Reviews

Carol by Patricia Highsmith, Claire Morgan

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rdempster1's review

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emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

hjmcqueerie's review against another edition

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emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

The first half was gripping; the relationship is obsessive and toxic and downright creepy. I was gripped. But then it just turned into a run-of-the-mill mid-century trope of queer misery. I begrudged finishing it.

megisreadingrn's review against another edition

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3.0

Found it hard to finish but the afterword made me like the book a lot more, knowing the time it was published and how homosexuality was viewed back then. I struggled to see how there could be a hopeful ending to this book but the end was exactly right. Glad I read it.

sydneypf's review against another edition

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4.0

A romance of forbidden lesbian love in the 1950s. I really enjoyed reading this. The historical look into what it meant to be gay in the 50s is fascinating. The prose is engaging and lush. I don't normally read romances, and I was slightly annoyed by the tropey ending, but I was surprised by how much I was drawn into the story. Oh, and it smolders. There aren't any outright sex scenes , but the sexual tension and desire are palpable.