katrindettmer 's review for:

Carol by Patricia Highsmith, Claire Morgan

5.0

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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The way Highsmith describes what it is like to fall in love and to love another person is unlike anything I have ever read: it is passionate, complicated, contradictory, blissful, dangerous, painful, uplifting. It becomes clear that love can change everything, most notably one’s self, and it‘s brilliant how Highsmith traces these lines of recognition within Therese and Carol, how they realise how much is at stake - not only concerning the vengeful world around them that tries to intervene but mainly with regard to their own being, their actual existence as human beings. Highsmith shows the complexity of these characters with great empathy but also ruthlessness: if the reader at times fails to understand the characters it is because the characters do not understand themselves, just as we may fail to understand ourselves. A unique novel about love and life and how they are the same thing. Highest recommendation!