Seven stars
After reading a few novels that reference Patricia Highsmith's story, as well as the Hitchcock film, I wanted to give this piece of fiction a try. The premise is well-known and the idea appears captivating, which lays the groundwork for a stellar book. I found myself eager as I read the first portion of the novel, but then things appeared to wane for me. Perhaps I was missing something, but I did not get the jolting sentiment or hype all the way through, which lessened the impact of the book for me. Patricia Highsmith's idea is golden, but something did not click for me here.
When Guy Haines and Charles Anthony Bruno meet on a train, it is completely by chance. Haines is an established architect who is about to get divorced and Bruno is a young and suave man with a family he dislikes. Bruno comes up with a plan that he feels will work for them both: he'll kill Haines' wife if Haines will kill his father. Haines is shocked and taken aback, rushing off and trying not to think anything of it. However, Haines left something in Bruno's sleeping car that allows the young man to connect again later.
Days after Haines arrives at his destination, he learns that his wife has been murdered. Soon thereafter, calls from Bruno and random letters all point to things not being as they seem. As Haines tries to steer clear of the crime that he is certain Bruno has committed, he finds himself pulled deeper in to the middle of it. Guilt rests over him in a story that could not be more problematic for the troubled architect.
As Highsmith weaves the story along, she posits how easy such a murder swap could be and what two men with no prior connection could do, given the desire to plan the perfect murder. A psychological thriller like no other, it is no surprises that Alfred Hitchcock made it into a movie.
The premise of Patricia Highsmith's novel is good, with strong narrative development and great dialogue. I could sense the impeding doom after the chance meeting on the train, as well as how Haines and Bruno appeared to contrasts quite a bit. I was eager to see how the story would build, but found that it fell flat at times and had me skimming along, rather than feeling immersed.
The character development was good and kept me interested for a while, though I wished for mire surprises when it came to what we discovered about both men. I needed something more sinister and conniving, but Highsmith kept things tame.
Twists were plentiful, but they did not save the story for me. I hoped Highsmith would dazzle with many great aspects to the story, but thing got drab and left me wondering when the next twists might occur to liven things up. I love a good thriller, especially of the psychological variety, but this one did not have what I needed to start alert.
Kudos, Madam Highsmith, for penning this cult classic.
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