I doubt that any stories set in SUVs or on 727s will ever have the same oomph as stories set on trains. Trains return us to a storied past where technology was both practical and magical – what better way for Harry Potter to travel to Hogwarts but the Express from Platform 9 3/4? Trains can isolate a group of strangers, creating the feel of a country house or locked room for a chilling mystery. The mechanical and organizational intricacies of a railroad lift the engineer or brakeman to heroic status (even when what they’re doing is in reality a difficult and dangerous job). The railroad colored the American imagination and is still celebrated in story and song. Trains also offer the illusion of a fresh start: board one and you have time to become whoever or whatever you want. No wonder writers still go to them when they want to explore a variety of human experiences. Buy your ticket and climb on one of these great stories.
Mysteries and Thrillers
- The Great Train Robbery, Michael Crichton
- Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie
- The Yard Dog, Sheldon Russell (read my earlier review)
- Taking of Pelham 123, John Godey
- Strangers on a Train, Patricia Highsmith (yeah, I know it isn’t technically a train setting, but it starts on a train, and it illustrates the democratic nature of rail travel. Even sociopaths can get on if they have a ticket.)
- From Russia With Love, Ian Fleming
- Murder on the Trans-Siberian Express, Stuart Kaminsky
Fiction
- Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (read Jessica’s review)
- Harpsong by Rilla Askew
Nonfiction
- Riding the Iron Rooster and The Great Railway Bazaar, Paul Theroux
- Last Train to Paradise, Les Standiford
- Nothing Like It In the World, Stephen Ambrose
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