim’s testimonies. For me, that’s interesting. Besides, I like the feeling of peeling the skin of the onion. There are many layers of an onion so we cannot see the core directly. Thus, I feel this story is very similar to an onion. 

    However, what was less effective was when the author makes the story become a little bit tedious. Compare with other novels, they may include some moving plots, however, I still haven’t seen that in this novel. But I have to admit that the story is suspenseful. Besides, I am sympathetic toward Rachel. She said,” Women are still only really valued for two things- their looks and their role as mothers. I’m not beautiful, and I can’t have kids, so what does that make me? Worthless.” Although she has her own problems, she was betrayed by her ex-husband. I know that hurtful. In conclusion, I learned that no matter how beautiful we are, we can’t keep that forever. We should find our own value in our mind not in other people’s eyes.