Strangers on a Train
Decide its fate
The record
Time
An eveningA season256 pages, about 5 hours: four-fifths the length of a typical book on the shelf.
Getting in
Walk right inSteep climbThree readers report a slow start, and two say it lasts through the first half or longer.
What it gives
Plot and actionIdeas to live byIn 14 reviews from critics and book blogs, 8 credit the plot and 9 credit the ideas or a change in how they live.
One of a kind
Others do thisNothing else doesA book blog finds its doubling theme again in Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley, and a blog commenter names In a Lonely Place.
The case for it
on humanity’s dark side
“it is one of Highsmith’s most accomplished journeys into humanity’s dark side”
Gustav Temple · The Spectator, 2025 on the prose style
“her pared-back, laconic style, the deceptive one-note pitch”
Paula Hawkins · CrimeReads, 2021 on ordinary people
“ordinary people, all of whom are capable of very ordinary crimes”
a book blog on the mind games
“very readable, and does a good job of portraying the effect of the mind games”
four stars · a book blog
The case against
on Bruno’s character
“he sounds like a snivelling twelve-year old momma’s boy”
a book blog on the writing style
“The writing style was also quite pedestrian, which didn’t help to redeem the book.”
a book blog on the description
“is crammed with detail, and there is a lot of description going on”
three stars · a book blog on Anne’s character
“Highsmith does not do a very good job with her lone female character, Anne”
a book blog
