Reviews

Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith

reaffirmsfaith's review

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4.0

Folie à deux indeed! Insane that this was Highsmith's first book, I knew the concept but the psychological spiralling was intense, like in Therese Raquin!

wilsondasilva's review

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

aliciabdqb's review

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

carolsnotebook's review against another edition

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4.0

There are some classics that I wonder why it has taken me so long to get around to. Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith is one of those. It’s a dark, psychological thriller that shows anyone can be capable of murder, given the right, or wrong, circumstances. As the blurb states, Guy Haines and Charles Anthony Bruno meet on a train. Guy tells Bruno the story of his problems with his wife, who he wants to divorce but who is putting up obstacles left and right, even though she’s pregnant with another man’s child. Bruno, meanwhile, tells Guy about his meany dad and suggests they trade murders. Guy declines, he’s basically a good guy after all, but he fails to realize that Bruno is an alcoholic psychopath, who, after killing Guy’s wife, expects Guy to follow through with his end of the deal. That’s where the bulk of the novel, and tension lies. Bruno is manipulative and black-mailing; Guy never knows who he’s going to tell or where he’s going to turn up. The plot itself is a bit predictable now, but that doesn’t lessen its tautness. And then as the guilt wear on both men, they become even more connected, in a love (or fascination) / hate kind of way.

How can Guy, a respected man in his field, intelligent, with all of his resources, how could he be pushed to murder? And not just murder, but the murder of a man he doesn’t know? Guy needs a back bone. I was a bit disappointed with the ending too, even if it may have been inevitable.

aislinn_mac2's review

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dark reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

rjhughes's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

innnne's review

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

h_elene's review

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mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

ogreart's review against another edition

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3.0

I see where the author was going. The character studies seem a dated today. The ending seemed a little contrived to me.

artemisias_'s review against another edition

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3.0

this is the first book of highsmith's i read and i was expecting to have my mind blown but no. it's not that it was bad, but i feel that the high expectations i had, left me wanting something more from this without being able to put my finger on it.