The Girl on the Train Themes

Public transportation is one of humanity's greatest equalizers. At some point, almost everyone will ride a train, bus, or subway, from a dishwasher to an advertising executive to an actor heading t...

Murder mysteries rely on witnesses, and problems arise when the witnesses are unreliable. Rachel isn't unreliable because she's a liar; she's unreliable because she literally can't remember what ha...

Guilt is supposed to keep you from doing things you'll regret. And if not that, perhaps it will inspire you to do something to right the wrong. Or, if you're the girl on the train, you'll just drin...

In bad situations, it can help to imagine the world to be the way you want it to be. However, there's a danger of going too far; instead of simply having goals, you can become delusional. In The Gi...

"Yes, I was on the grassy knoll." "Yes, I did have sexual relations with that woman." "Yes, Beyonce did have the best album." Life would be very different if people always told the truth. But peopl...

You'd think in a city like London, which is bustling with people, that you'd never feel alone. But many people do. It can be like swimming in a sea of strangers, and it can feel intensely lonely. D...

Betrayal and lying aren't necessarily the same thing. Lying often comes after a betrayal in an effort to cover it up. As the old nursery rhyme goes, first comes betrayal, then comes lying, then com...

Trains are powerful symbols for motion. Ever since the Industrial Revolution, trains have been moving people and cargo across the world. But The Girl on the Train is more like The Little Engine tha...