Strangers on a Train
Ratings58
Average rating3.5
The world of Patricia Highsmith has always been filled with ordinary people, all of whom are capable of very ordinary crimes. This theme was present from the beginning, when her debut, Strangers on a Train, galvanized the reading public. Here we encounter Guy Haines and Charles Anthony Bruno, passengers on the same train. But while Guy is a successful architect in the midst of a divorce, Bruno turns out to be a sadistic psychopath who manipulates Guy into swapping murders with him. "Some people are better off dead," Bruno remarks, "like your wife and my father, for instance." As Bruno carries out his twisted plan, Guy is trapped in Highsmith's perilous world, where, under the right circumstances, anybody is capable of murder.
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Enjoyed this even more than I thought I would–felt very much like what would have happened if Camus had written murder mysteries. A little bogged down plot-wise in the middle, but more than made up for by the fun language and perspectives on human nature.
Did not know this was originally written in 1900s.
A good engaging story with twists at the right points.
The narration did feel a bit monotonous at the start, but picked up as the story progressed.
Premise of the book was new, and interesting. The execution, not so much. No pun intended.
