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"The Price of Salt"!!.....then I realised it's "Carol" - I truly loved this one Anne, I hope you did too!!

I haven't read this yet. It was mis-marked as "read." I've seen the movie. Have you?

Keep meaning to read this. Highsmith is a great writer.

I just finished Strangers on a Train, Anne. I loved it. For some reason, I never liked Price of Salt as much. Nice review.

Sara wrote: "Keep meaning to read this. Highsmith is a great writer."

This is very good. This was a novel that I enjoyed more looking back on and understanding. The buildup to the ending was fabulous as well. I just finished watching the movie again. it's beautiful but different because we don't have Therese's voice and point of view which gives the title and the book it's meaning, particularly at the end.

Antoinette wrote: "I just finished Strangers on a Train, Anne. I loved it. For some reason, I never liked Price of Salt as much. Nice review."

Antoinette. I want to read Strangers on a Train. I can understand why some people might not love this novel. It's slow. But I think it was terrific for what it was especially in the '50s.

I agree with you, Anne. When I think of it, except for a few like Thomas Mann or Wilde, most of the lgbt novels I've read are from the 21st century.

Tamoghna wrote: "I agree with you, Anne. When I think of it, except for a few like Thomas Mann or Wilde, most of the lgbt novels I've read are from the 21st century."

Yes. Just think what Mann or Wilde might have written if they had lived in this century.

I wish they did. I still feel that the genre isn't that well explored, and we do need more alluring texts like Dorian Gray. Somehow all the novels nowadays address only their struggle to fit in the society, and are shallow everywhere else.

Tamoghna wrote: "I wish they did. I still feel that the genre isn't that well explored, and we do need more alluring texts like Dorian Gray. Somehow all the novels nowadays address only their struggle to fit in the..."

I'm no expert on the genre but I can understand why some novelists still deal with the struggle to be accepted by society. I assume they write about what they feel they need to write about. Acceptance is still not universal by any stretch of the imagination and even the freedom to write about the struggle is relatively new. In which area do you think these novels are shallow?

Anne (On semi-hiatus) wrote: "I'm no expert on the genre but I can understand why some novelists still deal with the struggle to be accepted by society. I assume they write about what they feel they need to write about. Acceptance is still not universal by any stretch of the...."

I'm not talking by any means about the novelists, Anne. Of course there should be freedom in being able to write whatever they want to; but I'm talking about the fictional characters. What I feel unrealistic is that their relationships don't seem to suffer by any means for just themselves i.e. any personal reasons, but always for the society. Like, when we talk about a heterosexual relationship, we don't talk about just sexual explorations or social struggles, there's more to a relationship than that. Which is somehow missing in most lgbt ya novels nowadays.

Like, in Call Me By Your Name. I feel somehow that the romantic portion should be more explored than just sexuality; and Andre Aciman had done just that.

Anne, I look forward to reading your additional thoughts. This taster review has tempted me, and I do like Highsmith.

This really is a memorable book - I'm glad your thoughts brought it back to me.

I'm also reading this soon. Until you come back with your reflections on that title, you've got me quite intrigued at the moment, Anne!

TBV (on semi-hiatus) wrote: "Anne, I look forward to reading your additional thoughts. This taster review has tempted me, and I do like Highsmith."

I'll be back with more asap. Life keeps getting in my way, but this is one review I really want to write.

Lisa wrote: "This really is a memorable book - I'm glad your thoughts brought it back to me."

Lisa, I watched the beautiful movie again afterwards so have the full meal. The movie doesn't give the same deeper message imo, but it's gorgeous.

Charles wrote: "I'm also reading this soon. Until you come back with your reflections on that title, you've got me quite intrigued at the moment, Anne!"

Charles, I'm looking forward to getting my review posted. Life is getting in the way at the moment, but this is one review I really want to complete.

If you write more, Anne, I'll be happy to read it, but I think what you've written so far is great on its own. I saw the movie after reading the book and still felt the same as you did about both.

Teresa wrote: "If you write more, Anne, I'll be happy to read it, but I think what you've written so far is great on its own. I saw the movie after reading the book and still felt the same as you did about both."

Teresa, thank you for your comment. I watched the gorgeous movie last night again but Therese's thoughts at the end of the book added much meaning for me and made sense of the biblical title.

Anne (On semi-hiatus) wrote: "Therese's thoughts at the end of the book added much meaning for me and made sense of the biblical title."

That's the main reason I'm glad my copy of the book is not titled Carol.

Teresa wrote: "That's the main reason I'm glad my copy of the book is not titled Carol.."

Yes. Exactly. A bit of research explained why the name was changed. I plan to add that to my review as well. I don't think Highsmith or her publishers did justice to the readers by renaming the book.

I'm intrigued and looking forward to your longer review!

Lovely review Anne! I keep meaning to read Highsmith. I think what you wrote is perfect as is ❤️

Regina wrote: "I'm intrigued and looking forward to your longer review!"

Thanks so much, Regina.

JanB wrote: "Lovely review Anne! I keep meaning to read Highsmith. I think what you wrote is perfect as is ❤️"

Hi Jan! Thanks so much for your comment. I really appreciate you letting me get away with a short review. I am only going to write something about the meaning of the title because it made me understand the book and Highsmith's "message" much better.

This is my first HIghsmith read! I've seen movies based on her books but somehow missed reading her.

I'm always so excited to see you on GR. You are one of my TOP friends who do not show up on my feed. I wish GR would fix whatever is broken.

Tamoghna wrote: "Anne (On semi-hiatus) wrote: "I'm no expert on the genre but I can understand why some novelists still deal with the struggle to be accepted by society. I assume they write about what they feel the..."

Tamoghna, I haven't read either of the books you mention but now I understand what you mean. You would like to see more "well-rounded" relationships and not always the same thing: society doesn't approve and punishes the lover(s) and/or interferes with or ends the relationship.

Wonderful review, as always, Anne.

Angela M wrote: "Wonderful review, as always, Anne."

Angela, thank you!

I believe that your thoughts were just fine as written, Anne. I enjoyed this novel also.

Our book group read the story and watched the movie together a few years ago.

Interesting, especially the title! I only know of Patricia Highsmith from Strangers on a Train, and even then I've not read the book - just seen the super suspenseful Hitchcock movie.

Carol wrote: "I believe that your thoughts were just fine as written, Anne. I enjoyed this novel also.

Our book group read the story and watched the movie together a few years ago."

Thank you so much, Carol! I have a few thoughts about the title I want to add, then I'll be finished with my review.

How fun and interesting it must have been to read (and discuss) the book and watch the gorgeous movie with your book group.

Cozy_Pug wrote: "Interesting, especially the title! I only know of Patricia Highsmith from Strangers on a Train, and even then I've not read the book - just seen the super suspenseful Hitchcock movie."

Cozy Pug, I've also seen the Hitchcock movie. My next Highsmith project is to read Strangers and watch the movie again. Any interest in reading the book?

Anne (On semi-hiatus) wrote: "Cozy_Pug wrote: "Interesting, especially the title! I only know of Patricia Highsmith from Strangers on a Train, and even then I've not read the book - just seen the super suspenseful Hitchcock mov..."

Absolutely! I love reading a book then comparing it to the movie.

Cozy_Pug wrote: "Absolutely! I love reading a book then comparing it to the movie. .."

Great. Me too. I've been doing that a lot lately. I've been reading so many classics lately which have been made into movies it's been a lot of fun. Carol was the best movie so far... just as good as the book though a bit different, missing some of the message but so gorgeous.

I really want to read Highsmith now. Nice review!

Debbie wrote: "I really want to read Highsmith now. Nice review!"

Debbie, thanks. Highsmith is fab writer. I "know her well" from the movies that have been adapted from her book but this is the first book I've read. I watched Carol right after (gorgeous) and I was so impressed with both I was in a kind of daze for a coupe days thinking about these women. This is an autobiographical novel, btw. I'll get this into my review soon. ( I seem to be writing and posting my reviews in stages these days). All true for Highsmith with some taken from a newspaper story. Character Therese is Highsmith and Carol is the woman with whom she fell in love almost exactly as written in the novel.

Terrific review, Anne! I can’t say I loved this book. For me it was good but not great. Can’t remember why. As you know, I recently finished Strangers on a Train and absolutely loved that one. As a reader, I find it interesting how sometimes you connect with a book and sometimes you don’t. Planning on reading Ripley later this year:)

Antoinette, thank you I think you may not have loved it because it was rather slow until the end. Or, at least that was my experience. But I was so wowed by the ending, the meaning of the title and what H had to say in the '50s the I gave it 4 stars.

I'm planning to read Stangers soon. I've been planning to read Ripley for so long that I can't even say it. I think the reason I haven't read it yet is that the film is so vivid in my head.

Interesting information on the title - it reminded me of the verse from Matthew. The second part of that verse says "it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men." The idea being if salt were to lose its saltiness, it would be worthless - it would have no value or purpose. In the context of this chapter in Matthew, Christ is teaching His followers that if their faithfulness to God isn't evident to the world, they have lost their value as witnesses. Not having read the book, I don't know how Highsmith was using the title in her story. Maybe this info on the Biblical reference is helpful, I don't know.

Anne, you wrote such a fabulous and enlightening review! I love both interpretations of the title, they make perfect sense. I haven’t read this one but I have seen the film and was mesmerized by Blanchett’s performance. Highsmith was such a master of the ‘indirect�� in everything, including tension, as you so aptly pointed out. And yes, it was very brave on her part to write this novel but not so much for the same-sex relationship, as for the heroine’s choice to give up on the custody of her daughter for the reason she did. That was the utmost rule-breaking in my opinion.

Ripley is definitely one of those movies that is hard to forget, but i saw it so long ago now, that i think it will seem fresh.

Cozy_Pug wrote: "Interesting information on the title - it reminded me of the verse from Matthew. The second part of that verse says "it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under ..."

Hi Cozy, that's very interesting.

""it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men." The idea being if salt were to lose its saltiness, it would be worthless - it would have no value or purpose."

That fits exactly. If the lives of Carol and Therese lost their savor, the ability to enjoy their lives and be themselves then their lives are worthless.

The second part about evident faithfulness to God, etc. doesn't seem to apply as far as I can tell.

Thanks for your comment!

Violeta wrote: "Anne, you wrote such a fabulous and enlightening review! I love both interpretations of the title, they make perfect sense. I haven’t read this one but I have seen the film and was mesmerized by Bl..."

Violeta, thanks so much! I forgot to write in my review that this novel is for the most part autobiographical. She is Therese. She worked in a store, etc. She made some changes. but she really wanted to make the point that women and/or lesbians always have to give up their own lives for the good of their husbands, children and society.


I think both interpretations are important and work together. That's one thing missing from the movie, the biblical references which make the meaning more powerful.

I do think that a mother giving up a child is certainly rule-breaking in her society, but having a sexual relationship with another woman seems to be worse. In the movie no one bats an eye when she gives up her right to see the child (2-3 times a year?). That would have been awful for the child who would forget her. The same thing happened in Effi Briest and it was awful for both child and mother. I think she gave up those few visits not just because she'd be going against her grain, but to protect her child and herself from those infrequent visits.

Anne, I had suspected that the story had autobiographical references but not to that extent, thanks for the info.

No, there weren’t any biblical references in the film but then again it was named just Carol, so they eliminated the need for an explanation of the title.
Incidentally ‘the price of salt�� and its meaning would make perfect sense to the generation of our mothers. The were expected to put their needs last and I must admit that, although I was never told that directly, I never questioned that I would do the same if I decided that motherhood would be part of my life. So this title is another way of saying that nothing comes for free - which is my own lifelong motto...🙃

Violeta, exactly. Nothing comes without a price. I think it;s too bad that that is lost from the movie. But it's so gorgeous it can stand all by itself without a message. I agree that our mothers would understand "the price of salt," but I think mothers still pay (though maybe to a lesser degree) and the children pay (being cared for by nannies instead of mother or family. No easy solution.

Highsmith didn't put her own name on the book until the film was being made. Her publisher wanted her to take credit for the book and to have a "fresh start" i.e. rename the book. So Highsmith said she'd always wanted to call it Carol so that became the the new name.

My life:
Mother: yes.
Nanny: yes.
Days off: no; the nanny had them, I never did.
Did I ‘pay�� for being away when I did? Don’t know yet, seems I got away with it but time will tell...
So, all in all, seems that we had it better than Highsmith and our mothers.🥴😊

Violeta, I hope your nanny was wonderful and stayed with the kids throughout the years you and hubby were out of the house. In the U.S. people seem to change nannies every 6 month to a year. Not much consistency in that - of course I'm talking about Upper East NYers. :))

What were you doing while you were out of the house?

We definitely had it better than Highsmith and our mothers. Much better!

My favorite comedian does a very long bit about not wanting to have kids and why (it will change his life- make his it worse. And of course he and his wife just had a child. He goes through the difficulty getting pregnant, the difficult pregnancy and the first year (through which she doesn't sleep) He's hilarious but he also dips into serious briefly and makes important points about society, about himself. I think I already mentioned him to you but I'll mention him again: Mike Birbiglia. He has 4 specials but you wanted the latest one: "The New One" Maybe he's not everyone's cup of tea, but I keep watching over and over again. :))

Anne, I was so lucky with the dear women who were looking after my kids while I was working. The first one was with us for 4 years and the second was for 9, until the day I stopped working altogether! We are still in touch, we all consider her part of the family.

We were (and still half-are) a flying family: I was a cabin attendant and hubby is an airline pilot (such a cliche, eh?)

I'll definitely check Mike Birbiglia on YouTube, thanks! Oh...the first year of having a newborn: it definitely brings everything upside down and gives you more to reflect on than you know what to do with :D

Violeta wrote: "Anne, I was so lucky with the dear women who were looking after my kids while I was working. The first one was with us for 4 years and the second was for 9, until the day I stopped working altogeth..."

You were lucky with the women who took care of your kids. And they are still family That's also wonderful.

I'll be curious to know if you like Mike B. He says it one of his other shows that he's a "niche." It's true. He doesn't just stand up and tell jokes. His material is about his life experiences and boy does he have a lot of material.

I suppose you met your husband in a plane. Or was it on the ground? It might be a cliché but it's very cute :))

Anne, it was on the ground and I promise to tell you the whole story when we meet in NY!! ;-)