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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
I received this book as a wildcard recommendation for a reading challenge. I would not have read this otherwise. It was really slow paced and the characters didn't have a lot of definition. But maybe the dull, dragging writing is meant to reflect the dull, dragging life that the characters have? Maybe not taking time to show why Carol is worth falling head over heels for is meant to show that love is irrational? Maybe some stories aren't timeless, and as a lesbian novel from 1952, this particular book is just a story from another time for another audience.
Goodness me this was quietly lovely whilst also being heartbreaking in a way, but blimey a 1950s novel about lesbian characters who aren't just sad and lonely but get to have a happy ending on their terms. The characters are cleverly drawn so it's not just all wonderful and fluffy but the sharp untidy edges are still present in the way Highsmith writes them. A justified classic in the LGBTQ+ literary canon.
For 1953, this is an outstanding book. Truly. More of a page-turner than I expected as well.
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I simply couldn’t put this book down once I got started! The longing, the aching, the desire of it all!!! I think more people should be talking about and reading this book- I don’t understand how it isn’t a classic!
Therese's unsure response to Carol's affection was parallel to my own suspicion that, surely, Highsmith wasn't going to reach the final page without at least one murder. To have read Carol when it was released in 1952, under a misapprehension created by Highsmith's pseudonym, would surely have removed an extra layer of anxiety, and I'm not sure if I would have preferred it that way.
I actually loved this book more than I thought I would. I don't normally take to realism, but this novel is so beautifully written I fell in love with it. I liked the film, but reading this novel I discovered there is a lot in the text that was impossible to translate onto screen (the quality of prose and Therese's inner character especially) which made it even more specially and enjoyable to read. I also don't usually enjoy modern lesbian literature - much of it ends unhappily and often focuses more on gender identity than attraction to women. For this I generally prefer postmodern stuff but this novel breaks both of these traits and for that I found it much more relatable. Also, it goes without saying, it is unspeakably romantic! I adored this book, and I certainly didn't expect to.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fun and iconic queer love story. I was surprised by how into I was even after already having seen the movie.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
At some point in the middle of it I thought it would end up being a mediocre book. But it wasn't. I was so wrong.