Books

Train Man - the Novel

By Julie Gray
May 28, 2007 - 06:11

Train Man - the Novel cover art.

It’s very easy to get confused with the Train Man series of books. There are so many different books out there; everything from the original book, to the Shoujo and Seinen manga written about the same thing but with a slightly different focus. Then of course, there is the confusion with the title itself. Some books are simply called ‘Train Man'. Others are called ‘Densha Otoko: Train Man’.

This particular book is the original novel that started it all (reprinted) and although it states that ‘Train Man – the Novel’ is a work of fiction, I still can't help but feel even more confused. The story of ‘Train Man’ was supposedly based on real life people. You won’t find any hidden meanings or ‘truths’ in this book but you will find a touching, compelling story about the trials and tribulations of love that just doesn’t seem to fit yet somehow, finds a way to blossom – with the help of a few ‘friends’.

If you're unaware of the story behind 'Train Man', you might find this book a little strange to read. The origins of the story allegedly began on the internet in an internet chat room. The name ‘Train Man’ was the online ‘alias’ or nick name of one of the members of this online chat channel. Therefore this story of love, desperation, trials and triumph all played out inside a chat room and involved many different ‘personalities’ and persona’s -  each with their own unique input and point of view on the issue at hand.

The ‘Train Man’ and the girl that he falls in love with are considered the two main characters in the story but that all depends on how you view it. Personally, I believe that the real heroes of the story are the ‘netizens’ who supported Train Man and helped him to take that very first intrepid step towards breaking out of his shell in an attempt to become somebody. For an ‘otaku’ (nerd) such as ‘Train Man’, this could easily be considered a feat beyond imagining, especially for someone that felt so awkward, isolated and alone in the real world, away from the comfort zone of the virtual one.

The structure of the book is both its strength and its weakness. For the uninitiated and anyone who doesn’t regularly frequent chat rooms, you're probably going to find reading this novel somewhat of an ordeal. It is structured in such a way that you’d have to be familiar with chat room dialogue, ‘geek-speak’ and basic online ‘netiquette’ to understand the complexities and flow of the story. The story is comprised of internet chat room log conversations. To a seasoned veteran of the interwebs, I found the structure of this book extremely creative and inventive, breaking down the boundaries of traditional story-telling and enriching this book with a flavour that is incomparably unique.

The ASCII art used in this book is both entertaining and a fundamental part of the story, allowing for a digital medium such as an internet chat room to become a smorgasbord of emotion and expression. I just couldn’t picture this story without the ASCII art and in fact would find it quite bland and boring.

The phenomenon of ‘Train Man’ captured audiences world-wide and continues to do so several years after the story was written. What’s great about this book is although the subject matter isn’t entirely unique (nerdy boy falls for the beautiful girl that's out of his league), it offers a refreshing take on the experiences of a somewhat socially inept young man falling in love for the first time with his dream girl. Somewhere in-between the ‘geek speak’ and ASCII lies the semi-fictional ‘true story’ of love in the 21st century.

You can check out Train Man - the Novel here at Del Rey's website.

Art Work: 9/10
Story: 9/10
Overall Rating: 9/10

Contact the author of this review: Julie@comicbookbin.com

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12