Scan barcode
sibertooth's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is an astonishingly good novel: suspenseful, psychologically acute, queasily engaging, and full of surprises even for those who have seen the film already. (Granted, I had last seen it more than ten years earlier, so YMMV.)
Since comparisons with the more famous movie are inevitable, I will say that book!Bruno is a broader, more grotesque character, but also somehow more relatable. The narrative, especially when it's in Guy's POV, tends toward the philosophical but seldom gets slow; the book is a unified whole.
This is the first Patricia Highsmith I've ever read, and I'm really looking forward to her other books.
Since comparisons with the more famous movie are inevitable, I will say that book!Bruno is a broader, more grotesque character, but also somehow more relatable. The narrative, especially when it's in Guy's POV, tends toward the philosophical but seldom gets slow; the book is a unified whole.
This is the first Patricia Highsmith I've ever read, and I'm really looking forward to her other books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Alcohol, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Murder
Minor: Abortion, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Suicide, and Medical content
More...