The Christmas Train

Held my attention throughout and was definitely a surprise ending. Definitely would recommend, almost felt like I was on the train

{3.5/5}Though it took me a few chapters to really get into this book, The Christmas Train was a truly captivating, fun holiday read! Filled with love, mystery, adventure, heartbreak, & wisdom this was a lovely & easy read!Langdon goes through a lot of self- discovery and realistic character development while meeting many unique characters along the way. I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters on the train and loved how the author made me feel like I was onboard with everyone. This has actually inspired me to take my own railroad adventure someday!The author did an outstanding job setting the locations and keeping the reader constantly surprised! There was always something happening on the train, and I was happily surprised with how mysterious this read wound up being. Plus the romance in this was delightful!While I found this to be cozy and wintery for sure, I don’t know if I really felt the Christmas spirit/magic until the very end. The ending was quite unexpected, everything you’d want from a holiday read and even made me rethink everything that had happened in such a fun way! I just would’ve liked to have felt more of that holiday magic throughout the entire book. I think this would’ve made for a better read in the beginning of the holiday season rather than days before Christmas, but that’s just me!Bonus: this read comes with TWO short stories in the back, including a touching 4 page story called “Waiting for Santa” which is about an angel who helps a man dealing with the loss of his family.This was definitely a fun, easy read! I would recommend it for the beginning of the holiday season to anyone looking for a little mystery, drama, & romance to start the season off right!

David is a great writer and we loved the movie based on the book!

I purchased this book for my book club.This is a second chance book set on a train during Christmas. What could go wrong? In this book, lots of things.Tom is a disillusioned journalist at a real crossroads in his life. He decides to take the train from NY to LA for Christmas for reasons that are revealed in the book. On this train, he runs into his ex. The reasons for their breakup are unclear to him and he is a bit bitter. She, Ellie, is a lot bitter. They are forced to spend time together due to many circumstances.The author fleshes out many characters on the train, not just Tom and Ellie, and I enjoyed meeting all of them. Throughout their time on the train, Tom and Ellie work through many things. It is messy though. There is a snowstorm and Christmas stuff and a mystery to solve and romance and three surprises at the end.This is a feel-good Christmas book that I recommend.PS There is a Hallmark movie adaptation of this book. The book is much better.

The book was a little slow for me; it took me a bit to settle into David Baldacci’s writing style. The author has a propensity for giving history lessons at any given moment. So instead of writing “they’d just cleared Harper’s Ferry,” it was instead, “they’d just cleared Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, a place immortalized when John Brown made his famous raid on the federal armory prior to the Civil War’s commencing, and went to the gallows as his price for being in the history books.” I don’t mind learning things here and there, but, for me, the history moments broke up the flow of what was happening in the present. Although I do understand there were times when the author explained things so that the reader would understand the context when later comments were made.One thing that did help me was once I realized that the novel was originally published in 2002 (I originally thought it came out this year). I find that books I’ve read that came out before the frenetic nature of smart phones and social media have a different pace/tone, which I can appreciate. I also appreciate the author’s humor, which is a bit dry at times and always good-natured.For me, the story landed on the sappy side. It took me awhile to read it because I would read for a little while and then stop because it didn’t hold my interest. The book did add a little intensity with a snowstorm, but that didn’t happen until 69% (by my Kindle count), which was 206 pages in. I know that The Christmas Train is now a Hallmark movie. I think I would enjoy it more as a film because I can see how some of the characters’ larger-than-life personas would bode well for a TV movie. If you don’t mind stories that are a bit syrupy sweet and are looking for something light to put you in the Christmas spirit, I think you’ll enjoy this book.

ジャーナリストのトムは、恋人に会いにワシントンからロスアンジェルス行きの長距離列車に乗った。トムには、マーク・トウェインがなしえなかった大陸横断紀行を書こうという目的があった。大陸横断列車には、太ったおばさん、偉そうな弁護士、人のよさそうな牧師、親の反対押し切って結婚しようという若いカップル、映画の有名プロデューサー、少年合唱隊、それにトムの昔の恋人、等など、お決まりの人々が乗り合わせる。こそ泥騒ぎや、結婚式といったエピソードを交え、ほのぼのとした雰囲気で物語は語られる。クリスマスらしい心温まるお話でした。

I had only recently caught on to David Baldacci as a writer, but instead of reading one of those that I have waiting on my Fire, I thought I would like a lighter distraction with a seasonal feel over Christmas, so I found this!To be honest, it was different, the first hundred or so pages read a bit like a Bill Bryson travelogue, but slowly he developed an interesting set of characters and unusual circumstances, and eventually, his lead character (Tom), ended up behaving exactly the way you would expect one of his series hero's to do.Yes, it was different, but I did enjoy it as a lighter seasonal read.The trains, and the rail network were a revelation in themselves.

First David Baldacci book for me. Great story, would make a good film. Brilliant twist didn’t see coming. Will read more by him.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the reason I only gave four stars was because I am sick to death with this PC nonsense whereby Christmas is referred to either Seasonal Greetings or Holiday Season. When the author was describing the snow sledge instead of saying it was like a Christmas card it was either a holiday/season card. There is a clue in the word Christmas as to what this time of year is.

Got a bit ..b....g