Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
"Strangers on a Train" is a psychological thriller novel by Patricia Highsmith, first published in 1950. The story revolves around Guy Haines, an architect who finds himself entangled in a sinister plot after meeting Charles Bruno, a flamboyant and troubled stranger, on a train journey. Bruno proposes a chilling murder exchange: he will kill Haines’s estranged wife, Miriam, in return for Haines murdering Bruno's father.
Initially resistant, Haines's moral dilemma intensifies as Bruno follows through on his offer, leading to a chain of manipulative events. After Miriam's murder, Haines becomes increasingly haunted by the crime, spiraling into depression as Bruno continues to stalk him, demanding that Haines fulfill his part of their deadly bargain. The novel explores themes of guilt, identity, and the psychological effects of violence, showcasing Highsmith's talent for creating suspense and complex characters. Ultimately, Haines's attempts to escape the repercussions of his actions culminate in a dramatic confrontation that questions the boundaries of morality and human connection.
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Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
First published: 1950
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Psychological realism
Time of plot: Late 1940’s
Locale: New York City; Metcalf, Texas; Palm Beach, Florida; Connecticut; Mexico
Principal characters
Guy Haines , an ambitious architectCharles Anthony Bruno , a wealthy sociopathAnne Faulkner , Haines’s girlfriend and later wifeMiriam Joyce Haines , Haines’s estranged wifeMrs. Bruno , Bruno’s motherSamuel Bruno , Bruno’s fatherArthur Gerard , a private detectiveOwen Markman , Miriam’s lover
The Story:
Guy Haines is on his way from New York to his hometown, Metcalf, Texas, to convince his estranged wife Miriam (who is pregnant by Owen Markman) to agree to a divorce. On the train, Guy meets Charles Bruno, a flamboyant alcoholic, who, upon learning of Haines’s situation, proposes to kill Miriam if Haines will kill Bruno’s father in return. The crime would be perfect, Bruno insists, because no connection between the two could ever be established, and no motivation could ever be discovered. Without a motive, the police would never be able to solve either crime. Haines vacillates, but he does not agree to Bruno’s plan.
In Metcalf, Haines finds Miriam more resistant to the divorce than ever. She wants to reignite their relationship and move with Haines and the unborn baby to Florida, the site of Haines’s lucrative new building project. Disgusted, Haines leaves Metcalf and learns soon after that Miriam has miscarried. Later, Bruno comes to Metcalf, finds Miriam’s home, follows her and two friends to the amusement park, and strangles Miriam.
Haines soon receives a note from Bruno identifying himself as the murderer. Haines does not report Bruno to the police; he waits for the police to find him. Meanwhile, Haines and Anne become engaged. Haines is unable to work, as his knowledge of Bruno’s crime seems to erode his creativity. Bruno continues to call, send letters, and stalk Haines. Bruno demands that Haines complete his part of their “bargain” by killing Bruno’s father. Otherwise, Bruno will speak to the authorities.
Bruno sends to Haines a deluge of maps detailing the grounds and layout of the Bruno family mansion, suggesting routes to and from the mansion, and identifying the exact spot to scale the wall surrounding it. Bruno has planned Haines’s crime meticulously: He specifies the exact number of steps in the mansion, marking those that squeak and should be avoided, and he provides a poetic memory device to enable Haines to remember each detail of the plan and execute the crime without being caught. Haines delays until he wakes up early one morning to find Bruno sitting by his bed, staring at him. Haines finally agrees to kill Bruno’s father, hoping to rid himself of Bruno.
On an appointed night and time, when Bruno and his mother are visiting friends in Maine, Haines, who has memorized the maps, enters the house stealthily and shoots Samuel Bruno to death. He elects not to use the large Luger weapon that Bruno has sent to him, using his own small, pearl-handled twenty-two caliber pistol instead. Haines becomes disoriented after escaping the mansion and, hearing police sirens, discovers he is lost. In a panic, Haines returns to his apartment in New York. In the weeks following the murder, Haines disposes of the gloves, overcoat, and shoes he used to commit the crime by throwing them in the garbage or off various bridges. He also disposes of the Luger.
Haines is not suspected of the murder, although Bruno sends letters to employers and friends of Haines, alleging that Haines may be more involved in the murders than was previously thought. Haines plunges into a deep depression. In June, when their new house in Connecticut is completed, Haines and Anne get married. Haines is horrified to see Bruno at their wedding and to observe Bruno pursuing a friendship with Anne. Bruno also invites himself to their housewarming; he passes out behind a sofa and is carried to the guest room.
Haines takes a job with an architecture firm. He designs a department store, an endeavor much less prestigious than his contract in Palm Beach. He had been on the way to becoming well-known and prosperous for his impressive buildings, but his experiences have hampered his ability to work successfully.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Anthony engages private detective Arthur Gerard to search for her husband’s murderer. Gerard investigates and begins to suspect that Bruno and Haines met on the train and, at that time, formulated the plan to exchange murders. After questioning everyone involved, however, Gerard ends his investigation, citing a lack of evidence to prove his theory. Exhilarated, Bruno, in Haines’s absence, continues to visit Anne, who suspiciously inquires of Bruno where and when he and Haines first met. Haines, too, is relieved that Gerard is gone. Anne informs Haines that she is pregnant, and they begin to look toward the future.
Days later, Haines, Anne, Bruno, and friends are sailing, when Bruno, drunk, falls off the boat and drowns. Haines travels to Texas and talks with Owen Markman, to whom he confesses the diabolical plot hatched by Bruno and their murders of Miriam and Samuel Bruno. Haines discovers the phone has been “wired.” Gerard, who has been listening in on the conversation, enters the room, and Haines surrenders to him.
Bibliography
Harrison, Russell. Patricia Highsmith. New York: Twayne, 1997. Informative discussion of Highsmith’s background and all of her novels and short stories.
Highsmith, Patricia. Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2001. Not a formula book for writing suspense fiction, but a slender volume discussing how Highsmith builds suspense in her writing. Includes her own failures and also her successes as illustrations of her advice for building characters.
Lukin, Josh. “Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train as Tragedy of Manners.” Para Doxa 18 (2003): 157-194. Reads the novel, not as an inversion of the thriller, but as an inversion of the comedy of manners, exploring the relevance of that genre to understanding Highsmith’s work.
Payne, K. “Guy and Bruno, Bruno and Guy: American Masculinity and ’Everyday’ Schizophrenia in Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train.” The South Carolina Review 37, no. 1 (2004): 149-156. Analyzes Highsmith’s use of the homoerotic relationship between Guy and Bruno to represent the gendered fragmentation of masculine American identity. Useful for understanding the ideological implications of the author’s belief in dualism.
Wilson, Andrew. Beautiful Shadow: A Life of Patricia Highsmith. New York: Bloomsbury, 2003. Excellently written and researched biography of Highsmith that reveals much fascinating information about a woman who preferred solitude.