The Man Who Watched the Trains Go By
Books

The Man Who Watched the Trains Go By

by Georges Simenon

1938•Crime•253 pages

Taste attributes: crimethrillerdramafastfresh & originalunsavouryheavyrealisticintricatelinearbig & variedemotive & stirringself destruction/implosiontroubled leadsrescue/escape/jeopardy

See which match your taste

Boxlist takeA dark, original crime novel: heavy and grounded. Best if you like edge over warmth.

Taste details

Open Library rating

4.5 / 5

2 ratings

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About This Book

An unusual crime thriller about a seemingly respectable man who commits a murder in his home town of Groningen in Holland and then goes on the run. Imagining himself to be a criminal genius he plays a cat-and-mouse game with the police via the newspapers as he travels across Europe, finally ending up in Paris, where he becomes infatuated with a prostitute.

Description: Open Library

Characteristics

Where this book sits on each taste spectrum

SlowPACEFast
FamiliarORIGINALITYOriginal
DarkTONEWholesome
LightWEIGHTINESSHeavy
FantasyREALISMRealistic
SimpleINTRICACYIntricate
Non-LinearLINEARITYLinear
UnderstatedSTYLEStylised
IntimateSCALEEpic
RestrainedEMOTIONIntense

Genres and themes

CrimeThrillerDramaSelf destruction/implosionTroubled leadsRescue/escape/jeopardy

Subjects

MurderDetective and mystery storiesCrime thrillersFranceMentally ill

Details

Author
Georges Simenon
Published
1938
Pages
253
Taste scores
How we score
Source
Open Library

How book matches work

Books are scored on the same ten characteristics as films and matched with the same formula and your own match bands. Book scores are estimates, made from Open Library subjects and descriptions plus an AI reading.

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