However, this is by Patricia Highsmith and this is one of three of her books that I hadn't read yet. I've been reading her books since I was in my teens and I've not found one I disliked yet.
Originally published as The Price of Salt, under the pseudonym Claire Morgan, this is Highsmith's second novel. It was released in 1953 and is very much a product of it's time.
By today's standards the plot is unremarkable. But back when it first came out it was quite revolutionary. It's credited as being the first lesbian romance novel with a happy ending (although the sacrifices one of the characters has had to make somewhat undermine that score)
The plot is fairly basic. Therese is working part time in a department store when she serves Carol and is immediately fixated with her. This being New York in the early 50s, she tries to keep her feelings under wraps even while a relationship develops between them and they start spending lots of time together.
Highsmith's greatest talent was always her ability to drop you in the heads of her protagonists. This book is no exception. The whole book is told in close third person from her point of view. We know every thought in Therese's head from the first stirrings of love to her full acceptance of the way she feels.
Guilt is always a primary motivator in Highsmith's novels, and again, this is no different. Only this time it's not guilt over some act of violence, it's over her feelings for Carol. Again, this is 50's America. Lesbians were something "other", a love that dared not show its face.
The prose is dry in places. I'm not sure Highsmith was at the height of her talent with this book, but it's still fairly compulsive reading.
In the afterword in this edition, Highsmith describes Therese as a bit of a wet blanket and I pretty much agree with that. But, as Highsmith also points out, it's a result of the time and place and her upbringing. Despite her wet blanket qualities, she never comes across as a whiner or annoyingly self-centred.
An interesting thing to note is that Highsmith recounts her inspiration for the story being when she herself worked in the dolls department of a large store and found herself transfixed by a customer - a scene we read in chapter two of the novel. When Highsmith calls Therese a bit of a wet blanket, how much self-deprecation is going on there?
This isn't the novel to convert me to romance reading. It is however still a damned good read. From a historical viewpoint it's a great portrait of a moment in time and the attitudes that were prevalent. And, being written contemporaneously, we can be assured there's no looking back through any tinted goggles. We also know it made a huge impact at the time. The two leads didn't have to die for their sins and were allowed to love each other. That makes this a hugely influential book.
Since the film was released a few years back, this is easily available again in any reasonably good bookstore. If you want a copy of The Price Of Salt with the original pen name on it, you'll be looking in the region of £300-£500. You're probably better off going with a modern copy.
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