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A review by lindagreen
The Train by Robert Baldick, Georges Simenon
4.0
The Neversink Library is a wonderful attempt by the publishing house Melville House to find the best hidden gems in worldwide literature. The books in this imprint are the ones that should be classics but, usually due to geography, have oftentimes not found a very wide audience.
Coming in at a scant 160 pages, Georges Simenon's The Train reads much more like a short story than a novel. It doesn't contain all the twists and turns that you would expect in a novel and, instead, stays much more focused on the singular plot idea. The book is not overly descriptive and tends to read as a "play by play" of daily events. This may prove boring for modern readers (it was first published in 1961) who are used to the more descriptive prose or edge of your seat thrill rides. I found the style a refreshing change and while I am not usually a fan of first person POV, I think it worked exceptionally well in this piece. However, I think this lack of descriptions and emotions may be one of the main reasons for the varying reviews of this book: having not experienced something like this yourself it makes it can make it difficult to understand the mentality and the actions that the characters engage in.
Personally, I enjoyed it immensely. In light of their situation, I understand his coupling with Anna (as he said it was just as much a desire for life as a desire for her) and the increasing despondency of being broken more and more into pieces from their original reality (the separation of train cars) into a place where ultimately they can only rely on themselves and their fellow travelers. Even in this the story excels...where once fear of their neighbors was had, as the journey continues these people become a surrogate life line - not folks they would choose to associate with (or condone the actions of) but by their common circumstances they are obliged to accept in order to survive.
The ending is as expected which, rather than dissappoint, provides a sense of expected closure to the story. Rather than over the top melodrama, this story rings so realistically true to the ordeals of daily events. It's not a movie..it's real life. Different from ours, yes, but no less joyful and tragic in its routine. As he intimated, daily life is often boring and nondescript but just once being able to experience passion for someone, some goal, life itself is what makes life worth living.
ARC Galley Proof
Coming in at a scant 160 pages, Georges Simenon's The Train reads much more like a short story than a novel. It doesn't contain all the twists and turns that you would expect in a novel and, instead, stays much more focused on the singular plot idea. The book is not overly descriptive and tends to read as a "play by play" of daily events. This may prove boring for modern readers (it was first published in 1961) who are used to the more descriptive prose or edge of your seat thrill rides. I found the style a refreshing change and while I am not usually a fan of first person POV, I think it worked exceptionally well in this piece. However, I think this lack of descriptions and emotions may be one of the main reasons for the varying reviews of this book: having not experienced something like this yourself it makes it can make it difficult to understand the mentality and the actions that the characters engage in.
Personally, I enjoyed it immensely. In light of their situation, I understand his coupling with Anna (as he said it was just as much a desire for life as a desire for her) and the increasing despondency of being broken more and more into pieces from their original reality (the separation of train cars) into a place where ultimately they can only rely on themselves and their fellow travelers. Even in this the story excels...where once fear of their neighbors was had, as the journey continues these people become a surrogate life line - not folks they would choose to associate with (or condone the actions of) but by their common circumstances they are obliged to accept in order to survive.
The ending is as expected which, rather than dissappoint, provides a sense of expected closure to the story. Rather than over the top melodrama, this story rings so realistically true to the ordeals of daily events. It's not a movie..it's real life. Different from ours, yes, but no less joyful and tragic in its routine. As he intimated, daily life is often boring and nondescript but just once being able to experience passion for someone, some goal, life itself is what makes life worth living.
ARC Galley Proof