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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
Highsmith loves her sociopaths. You know that she's done well when for a chunk of this novel you find yourself "rooting" for the weirdo loser who likes to kill people. Well constructed, albeit a little odd in terms of its perception of marriage and parenting.
2,5. não acontece NADA. só um corno manso chato sendo idiota. a sinopse não descreve bem a história do livro e não entendi o porquê de ter sido tão aclamado ultimamente
I could not get past chapter 3. This book bored me to tears.
Terrific! I read it straight through. First published in the mid-fifties, it really held up! I wanted to read the book before seeing the movie.
Thanks to the Tournament of Books, I discovered the great podcast So Many Damned Books. On a recent episode with Meagan Abbott, Drew and Christopher discussed Deep Water. Patricia Highsmith wrote terrific suspenseful novels. Hopefully, someone will develop this into a film.
challenging
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
DAYOOTH HUSBAND, CHEATING WIFE
While I only know Highsmith's popular work like The Talented Mr. Ripley (which I never read but heard good things about), my first read into her book is not that great. DEEP WATER feels like a premise that's interesting on paper with poor execution. And if you think a little harder about the story, you realise it doesn't make any sense. A couple that seems to be in an open marriage except that only the wife has her "adventures" while the husband lets her have her fun. At first, Vic seems okay with Melissa's affairs as long as she's home for breakfast with their daughter (there's a possibility that the child is not his but it was never brought up so I guess maybe it is his kid idk). Since we read the story from Vic's POV, we know that Melissa's past lovers had these seemingly coincidental "accidents" or gone missing and we know it is Vic's doing. While Melissa seems like a bit of a bimbo, I think having affairs after having track records of your past lovers going missing seems like a purposeful act. The movie adaptation (whilst boring because of lack of chemistry) actually tries something that I like which is implying that THIS is their dynamic and has an inkling of a competent story and might actually be great with minor fixes and better acting. The book just make Melissa feels like a clueless airhead that she can't even fool anyone. Vic both in movie & book is a character where everyone thinks he is the nicest man even closing one eye on his wife's affairs (a cuck basically). The others view him with a mix admiration and pity without knowing that he;s a serial killer.
TBH I don't like the book's ending with Vic being arrested. It feels kind of hollow in a way that I can't explain. The movie actually gave a decent ending with Vic & Melissa continuing their lives as a couple implying that she kind of like him being this serial killer and that she's not really an airhead and their relationship continues with this silent acknowledgment of "I keep your secret, you can satiate your bloodlust with my boy toys". Even in the beginning, it is implied that Vic & Melissa's relationship is like between a sugar daddy & sugar baby except that the sugar baby has other relationships as well, basically how it is not about love but transactions. So the movie ending is actually more fitting as their bond continues but the stakes are much higher as they go on this farce of a family dynamics.
While I only know Highsmith's popular work like The Talented Mr. Ripley (which I never read but heard good things about), my first read into her book is not that great. DEEP WATER feels like a premise that's interesting on paper with poor execution. And if you think a little harder about the story, you realise it doesn't make any sense. A couple that seems to be in an open marriage except that only the wife has her "adventures" while the husband lets her have her fun. At first, Vic seems okay with Melissa's affairs as long as she's home for breakfast with their daughter (there's a possibility that the child is not his but it was never brought up so I guess maybe it is his kid idk). Since we read the story from Vic's POV, we know that Melissa's past lovers had these seemingly coincidental "accidents" or gone missing and we know it is Vic's doing. While Melissa seems like a bit of a bimbo, I think having affairs after having track records of your past lovers going missing seems like a purposeful act. The movie adaptation (whilst boring because of lack of chemistry) actually tries something that I like which is implying that THIS is their dynamic and has an inkling of a competent story and might actually be great with minor fixes and better acting. The book just make Melissa feels like a clueless airhead that she can't even fool anyone. Vic both in movie & book is a character where everyone thinks he is the nicest man even closing one eye on his wife's affairs (a cuck basically). The others view him with a mix admiration and pity without knowing that he;s a serial killer.
Spoiler
TBH I don't like the book's ending with Vic being arrested. It feels kind of hollow in a way that I can't explain. The movie actually gave a decent ending with Vic & Melissa continuing their lives as a couple implying that she kind of like him being this serial killer and that she's not really an airhead and their relationship continues with this silent acknowledgment of "I keep your secret, you can satiate your bloodlust with my boy toys". Even in the beginning, it is implied that Vic & Melissa's relationship is like between a sugar daddy & sugar baby except that the sugar baby has other relationships as well, basically how it is not about love but transactions. So the movie ending is actually more fitting as their bond continues but the stakes are much higher as they go on this farce of a family dynamics.
dark
tense
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
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Murder, Alcohol
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Sexism