Book review
The Woman In The Window
Did she witness the crime? Or was she delusional?
The Woman In The Window by A.J. Finn
Buy on Amazon IN: https://amzn.eu/d/2EIRDJs
Rating: 2.5/5
“You can hear someone’s secrets and their fears and their wants, but remember that these exist alongside other people’s secrets and fears, people living in the same room.” — A.J. Finn, The Woman in the Window
Ana Fox’s life was robbed because of a tragic accident a year back. She became Agoraphobic, a condition involving fearing and avoiding places or situations that might cause panic and feeling trapped, helpless, or embarrassed. She was no longer in a relationship with her husband and daughter, except for an occasional phone call. Because of the accident, her life kept spiraling down to hell, as she became an alcoholic, and transcend to a state where she no longer grasps reality. When a new neighbor moved in next to her house, she witnessed something through the window that no one could believe except her. What Ana Fox had watched through the window was it real? Or just a figment of her imagination?
Characters
The book is all about Ana Fox. There is no other fascinating character that was worth remembering. Even the antagonist had failed to find a place in our memory.
The role she played is that of a victim. She is an alcoholic, a couch potato who spends most of her evenings watching vintage thrillers and spying on neighbors through her camera. Her ceaseless attempt to overcome her vulnerability and her futile effort to bury the tragic past explains the epitome of her personality. She hates solitude; she fears desolation, and she needs magic hands to pull her out of the abyss. On that note, the author had brought the best he had intended. Other characters didn’t have many contributions to the story.
An avid reader of thrillers would want the main character to figure out the mystery by being clever and unraveling the clues. Instead, this book only preyed on Anna’s weakness and let the mystery solve on its own.
Story and Narration
The plot seems convincing and gathered our attention at the start. The author amplified the emotions by showing them rather than telling them in words. But as the famous saying goes, “live by the sword, die by the sword.” The “showing” part felt excessively rich to the liking.
The story crawls at a snail’s pace with overwhelming details in her daily life and it felt more like reading a journal rather than a book. The plot’s trajectory felt disorienting, unmoving until two-thirds of the book, and repetitious events never helped the story or the reader.
The way the story unfolds, the readers would often be reminded of reading it somewhere. The ending is predictable if you are not new to this genre.
Positives
The author possesses a great writing style. He emotes through the words and shows the audience what he intended rather than telling it. His writing is descriptive and even ordinary words are so eloquent. The plot captures our minds instantly.
Negatives
Apart from the positives above, nothing looked fascinating. The narration felt incredibly slow, and heavy usage of “show but not tell” references often distracts the reader from the book. A predictable story-line and a mediocre ending makes it an ordinary read.
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