Ausonius Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Alexander Theroux reviewed a biography of crime novelist Patricia Highsmith in the Wall Street Journal today (Dec. 8, 2009). http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704342404574578883873972014.html The biography is by Joan Schenkar and is given a very positive recommendation by Mr. Theroux. Highsmith is best known for Strangers On A Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley. The former was made into a movie by Alfred Hitchcock, the latter by Anthony Minghella starring Matt Damon. Two excerpts: Highsmith's lovers were often transmogrified into muses, and her multiple affairs, hundreds of them, routinely lost out to her art. Decade after decade, messy relationships went up in smoke. Highsmith could fall in love within minutes, Ms. Schenkar tells us: She would stalk women and vamp them with "icy, invigilator's eyes." In her fiction, a typical example of both hunter and hunted is the ing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausonius Posted December 10, 2009 Author Share Posted December 10, 2009 Becoming intrigued because of the review mentioned above, I have begun The Cry of the Owl by Patricia Highsmith. Things start off with the reader following a stalker of a young woman, as he hides behind a tree to spy on his prey. I am also simultaneously reading another crime novel: Why Begins With W by "Author Unknown." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausonius Posted December 15, 2009 Author Share Posted December 15, 2009 Halfway finished with The Cry of the Owl: the reader is led into the lives of 3 characters, and 2 of them could end up being either victim or perpetrator. The third is also a distant possibility as either. Written in the early '60's, the book has some curiosities in dialogue: e.g. a sudden conversation about Death seems unlikely, and has a clunky "foreshadowing" sign flashing around it. Otherwise, not badly done! The other book I am looking at has no such problem: by "Author Unknown" Why Begins With W seems quite natural and mysterious, with no "clunky foreshadowing." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 I've only read The Talented Mr Ripley which I loved. It was also made into another film in 1960 called Plein Soleil (aka Purple Noon) starring Alain Delon, which was wonderful. That film was actually my first experience of it (I was working in an arthouse cinema at the time and got to see it for free - it was part of our French film festival). It was a while before I got round to reading the book, but I watched the Matt Damon version around the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausonius Posted December 19, 2009 Author Share Posted December 19, 2009 Halfway finished with The Cry of the Owl: the reader is led into the lives of 3 characters, and 2 of them could end up being either victim or perpetrator. The third is also a distant possibility as either. Written in the early '60's, the book has some curiosities in dialogue: e.g. a sudden conversation about Death seems unlikely, and has a clunky "foreshadowing" sign flashing around it. Otherwise, not badly done! The other book I am looking at has no such problem: by "Author Unknown" Why Begins With W seems quite natural and mysterious, with no "clunky foreshadowing." Okay, I finished The Cry of the Owl by Patricia Highsmith and am not too impressed by the overall effort after its initial pages. Some of the events are unexpected, but possibly in character, but just barely, which is why I am rather skeptical of the book overall. Other events were deducible in advance, but are marred by cliched scenes with Central-Casting characters, where stupidity reigns among average people, who in reality would never be quite so stupid. In comparison, Why Begins With W wins easily! A steamroller of a mystery novel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 Any other fans of of Highsmith out there? Me! Me! I read A Suspension of Mercy many years ago and really enjoyed it although I can barely remember any of it now. I real This Sweet Sickness in 2008 and it was superb. The best book I had read in a long time. I had Strangers on a Train for my birthday (2 weeks ago) and it's now sitting tantalizingly on my bookshelf. I don't think it'll be there long. I'd also like to read the Ripley books one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausonius Posted December 27, 2009 Author Share Posted December 27, 2009 Many thanks for the recommendation: although I found The Cry of the Owl less than impressive, I will check out the Ripley books, and of course Strangers On A Train, despite having seen the movie several times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 Me! Me!I had Strangers on a Train for my birthday (2 weeks ago) and it's now sitting tantalizingly on my bookshelf. I don't think it'll be there long. I'd also like to read the Ripley books one day. Be sure you have all five of the Ripley books at hand for quick access. I read them all in a row, and while there are a few sections in two of them that are slow moving and not up to the rest, in general, they are all dynamite. There are two Tom Ripley films as well. The first of course with Matt Damon that Kell mentioned, and while it was mostly true to the book, some was added, especially towards the end. However. The second one Ripley's Game with the ever delicious John Malkovich is excellent! Malkovich captures the slight evolving of Ripley that Highsmith wrote into the character, and was absolutely on target. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emelee Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Just read Strangers on a Train this month and I liked it. The set-up is great. Two guys meet on a train and one suggests they kill for each other. Must say that one of the main characters, Bruno, is one memorable character! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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