Book 11: Strangers on a Train

In my mostly worthless opinion, Patricia Highsmith does not get nearly enough run as a top American writer.  Perhaps it's because her novels are sometimes dismissed as genre fiction.  Maybe it's because she deals in depth with disturbing psychologies.  Maybe it's because people want to think that over indulgent messes masquerading as great fiction is where its at. Whatever.  Highsmith is great and though Strangers on a Train has some weaknesses, its still a thrilling ride.  The slow degradation of the main characters is astonishing and the book, gratefully short, careens towards a great ending.  Highsmith's later novels smooth over the rough points a bit (I found this book to spend too much time in the protagonists psyche), but Strangers on a Train is still a great example of a great writer.