You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
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
"The music lived, but the world was dead. And the song would die one day, she thought, but how would the world come back to life? How would its salt come back?"
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Minute, unsparing, detailed prose, precisely paced, with a resonant bittersweetness that made me think over and over of Weil's "divine love that is not a consolation…[it] leaves pain intact."
The Price of Salt is a classic lesbian novel written and set in 1950s America. The book is generally better known by Carol which is the name that the book was later republished under and name of the film adaptation starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. It's certainly not a perfect book, but it's renowned for its impact in queer fiction. Since it's semi-autobiographical and based on many personal experiences and relationships of Claire Morgan's there's an intense emotion throughout which reveals just how personal and intimate this story was for the author.
The basic plot summary is that Therese, an aspiring theatre set designer, has recently relocated to New York and is feeling unfulfilled in her relationship with her boyfriend Richard and her retail job. One day, Therese serves Carol as a customer in the toy store she's working in and is immediately captivated by her. From there, a friendship and eventual romance blossoms between the two women which forces both Therese and Carol to question how they can be together in a world that refuses to accept them.
As a POV character, Therese was sympathetic and relatable. She's a young 19 year old girl that feels lonely and is just trying to find her way in the world. Her infatuation with Carol is intense and shows her immaturity and desperation to escape from her miserable life. Carol is in a very different place in her life as a mature woman in her 30s with a daughter and long-term husband. However, her separation from her husband means that she's just as lonely as Therese and that shared loneliness is what bonds the two women. As individual characters, neither of them are particularly likeable. They do and say annoying things and their complete lack of communication is infuriating. Yet, it's impossible not to feel sympathy for the adverse impact society has had on both Carol and Therese as queer women. Carol, in particular, has been worn down so much that she no longer believes or feels that she can ever have a true relationship with another woman. She's resigned herself to the fact that all she will ever be able to have are secret affairs alongside her unfulfilling marriage. Then Therese comes along, young, full of hope and determined that love can conquer all. She challenges Carol and helps her to see that she CAN have the future she truly wants.
In the first half of the book, I did find it hard to relate to Therese's infatuation with Carol. It seems unfounded and illogical. Aside from being attractive, there's really nothing about Carol that's appealing. In fact, there are so many red flags in those early days that it's baffling that Therese continues to pursue Carol. However, as the book progressed and their connection deepened, I found myself understanding it more and realised that the quickness and intensity of their feelings and relationship is a result of the repression they've both experienced their entire life. Therese is forcing herself to continue in a loveless relationship with a man and Carol is just breaking free of a loveless decades-long marriage, and in each other they see hope, passion and joy. It unlocks everything they have been keeping hidden throughout their lives.
I enjoyed the second half much more than the first half, mainly because I felt like Therese and Carol as characters and a couple were more developed. Not to mention, I'm a sucker for a roadtrip. And the fact that it had a happy ending was a pleasant and welcome surprise. By now, we're all well aware of the trend of tragedy in queer fiction, but The Price of Salt ends with hope and love and I really appreciated that. After the barriers, set-backs and anxieties Therese and Carol face throughout the book, they find the courage to go for what they really want and be true to themselves.
The literary merit of this book cannot be understated and I feel that the more time that passes, the more value, meaning and connection readers (particularly sapphic women) will find with this book. It's not just a lesbian romance, it's an examination of what it is to be queer in a society that condemns you. It pulls back the cover on the way that homophobia both external and internal, can completely shape the lives of queer women. Therese and Carol have different experiences but their loneliness and unhappiness at the start of the book derives from the suppression of their sexuality, their true identity and the pressure to be in relationships with men. Whilst on the surface this is a vintage WLW romance, there's a lot of depth to be found within its pages and that's largely because Morgan invested so much of herself in writing these characters and their story.
The basic plot summary is that Therese, an aspiring theatre set designer, has recently relocated to New York and is feeling unfulfilled in her relationship with her boyfriend Richard and her retail job. One day, Therese serves Carol as a customer in the toy store she's working in and is immediately captivated by her. From there, a friendship and eventual romance blossoms between the two women which forces both Therese and Carol to question how they can be together in a world that refuses to accept them.
As a POV character, Therese was sympathetic and relatable. She's a young 19 year old girl that feels lonely and is just trying to find her way in the world. Her infatuation with Carol is intense and shows her immaturity and desperation to escape from her miserable life. Carol is in a very different place in her life as a mature woman in her 30s with a daughter and long-term husband. However, her separation from her husband means that she's just as lonely as Therese and that shared loneliness is what bonds the two women. As individual characters, neither of them are particularly likeable. They do and say annoying things and their complete lack of communication is infuriating. Yet, it's impossible not to feel sympathy for the adverse impact society has had on both Carol and Therese as queer women. Carol, in particular, has been worn down so much that she no longer believes or feels that she can ever have a true relationship with another woman. She's resigned herself to the fact that all she will ever be able to have are secret affairs alongside her unfulfilling marriage. Then Therese comes along, young, full of hope and determined that love can conquer all. She challenges Carol and helps her to see that she CAN have the future she truly wants.
In the first half of the book, I did find it hard to relate to Therese's infatuation with Carol. It seems unfounded and illogical. Aside from being attractive, there's really nothing about Carol that's appealing. In fact, there are so many red flags in those early days that it's baffling that Therese continues to pursue Carol. However, as the book progressed and their connection deepened, I found myself understanding it more and realised that the quickness and intensity of their feelings and relationship is a result of the repression they've both experienced their entire life. Therese is forcing herself to continue in a loveless relationship with a man and Carol is just breaking free of a loveless decades-long marriage, and in each other they see hope, passion and joy. It unlocks everything they have been keeping hidden throughout their lives.
I enjoyed the second half much more than the first half, mainly because I felt like Therese and Carol as characters and a couple were more developed. Not to mention, I'm a sucker for a roadtrip. And the fact that it had a happy ending was a pleasant and welcome surprise. By now, we're all well aware of the trend of tragedy in queer fiction, but The Price of Salt ends with hope and love and I really appreciated that. After the barriers, set-backs and anxieties Therese and Carol face throughout the book, they find the courage to go for what they really want and be true to themselves.
The literary merit of this book cannot be understated and I feel that the more time that passes, the more value, meaning and connection readers (particularly sapphic women) will find with this book. It's not just a lesbian romance, it's an examination of what it is to be queer in a society that condemns you. It pulls back the cover on the way that homophobia both external and internal, can completely shape the lives of queer women. Therese and Carol have different experiences but their loneliness and unhappiness at the start of the book derives from the suppression of their sexuality, their true identity and the pressure to be in relationships with men. Whilst on the surface this is a vintage WLW romance, there's a lot of depth to be found within its pages and that's largely because Morgan invested so much of herself in writing these characters and their story.
(4.5 stars) My only gripe was that a lot of the dialogue was almost robotic.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated