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Great review! I'd be looking out for this. Thanks.

I really enjoyed The Girl on the Train despite of its equally unlikable narrators. Will check this out!

Have you read Vicious by Victoria Schwab? Hated most of the characters, stuck with it bcz it was a buddy read, and ended up getting caught up in it. 2 male mastermind MCs & a very lovable side character who becomes one of the mains.

Have you watched the show unREAL on lifetime (don't laugh)? It's a factionalized look at what goes on behind the scenes of The Bachelor from a former producer of the show. Anyway, the show has two of the best female anti heroes that I just love as MCs. I love it too bc the show isn't your typical psychological thriller but just everyday women in Hollywood making disgusting and morally objectionable choices. Anyway, I thought you may want to check it out :) yes I know this has nothing to do with this book apart from the unlikeable MC. :)

*fictionalized

So I didn't like Girl on the Train but I did like Gone Girl. I found GOTT to be unrealistic and unbelievable but I still really enjoy being in the head of someone who is a little dark and disturbed. It does sound like plot wise this may be a little weak but I think I'll read it for, like you said, the characters. I didn't like GOTT's plot but I did enjoy how nasty everyone was.

Joshie--oh good, I'm glad you're going to give it a try! I'd say that if you weren't turned off by my description of the main character, you'll probably find this intriguing.

Helly--hiiii! :) I'm pretty sure if that if you found GIRL ON THE TRAIN intriguing, you'll also be interested in this. Let me know what you think (if you remember) when you get around to this.

Tandie--no, I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Rachel--no, I haven't. I think it's easier for people to accept unlikeable women in comedy; it seems okay to have a laugh at them, but it's oddly difficult for some people to have interest in ordinary women who are not sympathetic.

Nikki--honestly, if you didn't like GOTT but did like GG, I'd be surprised if you liked this. I could be wrong! But to me, GG's characters are so vicious and calculating and conscienceless that they seemed like just that--characters (or even caricatures), there to impress and to move the plot forward. I liked GOTT because the characters were so pathetic and made me so angry and annoyed, just as Eileen does here. I understand where the Rachels and Eileens are coming from, even if I don't "like" them, if you know what I mean. But it'll be interesting to see how you respond to this.

Nice review, Wendy. You've got me curious enough to poach this for my TBR mountain.

This sounds really interesting. I live for unlikeable female characters, also women who charm each other into bad situations. But it also sounds kind of similar to The Other Typist which had a really frustrating ending. I'll have to think about this one.

Oh, thanks Mike! Let me know what you think of it if you remember. I'm sad to see the ratings so low for this book.

Alexa--both those things are portrayed skillfully here (the former more than the latter, though), so it's worth giving a try sometime if you're curious. I quite liked THE OTHER TYPIST, though I read it so long ago I don't remember the specifics of the ending.

This does sound like The Other Typist which was excellent character building. Though I read it months ago the ending still lingers and creeps me out. Did not expect that at all. This one now I'm not sure of. Thanks for the great review though. Definitely thinking twice about attempting it.

hallo, ur ratings have helped me so much!!! u are freaking funny. please add me as ur friend *getting down on hands and knees* pleaaaaaaase iwould be so honored!

Great review! I'm currently reading this and it's a fascinating ride being inside Eileen's head!

I hated, and I do mean HATED, 'The Girl on the Train'. I found the main character a pitying fool who does not recognize her own faults. Whereas, here with Eileen, I loved her admittance of her faults.

I did not like GOTT but had deep affection for Eileen - I wouldn't compare the two books, frankly!

Just finished and loved it! The ending was a bit of a let down, but the first 80% of the book had me unable to put it down.

I loved Girl on the Train but found Gone Girl a bit slow. Out of the three books, which one was your favorite? I haven't read Eileen but I was thinking of buying it.

I totally agree with your review. Eileen is a complex and unpleasant character, but is portrayed so skilfully that it's hard not to feel empathy with her. I, too, found the ending a bit weak. Rebecca seems like a less substantial character who breezes in and out. It's hard to know what motivated her behaviour, other than a misconstrued desire to 'do good'. I also found it hard to connect the pieces of Eileen the present day narrator and where she left the tale. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, but felt a bit 'cheated' at the end.

I hate Girl On The Train, but I loved Eileen. They are incomparable. The latter was predictable and drab this one is dark and intelligent although heavy.

"They are incomparable."

" I wouldn't compare the two books, frankly!"

How funny, because I did compare them. Because they are both thrillers heavy on character study.

Karen--I wanted to know more about Eileen's motivation, but at the same time I'm fine with not knowing, if that makes sense! The author put in enough work on detailing her weird quirks and fixations that it still worked for me, possibly also because no one else in the book ends up understanding her much either. But yes, I think the ending could have been much stronger. I'm still very much looking forward to whatever she's writing next, though. It takes a gifted writer to make a reader empathize with someone so off-putting.

Linda--sorry this is so late. I liked THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN best (I wrote a short review for it as well), then EILEEN, and I never got very far into GONE GIRL; I wasn't in love with the writing and felt very lukewarm about the author's debut. Sample the opening chapters of EILEEN online if you can before you buy, I think you can tell pretty quickly if you will like the writing style. Let me know whether you end up enjoying it!

LeAnne--I'm glad! 80/20% are around the right percentages for my enjoyment as well. It's funny how the ending had so much less of an impact than the beginning.

Kyle--I totally get that. I wonder if your reaction to the two women has anything to do with the fact that Eileen has more agency, overall? More the author of her fate? Rachel is kind of a pathetic drunk stumbling through much of TGOTT, hah. I thought it was fascinating, but Eileen's definitely the more fun (if more disturbing) character to read.

Christine--I'm glad to see that you loved it! What a weird and great little book. Yay for complicated women, even if they're psychopaths. ;) At least they're interesting and compelling.

kate-- <3

Lesley--I remember liking THE OTHER TYPIST a lot when I read it, enough to put it on the "to buy" list but now I can't remember much about it! I should do a refresh read sometime. This is a hard one to rec to someone unless you know that person's taste very well.

PS to those who are unsure about checking this book out--Leanne and Kyle also wrote really great reviews for this one, btw! Linked in the rating next to their comments.

Wendy Darling wrote: ""They are incomparable."

" I wouldn't compare the two books, frankly!"

How funny, because I did compare them. Because they are both thrillers heavy on character study.

Karen--I wanted to know mo..."

Yes, that's exactly it! And I concur, Eileen is a fascinating character to study and analyze. Her machinations and motivations can be traced and retraced and thoroughly examined with a fine tooth comb, and STILL there will be depths of her psyche to plumb. Rachel, on the other hand, is so transparent and one-note.

Thank you for the shout out, by the way. You are too kind x.

Kyle wrote: "Eileen is a fascinating character to study and analyze. Her machinations and motivations can be traced and retraced and thoroughly examined with a fine tooth comb, and STILL there will be depths of her psyche to plumb. Rachel, on the other hand, is so transparent and one-note.

Thank you for the shout out, by the way. You are too kind x."

This is all very true. It's kind of why we love Hannibal Lecter types, I think--they are so fantastically twisted and drive forth the story in unexpected ways. I agree that Rachel is less complex; I liked that she was this ordinary person who was struggling, and that I was so frustrated with her sometimes but still wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next! I think I just found TGOTT a better overall book, though Eileen as a character is more interesting. But fortunately, I don't have to choose, I can like them both. :D

Do you like pulpy mass market type thrillers, btw? If so, have you read Heartsick? That one has a female serial killer who is one sick little puppy. Doesn't compare to the other more literary thrillers we've been talking about on this thread, but they're fun page-turners with memorable characters.

And you're welcome! I enjoyed reading your review.

Wendy Darling wrote: "Kyle wrote: "Eileen is a fascinating character to study and analyze. Her machinations and motivations can be traced and retraced and thoroughly examined with a fine tooth comb, and STILL there will..."

I have not read that one, but I will certainly put it on my list. Thanks for getting it on my radar!

Wendy, I agree with your assessment of the ending. I was reading and waiting for the mystery to begin, and I felt like I was near the end before any true action took place. I wonder how reliable a narrator she was since the ending details are murky.

I really dont like the Girl on the train. But I love Eileen

I also hated Girl on the Train but loved Eileen. It's a whole different level of writing.

Another reader raising his hand to say he did not like Girl on the Train but did like Eileen. I myself wondered why, and think it's because Eileen lets us know at the beginning that she is telling the story of How Her Life Changed, while in the other story we just sit around feeling how dreary everything is. Also, I completely would NOT classify Eileen as "a thriller." Thanks for your review!

I HATED The Girl on the Train, and actually enjoyed this novel quite a bit more! But I think that's because Eileen is fiercely repulsive, whereas the protagonist in The Girl on the Train is just pathetic. Also I think Moshfegh crafts a stronger narrative than Hawkins.

"It's uncomfortable and often disgusting being in Eileen's head, but it's absolutely riveting as well."

I liked that observation, Wendy. It's reinforced by Madeline's comment above that Eileen is "fiercely repulsive". I read this a few years back and had the disturbing pleasure of reading "My Year of Rest and Relaxation". Moshfegh has this amazing talent for somehow making me care about characters that I really want nothing to do with. I really like what Kyle had to say about this strength of characterization:

"Eileen is a fascinating character to study and analyze. Her machinations and motivations can be traced and retraced and thoroughly examined with a fine tooth comb, and STILL there will be depths of her psyche to plumb."

I will have to check out "The Other Typist".

Pleasure to come back and re-read your review, Wendy, as it did inspire me in the first place to pick up this one. Can't wait to see what Moshfegh does next.

I wasn't a fan of Girl On The Train but I am a HUGE fan of Eileen!

Oh no, I’m liking this so far, 1/4 th done. I hated girl on train.

does anyone compare this novel with The Girl on the Train? They are nothing alike