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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
This book grasped hold of me from the start. I felt compelled to keep reading, yet I didn’t want it to end. There was such a great feeling of balance in the writing. One of those rare books that you are glad that you stumbled across and want to share.
I became aware of this book recently because of the release of the movie "Carol" (have not yet seen it). Wonderful writing, and without giving away any spoilers, I'll just say I appreciated the rare acknowledgement of the unspoken power dynamics in a relationship. When one person is more in love than the other, it creates a power imbalance. It was interesting to see the character with "less power" (i.e., more in love, more needy) wrestle with the pros and cons of choosing to be in a relationship simply to be the one less in love and with more power, and what the associated costs and rewards are as a result.
I randomly chose this because it was one of the books reviewed in The End of Your Life Bookclub, and it was interesting. It's definitely not Highsmith's best book, but it is an intriguing book about being a lesbian in a time when it was completely taboo.
I re-read this because I saw that Cate Blanchette is going to do the movie adaptation and after screaming HOLY CRAP THAT'S AMAZING! I wanted to refresh my memory of the story. Just as fantastic as the first time. Patricia Highsmith is one of the unsung heroes of the genre. Everyone talks about Chandler et al but no one has really focussed on how amazing Highsmith was. Her contributions to the genre cannot be understated.
You never hear stories about someone wanting to re-film Double Indemnity.
You never hear stories about someone wanting to re-film Double Indemnity.
Well written, but a bit of a cliché with a too fast romance. The whole story is a build up that never reaches climax before it tapers out again. This might be one where the movie is better than the book.
This one was slow to start with and even slower to finish. I was waiting for a twist, or a big event, any kind of climax to validate the time I'd spent listening to (the wonderful as always) Cassandra Campbell. But it wasn't to be. Perhaps the anti climax was supposed to be the climax?
I enjoyed the portrayal of the various dynamics that Therese had with others, particularly Abbie, Richard and Danny, but unfortunately her relationship with Carol was the only one I couldn't fully buy into. At times it was passionate and authentic enough, but most of the time it was a subzero bland vanilla as far as true love goes; a reflection of its time, perhaps? The characters could have been so much more fleshed out and complex but I never quite "got" Carol and what she was really about. Maybe I'll watch the movie and get offered a different perspective to complete the story for me.
On the upside, I managed to paint my front door (four coats over as many days) whilst listening to this book, so I'll be thinking of Carole and Terry every time I come home now, so that's not bad. :-)
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 on GoodReads
I enjoyed the portrayal of the various dynamics that Therese had with others, particularly Abbie, Richard and Danny, but unfortunately her relationship with Carol was the only one I couldn't fully buy into. At times it was passionate and authentic enough, but most of the time it was a subzero bland vanilla as far as true love goes; a reflection of its time, perhaps? The characters could have been so much more fleshed out and complex but I never quite "got" Carol and what she was really about. Maybe I'll watch the movie and get offered a different perspective to complete the story for me.
On the upside, I managed to paint my front door (four coats over as many days) whilst listening to this book, so I'll be thinking of Carole and Terry every time I come home now, so that's not bad. :-)
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 on GoodReads
A discontented shopgirl becomes infatuated with a wealthy divorcée. Highsmith's propensity for detail, for fully inhabiting singular moments in all their mundanity and profundity, is occasionally tedious (especially in those early discontented sections) and occasionally superb. At best, they're crystalline--evocative, perfectly-preserved glimpses into a woman's personal growth and experience; interior, minute epiphanies which, in their contractions, create a nuanced and private portrait of queer attraction. The plot engages homophobia in painful, even trite ways as it flirts with genre conventions of doomed same-gender romance; it also intentionally subverts them. The last few pages are sublime; they see the themes and tone through to fruition, they're subtle and profound, and they pay off earlier missteps. This isn't a perfect book, but its ending is.
emotional
reflective
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
Read it after watching the movie so I don't know if I'm basing my review on both the book and the film, however, it is the only book I've read where I've been able to *feel* the feelings of the characters.
Fair warning, reading this book may come with an emotional breakdown.
Fair warning, reading this book may come with an emotional breakdown.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes