Penguin Readers Level 4 Strangers on a Train (Penguin Readers

by Michael Nation (Retold), Patricia Highsmith

"An incredible study of psychological torture and how fine the membrane is between normality and the underlying darkness." —Tana French

The world of Patricia Highsmith has always been filled with ordinary people, all of whom are capable of very ordinary crimes. This theme was present from the beginning, when her debut novel, Strangers on a Train, galvanized the reading public. Here we encounter Guy Haines and Charles Anthony Bruno, passengers on the same train. But while Guy is a successful architect in the midst of a divorce, Bruno turns out to be a sadistic psychopath who manipulates Guy into swapping murders with him. “Some people are better off dead,” Bruno remarks, “like your wife and my father, for instance.” As Bruno carries out his twisted plan, Guy is trapped in Highsmith’s perilous world, where, under the right circumstances, anybody is capable of murder.

The inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock’s classic 1951 film, Strangers on a Train launched Highsmith on a prolific career of noir fiction, proving her a master at depicting the unsettling forces that tremble beneath the surface of everyday contemporary life.

Genres: Mystery

Paperback

Published April 2, 2008

Reviews

[Ainoa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a book I've read with a student of mine because it was a compulsory read in her high school... Well, I'm not surprised teenagers are not really interested in reading if we keep on feeding them with books such as this.

I did not like this at all.

It's supposed to be for intermediate English learners, but I had trouble understanding what the heck this book was about and I'm in college. It's not because of the vocabulary. the thing is that the book is so edited and so simplified that it doesn't make sense.

I'm very disappointed with this.

[Jordi J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book read in English. Very interesting and good entertainment for me. Patricia Highsmith builds an original story.
I think I have more vocabulary and less difficult to read (level 4 hahaha)

[Joshua Ludeker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea of the story rather than actually reading it. The sentences were choppy, the characters were dull; if the story was expanded a bit more it would have been a more interesting read. 2.5

[Anita Looz Andrada · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think the problem is the book had been edited so many times that ended up making no sense. I'd like to give a chance to the original edition, because so many details where omitted that you can't understand what is going on, why the characters acted like that, when they started feeling that way? It's more disappointing than watching the movie of a great book. Even the movie would be better than this.
I hope the fault was zipping 300 pages in 60.

[serenityread · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can’t complain. It was a smooth and well-organized short story for English learners. I’m not sure whether I’ve seen the movie or not.
It seems to be a crime story, which is true, but there are also a few detective-like chapters in it. A deal to murder someone from both sides is something no one would normally think of or agree to.
Although it was a short tale, I still found it creative and worth reading.

[Lucíaa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Your mother has pretty legs? Disgusting.

[Noriho Motokawa · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. penguin readers 4
2. 11/18=100
3. train men murder life change scary crime
4. a)'You're ready now, aren't you, Guy?' Bruno said softly.
'Yes,' Guy said, and immediately felt better.
b) Guy had been refused Bruno's terrible idea but he was tracked down by Bruno, eventully, he accepted it. I thought again if people are driven into a corner, they change their opinion even if they have strong will at first.
5. I knew just this book's title, didn't know about story. Guy was really unlucky man because his life was difinitely changed. I thought just one encounter sometimes change the life for better or worse. I want just wonderful encounter.

[Namiko]

I read in Sep.10 2011. Wow. I realized that it was familiar. This is a simplified version so I didn't really get how Guy was attracted by Bruno in the end. I want to read the original.

(sep.10 2011)
I don't really understand why Guy was not able to refuse Bruno. Bruno attracts him in some way?

[Carlos Murguia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not until I finished this edition did I came to realize it is an adaptation for educational porpouses. The story is simple with a stong psycholgical aproach. Maybe because this is a such an old novel, and P. H., such an influential writer, there was no novelty in readind it.

[Arax · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guy meets Bruno in a train.A total stranger.Soon he becomes an unwanted brother, someone very close to Guy ,closer than his shadow.The only thing that connects them is guilt.

[Mohannad]

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