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4.0
The Man Who Watched the Trains Go By
ByPublisher Description
In this Georges Simenon classic, a Dutch clerk flees to Paris with his crooked boss’s money and meets the woman behind the man. In this Georges Simenon classic, a Dutch clerk flees to Paris with his crooked boss’s money and meets the woman behind the man.
“A certain furtive, almost shameful emotion . . . disturbed him whenever he saw a train go by, a night train especially, its blinds drawn down on the mystery of its passengers.”
Kees Popinga is a respectable Dutch citizen and family man—until the day he discovers his boss has bankrupted the shipping firm he works for, and something snaps. Kees used to watch the trains go by on their way to exciting destinations. Now, on some dark impulse, he boards one at random, and begins a new life of recklessness and violence. This chilling portrayal of a man who breaks from society and goes on the run asks who we are, and what we are capable of.
“A certain furtive, almost shameful emotion . . . disturbed him whenever he saw a train go by, a night train especially, its blinds drawn down on the mystery of its passengers.”
Kees Popinga is a respectable Dutch citizen and family man—until the day he discovers his boss has bankrupted the shipping firm he works for, and something snaps. Kees used to watch the trains go by on their way to exciting destinations. Now, on some dark impulse, he boards one at random, and begins a new life of recklessness and violence. This chilling portrayal of a man who breaks from society and goes on the run asks who we are, and what we are capable of.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThe Man Who Watched the Trains Go By Reviews
4.0
“It was my first time reading this type of book and honestly it was good. At the beginning I didn’t connect with it emotionally but as I kept reading I started having a lot of questions about the main character and his decisions. This book is less about crime and more about the psychology. Also it is not extreme or dramatic like many thrillers. It's subtle and feels more realistic. Not a perfect read for me, but definitely a thought provoking one. Would like to read more books like this. Curious to know how other people felt about the main character.”
“How much of a person are we without our routines, our witnesses, and our paychecks? Like a truly free..”
About Georges Simenon
Georges Simenon was born in Liège, Belgium, in 1903. He is best know in Britain as the author of the Maigret novels and his prolific output of over 400 novels and short stories have made him a household name in continental Europe. He died in 1989 in Lausanne, Switzerland, where he had lived for the latter part of his life.
Other books by Georges Simenon
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