Not for Patricia Highsmith fans

I have really enjoyed reading and listening to several Patricia Highsmith novels and so I decided to try this one, even though I typically do not read romance novels, or novels about romance. I was hoping the deep characterizations and complex thoughts and feelings I'd enjoyed in Highsmith's other novels would also be here......but they aren't

I wonder if I listened to the same book as so many other readers! The characterizations are flat and there is really little emotion to almost everyone in the book. There is a lot of action (not slam-bam action, but "she said" "she did" "he sat" "she went" kind of action) but very little about what the characters thought or felt, beyond "I love you". Now, those three words may be enough to satisfy some people about the mental and emotional content of a character, but to me, you can even program a doll to say "I love her" -- I need and want more than that.

I'm sure that those words were enough to intrigue and satisfy an audience in the 1950s about the feelings of the women involved, but that was when "the love that dare not speak its name" was barely spoken about. Now we understand that homosexual men and women have the same emotional depth and breadth as anyone else, and a few short words to state love is not enough to really explain a person's emotional state. Well, not enough for me to connect to the feelings of someone.

I also found Carol to be a rather cold and unpleasant person, which further distanced me from the book and Therese because of her infatuation with Carol and her acceptance of her choice to cut ties with her daughter. Could I even respect someone who chose to cut off all connection to her young daughter to stay with her lover? No, but I could respect someone who refused to deny who she was......and I'm sure that's what the author meant, but it wasn't really written that way. Perhaps if there was better characterization and emotion-filled writing, I might have understood what Carol was thinking and feeling.

11 people found this helpful

I can't stop thinking about this book...

This book is written in an older dialect, but I think that is part of it's charm. This book is a beautiful story about falling in love. Now that I've finished it, I keep thinking about it. The characters really come to life through the story and stay with you.

33 people found this helpful

Can't stop reading this book !!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I absolutely would recommend this book to anyone who has ever been or wants to be in love.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I couldn't chose between the two main characters, it would be unfair. Therese and Carol have their own unique flaws and strengths.

Have you listened to any of Cassandra Campbell’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I could listen to this woman talk forever. I will find more from her.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There first kiss in Waterloo. What every first kiss should be like.

Any additional comments?

I have not been able to stop listening to this book over and over. The book is excellent and the narrator, Cassandra Campbell, is what I would imagine God sounds like.

24 people found this helpful

love story

wonderful and incredibly touching love story that warmed my heart and had a wonderful ending

3 people found this helpful

A Beautiful Read!

It was simple and elegant. A very taboo story line with a future happy ending.

3 people found this helpful

great book. very entertaining

loved it and didn't want it to stop. really love the characters and the way the author and narrator brought them alive.

3 people found this helpful

Absolutely beautiful.

The performance, the writing, the emotion... This book will never disappoint. Flung out of space.

3 people found this helpful

The Story of Love.

Carol - The Price of Salt, Written by: Patricia Highsmith is a study of love. How love begins, how it matures and how it plays out. The story is told through the eyes of Therese, the younger lover. What is enchanting in the story is Ms. Highsmith takes you through all the phases of just how a love finds itself and grows as lovers come to know each other.

First comes the recognition that you have a mutual attraction, a realization that appears from the first moment you lay eyes on the other. The aura between the lovers is filled with energy. Then one must learn to trust sufficiently to allow the rapport. The story then moves on to the seduction, and how the relationship will hit moments of boredom and the presence of personal issues between the lovers and the adjustments that must be made. Next comes the close understanding of just who the other partner is, their frailties and wants; and the question, can the allure survive? Once the love is underway, the lovers can become abusive. Why? Perhaps because we try to protect ourselves from having to give up one’s independence. A test to see if the love can endure. The story teaches the opportunity to be in love is a treasure that if not nurtured will become valueless. Move forward or lose out.

Yet, the story also teaches that once the ecstasy of love is gotten, others get in the way. Others provide their judgment on their preferences without any concern for the lover’s wants. That is particularly true here as the love with which we are concerned was once thought to be an abomination. The love described in “The Price of Salt” is between two woman and takes place in the 1950s. (The true abomination in this novel though was the relationship each woman had with their alleged male lovers.)

Okay, so the plot here is that the love blooms and a forceful attack is launched by their society against our heroines, Carol and Therese. The genius of the Ms. Highsmith is that the tale twists and turns with interesting reshaping of the plot. Can the lovers prevail, or is this a tragedy? Its ending is certainly not mundane. One must read the last three chapters at one sitting. . . . and just how does it work out? Read/listen to the book, it is well worth your time. It is full of happiness, disappointment and learning.

15 people found this helpful

Wow! This book

This book is amazing. The story is fantastic. The romance is beautiful. Carol and Therese are two amazing characters on a journey of discovering love and passion. This is a must-read for anyone looking for a great book. The narration is spot on as well. It really keeps you enthralled in the story.

12 people found this helpful

Carol

A very slow descriptive account of two women an their developing a relationship which turns out to be problematic. Unless your at least 50 or 60 could you see the problem for what it's worth then rather then present day. I don't this is worth reading due to the detail was not put in the right places, like what was Carols real relationship with her daughter.

2 people found this helpful