Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
Rachel rides the train from Ashbury to London and back again every day because she's pretending she still has a job (fun game). She passes through her old town, Witney, which is where she spies on...
Narrator Point of View
The Girl on the Train is actually about three girls—well, three women. There's Rachel, the girl on the train; Megan, the girl being looked at by the girl on the train; and Anna, the girl who stol...
What's Up With the Title?
The Girl on the Train is clearly referring to Rachel, as she is the only girl who gets on a train in this book. She's also the one the reader can most closely relate to, because like us, she is an...
What's Up With the Epigraph?
She's buried beneath a silver birch tree, down towards the old train tracks, her grave marked with a cairn. Not more than a little pile of stones, really. I didn't want to draw attention to her res...
What's Up With the Ending?
At the end of the book, Rachel learns that she misinterpreted the kiss between Megan and Kamal—it's not Kamal she should have been looking out for; it's her ex-husband, Tom. See, Megan was pregna...
Tough-o-Meter
Reading The Girl on the Train is easier than navigating the subway in NYC or figuring out the schedule of your average commuter rail system. It's a fairly short ride and is written in an accessible...