A review by ruttery
The Price of Salt, or Carol by Patricia Highsmith

4.0

hashtag lesbian yearning

People really slate Therese as a character, but I think she has a great character arc. A little annoying and obsessive over Carol, well yes, but like... this is exactly what early lesbian crushes/romances are like?? It's very obvious from the first few pages that the author is queer herself, as that intensity is described pretty accurately.

Spoiler

Therese actually handles her first messy queer break-up like an absolute queen, goes no contact, takes two weeks space to herself, new job, sick haircut, spenny outfit

. We've all been there hun. The road trip sometimes got a bit boring tbh and

Spoiler

it took 190 pages for them to bang??

. Still, it's the 1950s, and the first and final third slapped.

The last 20 pages were a wild ride, we got the

Spoiler

unexpected happy ending for the queers, but I wasn't totally sure by the end that I even wanted the happy ending?? I'm not sure they're right for each other. Maybe Therese would have been better going her own way for a bit. But that made it all the more intriguing