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.

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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.

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25 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.

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16 people found this helpful

This book is more for straight, than gay people...

Where does The Price of Salt rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

For some reason this book is charged with a pre-Christmas atmosphere. At least at the beginning of it. With slight "detective" touch in the middle and cold flurry of emotions at the end. The book is person-oriented, so expect to live through the sweetness and bitterness of relationship between main characters, as well as the reaction of the world. The conversations are on the verge of pure coldness and gentle touch that is so heart warming. There is no dirt and vulgarity in intimate scenes. It describes more the inner state of falling in love, than anything else you could've thought about. That's why I believe this romance fits both straight and gay. And, moreover, nowadays with the world becoming more open-minded I am sure this novel will drastically gain its popularity. And certainly we don't need to say that its written in a unique and beautiful style.

What other book might you compare The Price of Salt to and why?

The great Gatsby, their parties and cocktails... people and inner-circles... Oldies and retro cars. Style and atmosphere... The continuation through decades.

What does Cassandra Campbell bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Thanks to Cassandra Campbell. Nice voice, intonations conveying feelings.

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16 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.

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13 people found this helpful

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.

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11 people found this helpful

The story of two very strong women

STORY (romance) - This book is a beautifully written story of a very deep, romantic love between Therese (about 20) and Carol (30-something). Carol is a rich society woman getting a divorce and battling for custody of her daughter. Therese is young, trying to find her place in the world and in a relationship with Richard that just doesn't feel right for some reason. When Therese and Carol meet, the attraction is immediate but awkward. The emotions flourish, but openly being lesbian in the 1950's was much more difficult than it is today.

This is not a trashy lesbian story. In fact, there are only a couple extremely short references to sex, and they're very vague and tastefully done. The characters of Therese and Carol are deeply explored, and you will come to understand the love between them and how it gives them strength to face the problems it causes. Carol is wealthy and they take a long road trip together, so much of the book is them driving, dining in restaurants and meeting people in different towns, etc. There isn't a bunch of twists or suspense in the story, as it's more about the characters and their relationship. I liked the ending.

PERFORMANCE - Good job.

OVERALL - There is no violence or cursing and only the mild sexual references mentioned above. I am not gay or lesbian but I enjoyed the book, although it was a bit slow-moving.

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7 people found this helpful

Love, Love, Love!

Where does Carol - The Price of Salt rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best

What did you like best about this story?

everything

Did Cassandra Campbell do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

she did, but I found her voice a littel annoying :(

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes!

Any additional comments?

This book is great! The character development is strong and I can't wait to see the movie!!!

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7 people found this helpful

Great novel.

Starts a little slow but stay with it. A poignant, beautiful read. To be honest I felt it was read a little slowly so I sped up my audible player first to 1.5X and finally to twoX speed :-)

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6 people found this helpful

Yawn

I chose this book because the movie is set in my hometown - but I can't even count the number of times I wanted to stop and pick something else. It's just slow, and could barely keep my attention. The best part was the last 1/2 hour - but all in all this was a dud for me.

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5 people found this helpful