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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
4.5 stars. Rounded down only because the first half was really slow. The rest of it was amazing, in a bit of a heartbreaking way.
"Why did people talk of heaven, she wondered"
This book had me captured from start to finish. It was an absolute melodramatic lesbian mess in all the best ways. This is a gritty noir romance of two women trapped in a patriarcical understanding of what love and friendship mean and chronicles the inner turmoil that can come from expectations of "normality" pushed on the gay community. Carol's aloof attitude is felt as strongly as if you were Therese, and I was transported back to my angsty teenage lovey dovey ways in a way I never thought I could enjoy. A fantastic read.
Also, the movie is fantastic!
A warning, however, that there are a few minor grammatical and formatting errors in the Kindle edition.
This book had me captured from start to finish. It was an absolute melodramatic lesbian mess in all the best ways. This is a gritty noir romance of two women trapped in a patriarcical understanding of what love and friendship mean and chronicles the inner turmoil that can come from expectations of "normality" pushed on the gay community. Carol's aloof attitude is felt as strongly as if you were Therese, and I was transported back to my angsty teenage lovey dovey ways in a way I never thought I could enjoy. A fantastic read.
Also, the movie is fantastic!
A warning, however, that there are a few minor grammatical and formatting errors in the Kindle edition.
i really don’t know how to feel about this. i liked it, and it was obviously very progressive for the time but idk the way carol talks to therese is just odd cause of the age gap, and therese annoys me when she changes her mind 24/7, which i guess is the point
Let's get this out of the way first: I'm only reading this book because of Cate Blanchett, and not because it's an outstanding literary work of fiction, which it is. Sorry but I'm hopelessly stuck in the 'lowly' lesbian romance genre. 8-)
Anyway, who can possibly miss all the buzz about the upcoming movie adaptation, especially one with Ms. Blanchett in it. But I remember the last time I watched an f/f movie or Tv adaptation before I read the book (Fingersmith)--the glances, the blank stares and the very understated British performances left me cold--it was only after I read the book that I realized what the characters were supposed to be feeling at various points in the story. So, book first before movie.
The book is from the point of view of Therese, a 19-year old budding set designer who starts the book moonlighting as a department store saleslady. A chance meeting with a striking woman customer--over the proverbial 'exchange of looks'--sparks what appears to be an obsession for Therese. She is delighted when the interest seems mutual. But the mysterious, alluring Carol is married and has a child. And how does she explain this sudden infatuation with a woman, when Therese has a boyfriend and male admirers in the wings and neither Carol nor Therese herself fit Therese's idea of a lesbian. It's the 1950s so one can just imagine Therese's confusion.
The author's prose is incredibly powerful and evocative. From the first few Chapters where Therese feels trapped in her hopeless situation, to the confusion brought about by the tingling sensation of Carol's mere presence, to the exhilarating freedom of the road trip, her despair at Carol's domestic problems, to her growing maturity at the end...all vividly portrayed by Ms. Highsmith's powerful imagery. She is a master at 'showing', never needing to 'tell' us how her characters are supposed to be feeling. Roonee Mara who plays Therese, has her work cut out for her. :)
The Price of Salt comes across to me as a bit uneven. The best scenes are of course, every time Carol and Therese interact. They sizzle. Well, Carol does mostly. Since Therese behaved more like a love-struck puppy. The rest of the time, I was just a tad bored and couldn't wait to get to their next encounter. This is due, no doubt, to my over-indulgence in genre romance. :) The rest of the book chronicles Therese's life away from Carol--her claustrophobic existence pre-Carol, her attempts to understand her sexuality (in 1950s style), and post-Carol development as she grows from eager-to-please, compliant admirer and finally comes into her own as Carol's equal.
Rating: 4 stars for enjoyment, 5 stars for the writing
Anyway, who can possibly miss all the buzz about the upcoming movie adaptation, especially one with Ms. Blanchett in it. But I remember the last time I watched an f/f movie or Tv adaptation before I read the book (Fingersmith)--the glances, the blank stares and the very understated British performances left me cold--it was only after I read the book that I realized what the characters were supposed to be feeling at various points in the story. So, book first before movie.
The book is from the point of view of Therese, a 19-year old budding set designer who starts the book moonlighting as a department store saleslady. A chance meeting with a striking woman customer--over the proverbial 'exchange of looks'--sparks what appears to be an obsession for Therese. She is delighted when the interest seems mutual. But the mysterious, alluring Carol is married and has a child. And how does she explain this sudden infatuation with a woman, when Therese has a boyfriend and male admirers in the wings and neither Carol nor Therese herself fit Therese's idea of a lesbian. It's the 1950s so one can just imagine Therese's confusion.
The author's prose is incredibly powerful and evocative. From the first few Chapters where Therese feels trapped in her hopeless situation, to the confusion brought about by the tingling sensation of Carol's mere presence, to the exhilarating freedom of the road trip, her despair at Carol's domestic problems, to her growing maturity at the end...all vividly portrayed by Ms. Highsmith's powerful imagery. She is a master at 'showing', never needing to 'tell' us how her characters are supposed to be feeling. Roonee Mara who plays Therese, has her work cut out for her. :)
The Price of Salt comes across to me as a bit uneven. The best scenes are of course, every time Carol and Therese interact. They sizzle. Well, Carol does mostly. Since Therese behaved more like a love-struck puppy. The rest of the time, I was just a tad bored and couldn't wait to get to their next encounter. This is due, no doubt, to my over-indulgence in genre romance. :) The rest of the book chronicles Therese's life away from Carol--her claustrophobic existence pre-Carol, her attempts to understand her sexuality (in 1950s style), and post-Carol development as she grows from eager-to-please, compliant admirer and finally comes into her own as Carol's equal.
Rating: 4 stars for enjoyment, 5 stars for the writing
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
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is so well-written and compelling, and the themes are handled beautifully, but I couldn’t get past the age gap between Therese and Carol, especially considering they end up together in the end. If it weren’t for that, I’d rate it higher!
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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:
No
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
emotional
hopeful
tense
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:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No