Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith

Strangers on a Train was Patricia Highsmith’s debut novel, first published in 1950. The story idea came to the author during her time working at a New York department store, where she found herself fascinated by strangers’ lives and the possibilities of anonymous interactions.

Her initial manuscript caught the attention of the renowned editor Joan Kahn, and with some guidance, the author refined the novel’s premise into a tightly crafted psychological thriller. Published by Harper & Brothers in the United States and Heinemann in the UK, Strangers on a Train marked the beginning of the author's celebrated career as a suspense novelist.

Upon publication, the novel gathered considerable attention for its darkly imaginative plot, weaving moral ambiguity with psychological depth. Highsmith’s chilling portrayal of two characters entangled in a “criss-cross” murder pact captured readers’ imaginations and challenged traditional notions of guilt and complicity.

Plot

Strangers on a Train begins with a chance encounter between two men, Guy Haines and Charles Anthony Bruno, aboard a train. Guy, an architect, is travelling to Texas to finalise his divorce from his unfaithful wife, Miriam. Bruno, on the other hand, is an idle, wealthy young man with a penchant for morbid fantasies and little moral restraint. During their conversation, Bruno proposes a “perfect crime” scenario: two people with conflicting motives could “swap murders,” each committing a murder on behalf of the other. This way, neither would have an apparent motive or connection to the crime.

Guy dismisses the idea as a morbid joke, but Bruno takes it seriously. Soon after, he tracks down Miriam and murders her, expecting Guy to reciprocate by killing his estranged father. Bruno begins pressuring Guy to complete his side of the pact, harassing him with letters and threats to reveal Guy’s involvement if he does not follow through. Guy, though horrified by Bruno’s actions, becomes ensnared in the psychological web that Bruno weaves, and his guilt and paranoia deepen as Bruno intensifies his demands.

As Guy’s career and personal life progress, he is constantly shadowed by Bruno’s threats, which bring him close to psychological collapse. Bruno’s intrusion reaches a breaking point when he insinuates himself into Guy’s social circle, even meeting Guy’s new fiancée, Anne, in an attempt to exert more control. Guy feels trapped, as Bruno’s unpredictability and obsession with completing the “criss-cross” arrangement hang over his life like a curse.

In a harrowing turn, Guy ultimately succumbs to the moral ambiguity that Bruno has forced upon him. Although he does not follow through with the murder himself, his indirect involvement and ensuing breakdown reveal the psychological toll of being complicit in a monstrous act. The novel ends with Bruno’s untimely death but leaves Guy haunted by the encounter and the crimes he inadvertently facilitated. Strangers on a Train is a powerful exploration of guilt, complicity, and the ways in which casual encounters can irrevocably alter one’s life.

Into the Book

Moral Ambiguity is a huge theme throughout Strangers on a Train, as Highsmith blurs the lines between innocence and culpability. The chance encounter between Guy and Bruno sets up a scenario where Guy, though not initially complicit in the murder, becomes entangled in Bruno’s crime. The language reflects this ambiguity through the author's restrained, almost clinical prose style. Descriptions are often neutral, allowing readers to interpret the characters’ actions without overt moral judgement. This detached tone heightens the tension, as readers find themselves questioning Guy’s character and whether his initial rejection of Bruno’s plan truly absolves him. By refusing to moralise directly, Highsmith allows her audience to experience the disorienting effect of moral ambiguity firsthand.

“Probably there is nothing in human nature more resonant with charges than the flow of energy between two biologically alike bodies, one of which has lain in amniotic bliss inside the other, one of which has labored to give birth to the other. The materials are here for the deepest mutuality and the most painful estrangement.”

- Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith

Duality is another important theme, most clearly illustrated in the characters of Guy and Bruno, who embody contrasting yet interconnected personalities. The author carefully crafts their dialogues and interactions to reflect this duality. Guy, a principled architect with aspirations, stands in stark contrast to Bruno, whose idleness makes him dangerous. Yet as the novel progresses, the author uses language to hint at the similarities between them, revealing how Bruno’s darkness stirs hidden impulses within Guy. Through Bruno’s direct, even seductive language, Highsmith shows how Bruno’s influence seeps into Guy’s psyche, effectively creating an internal “criss-cross” as the two characters’ lives (and moral compasses) intertwine.

“But can you imagine how some of them were envying you your freedom to work, to think, to travel, to enter a room as yourself, not as some child’s mother or some man’s wife?…we have no familiar, ready-made name for a woman who defines herself, by choice, neither in relation to children nor to men, who is self-identified, who has chosen herself.”

- Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith

The Nature of Guilt is another theme that permeates the novel, serving as both a plot device and a source of psychological tension. The author explores guilt as a consuming force, using Guy’s gradual psychological breakdown to illustrate its impact. Bruno, who lacks a traditional conscience, remains free from guilt, acting as a foil to Guy, who becomes increasingly consumed by it. Highsmith’s description of Guy’s inner turmoil uses sensory language to reflect his deteriorating state. Guy’s perception of Bruno shifts from mere annoyance to an almost spectral presence, with Bruno haunting him psychologically.

“I got a theory a person ought to do everything it’s possible to do before he dies, and maybe die trying to do something that’s really impossible.”

- Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith

Why It's a Masterpiece

Strangers on a Train is considered a masterpiece for its pioneering approach to psychological suspense and its profound exploration of moral conflict. Patricia Highsmith’s novel challenges readers to confront uncomfortable questions about complicity, the dark side of human nature, and the precarious line between innocence and guilt. Highsmith’s nuanced characterisation and her unique narrative approach, which relies on subtle psychological cues and language that often shifts in tone, create an experience that is as unsettling as it is engaging.

The novel’s impact is also due in part to its influence on subsequent works of psychological fiction. The author's ability to create tension through the mundane such as: a chance meeting on a train, redefined how suspense could be constructed. Strangers on a Train remains a seminal work for its insight into human psychology, revealing the extent to which external influences can disrupt one’s moral compass. The character of Bruno, in particular, has become an iconic figure in literature, representing the seductive allure of moral ambiguity and the dangers it presents.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this article on a brilliant book which also comes accompanied by a fantastic movie with great symbolism (and a 'Simpsons' episode which is a pretty good parody). If you like this book, can I also recommend the short stories of the author entitled: Under a Dark Angel's Eye. It is just as fantastic. So, let's look forward to next week...

Next Week: The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler