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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
so incredibly beautiful and amazing and wonderful and tender and gorgeous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Stalking
Moderate: Sexism, Toxic relationship
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was given this novel to read as a recommendation and went straight in with no context other than "this is a gay book and I think you'll like it" and honestly, that was enough for me. I was told as well that this book was inspiration for a movie and after the first couple of chapters, it clicked that "Carol" was the movie and made the reading experience all more worth finishing. Onto the review:
Patricia Highsmith does a great job at building the lust that Therese and Carol have for each other. At first, I thought it was merely suggesting at possibly falling for each other, but Therese is straight ahead feeling the "I love her" feelings and willing to do everything for Carol, how much more lesbian can one get? But are they lesbians? The word is never used, and it is fairly understood because during this time it was like a crime to be anything but heterosexual. Therese's standpoint in saying she may never love another women when Dannie asks her, but having some type of lust for Genevieve at the end, does pinpoint to possibly Therese being anything but straight. Then there is Carol, who we come to learn had some type of relationship with her best friend Abby, but was too worried about her daughter and the possibility in losing her to pursue anything more than what can be described as an affair, but fairly so she still loves and is close to Abby.
I read an article about Highsmith and what came to be for this novel and I only loved it more. Highsmith taking her personal experience and deciding to build off the lust she herself had felt for a women she met when working at Bloomingdale's only points to how hard it was to love 70 years ago. Going as far as using a pseudonym in order to protect her career and her reputation as a writer just cements the struggles that the queer community had to endure in order to live. Giving this novel a happy ending, as such that our MC's are hinted to getting back together on their own terms and there was no death or permanent lost, only makes the novel even greater.
Patricia Highsmith does a great job at building the lust that Therese and Carol have for each other. At first, I thought it was merely suggesting at possibly falling for each other, but Therese is straight ahead feeling the "I love her" feelings and willing to do everything for Carol, how much more lesbian can one get? But are they lesbians? The word is never used, and it is fairly understood because during this time it was like a crime to be anything but heterosexual. Therese's standpoint in saying she may never love another women when Dannie asks her, but having some type of lust for Genevieve at the end, does pinpoint to possibly Therese being anything but straight. Then there is Carol, who we come to learn had some type of relationship with her best friend Abby, but was too worried about her daughter and the possibility in losing her to pursue anything more than what can be described as an affair, but fairly so she still loves and is close to Abby.
I read an article about Highsmith and what came to be for this novel and I only loved it more. Highsmith taking her personal experience and deciding to build off the lust she herself had felt for a women she met when working at Bloomingdale's only points to how hard it was to love 70 years ago. Going as far as using a pseudonym in order to protect her career and her reputation as a writer just cements the struggles that the queer community had to endure in order to live. Giving this novel a happy ending, as such that our MC's are hinted to getting back together on their own terms and there was no death or permanent lost, only makes the novel even greater.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I adored Carol for it´s themes, the fantastic description and development of a nonheterosexual relationship and the context of the time it was published, when writing a book like this still evoked some controversy. But in the end I couldn´t help but feel like it´s just a ´pretty good book´. I had some trouble connecting to the characters, though I was rooting for their happiness. I know that listening to this on audio book, which took few weeks, and not always giving the story my full attention affected the reading experience. Everything that wasn´t straightly related to the main relationship went kind of unnoticed. Yet I´m really glad this book was written, that Patricia Highsmith had the courage to write it and give the story an ending it deserves. I´m also interested in seeing the movie adaptation (part of the reason I really wanted to read this) as the cinematography seems stunning.
Review can also be found in Chill and read
We have met Patricia Highsmith as a writer of mystery books, ones that keep the reader hooked to the book till the very end. This is one of her main characteristics, as whatever she is up to, she fulfills to the very end with professionalism and totally devoted to it. Having that said, let’s get to the story!
It is the early 1950s. A young woman, lives in New York City, in a very small apartment one she can afford with her job at a department store. Her profession, stage designer, cannot yet pay the bills, as she has not found a real job yet, but she is working on maquettes to display at job interviews. She is having an affair with Richard, a painter, not a very promising one.
One day near Christmas, at the doll department that she is working at the store, arrives a very dynamic blond woman that captivates her eyes at first sight. She is elegant and classy in her mink. She is looking for a doll for her daughter and Therese, the young woman, finds the right one!
They fell in love instantly and they travel across the states followed by a private investigator, hired by Carol’s husband, soon to be ex-husband. The two women set their path and get to know their feelings along the way.
Full of emotions and agony on how it will progress, how the relationship will progress, the book is not only a projection of homosexual relationships back in the 1950s, but also a true picture of the America back in the days. People do not feel free to express themselves. Something like that would be very embarrassing, as those are degenerated people that would influence others surrounding them. This prejudice may still exist in conservative North America.
Highsmith had just published “Strangers on a train” and sold the rights to Hitchcock, a book that had marked her as a suspense novel writer. The publishers were eager for more mystery novels. Now with “The price of salt” she thought that she would be marked as a lesbian novel writer. Furthermore, her publisher was not willing to publish this book. This ended up to changing publisher, something that Highsmith hated, and publishing this book under the pseudonym “Claire Morgan”. Despite the many taboos, the book was very successful when it went on paperback and Highsmith was receiving many letters from people with concerns similar to the book’s.
“Carol” the other title that the book was published later on, was made into a movie in 2015 by acclaimed filmmaker Todd Haynes. Carol’s character is impersonated by Cate Blanchett and Therese’s character is impersonated by Rooney Mara.
To have a taste, check out the film’s official page.
We have met Patricia Highsmith as a writer of mystery books, ones that keep the reader hooked to the book till the very end. This is one of her main characteristics, as whatever she is up to, she fulfills to the very end with professionalism and totally devoted to it. Having that said, let’s get to the story!
It is the early 1950s. A young woman, lives in New York City, in a very small apartment one she can afford with her job at a department store. Her profession, stage designer, cannot yet pay the bills, as she has not found a real job yet, but she is working on maquettes to display at job interviews. She is having an affair with Richard, a painter, not a very promising one.
One day near Christmas, at the doll department that she is working at the store, arrives a very dynamic blond woman that captivates her eyes at first sight. She is elegant and classy in her mink. She is looking for a doll for her daughter and Therese, the young woman, finds the right one!
They fell in love instantly and they travel across the states followed by a private investigator, hired by Carol’s husband, soon to be ex-husband. The two women set their path and get to know their feelings along the way.
Full of emotions and agony on how it will progress, how the relationship will progress, the book is not only a projection of homosexual relationships back in the 1950s, but also a true picture of the America back in the days. People do not feel free to express themselves. Something like that would be very embarrassing, as those are degenerated people that would influence others surrounding them. This prejudice may still exist in conservative North America.
Highsmith had just published “Strangers on a train” and sold the rights to Hitchcock, a book that had marked her as a suspense novel writer. The publishers were eager for more mystery novels. Now with “The price of salt” she thought that she would be marked as a lesbian novel writer. Furthermore, her publisher was not willing to publish this book. This ended up to changing publisher, something that Highsmith hated, and publishing this book under the pseudonym “Claire Morgan”. Despite the many taboos, the book was very successful when it went on paperback and Highsmith was receiving many letters from people with concerns similar to the book’s.
“Carol” the other title that the book was published later on, was made into a movie in 2015 by acclaimed filmmaker Todd Haynes. Carol’s character is impersonated by Cate Blanchett and Therese’s character is impersonated by Rooney Mara.
To have a taste, check out the film’s official page.