Product Description
With the savage humor of Evelyn Waugh and the macabre sensibility of Edgar Allan Poe, Patricia Highsmith brought a distinct twentieth-century acuteness to her prolific body of fiction. In her more than twenty novels, psychopaths lie in wait amid the milieu of the mundane, in the neighbor clipping the hedges or the spouse asleep next to you at night.

Now, Norton continues the revival of this noir genius with another of her lost masterpieces: a later work from 1983, People Who Knock on the Door, is a tale about blind faith and the slippery notion of justice that lies beneath the peculiarly American veneer of righteousness. This novel, out of print for years, again attests to Highsmith's reputation as "the poet of apprehension" (Graham Greene). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Family matters.
A few things are a little off kilter in Chalmerston, the small midwestern town in which the narrative to People Who Knock on the Door unfolds.Perhaps Highsmith's long, self-imposed exile to Europe left her ill equipped to accurately portray life in America's heartland.For example, when did underage high schoolers start regularly tossing back gin and tonics like old pros under the approving eyes of parents and adult neighbors?This happens so frequently in People Who Knock on the Door, it comes off as either some sort of running gag or a bizarre example of product placement.

In any event, that and other similar criticisms aside, People Who Knock on the Door is a very good novel.It centers around the conflict between Arthur Alderman, a bright, amazingly well adjusted teenager and his father, a rigid thinking authoritarian who has recently succumbed to hyper-religiosity of the born again variety.
Arthur's mother and maternal grandmother both side with Arthur but they refuse to act on his behalf in order not to upset Dad.Younger brother Robbie, whose life heretofore has been directionless, adopts his father's new found religious zealotry.

People Who Knock on the Door is a solid example of storytelling featuring characters whose actions are entirely consistent with the well defined personalities bestowed upon them by the author.Highly recommended.

Highsmith loses her grasp on reality?
Just finished reading "People Who Knock On The Door" and have to say that I'm really shocked by the number of positive reviews for this book. I've read a couple of Highsmith's early novels, which were pretty good, but this one is really, REALLY sloppy. And BIZARRE too. Never for a second did I believe any of the characters in this book could possible exist. All the ramblings of an old woman (Highsmith was 75 when this book was published) who had lost touch with reality. Some of the wierdness:

The story takes place in 1985. The main character (Arthur) is a 17 year old boy who calls a boy three years older than him "Mister", listens to Dizzy Gillespie records with his friends, and takes his date to the Soda Shop for a fountain drink.

Underaged drinking is not only legal but encouraged. 17 year olds are constantly being given gin and tonics by their parents, neighbors, and friends' parents. There is even a High School function where the students are encouraged to bring their own booze.

Though everyone seems pretty open minded about alcohol consumption, sex is viewed through the unenlightened eyes of the 1950s: sex is evil, and there are only good girls and whores.

The graffiti in a truck stop bathroom is bizarre: "hot patootie massages" are offered.

Not for a second did I believe that this story took place in our universe, with living, breathing human beings.

One last thing: Don't hold your breath, because the evil twist doesn't happen until about page 270 of a 330 page book. NOT WORTH YOUR TIME.

I'm Confused. . . .
Patricia Highsmith wrote this book, right. . . ?It is a lackluster effort from someone as talented as she.This book seems like more of a rant on Christianity and organized religion, which would be fine if something else interesting were going on.What confused me most initially was the setting, in terms of time.Was this family "Leave it to Beaver" or "Six Feet Under". . . ?Everyone seemed so stereotypically '50s, without any of the true dysfunction that would seem to have been exhibited by a family in the '80s, particularly the main character.Maybe I just don't remember the '80s well enough.Despite the differences in opinions and viewpoints of various family members, little tension--implied or otherwise--develops.
Am I having sex with my girlfriend?Sure, but it's all secret, implied, and hush-hush--sounds more '50s-ish than '80s-ish.
Does she get pregnant?Sure, but I don't care all that much, and I'm really not all that panicked about it.
Are her parents ready to kill me?No, they don't seem to care much either--more '80s than '50s.
Do my parents care all that much?Not really, since they're not even sure I have a girlfriend.Despite their initial reaction--or lack thereof--I get kicked out of my house.Rather quietly.I don't resist, either.I don't even yell back when my dad tells me.In fact, I seem to care very little. . . .
Do I hate my brother?I guess, but not all that much.
Et cetera.

The result is that the reader doesn't care that much, either.I love Highsmith's sublety and implied nature of the conflict and violence that lies within.Her pacing is immaculate.I have never been bored.Until now.She just doesn't build the tension in the early pages enough to carry through subsequent chapters.The result is that I finished simply out of inherent loyalty to Highsmith--not concern or interest in the plot or characters.

I am not used to being "bored" by Highsmith, and I have truly enjoyed and anticipated each of her novels that I've read.If you're new to the club, you might want to start elsewhere.If you're fiercely loyal, you still might want to go somewhere else.If you run out of other titles, give it a run.At least it's relatively short. . . .

Distinctly odd
I've always placed Highsmith as a writer of the 50s and 60s. This book was published in 1983, and it's set in a peculiar version of the early 1980s in which characters are named Arthur and Cora and Mildred. It's also a peculiar place where high school students are offered beers and hot toddies by their parents and a teenager works at a neighborhood shoe repair shop. A place where an ex-boyfriend refers to his ex-girlfriend's new flame as "Mr. Hargiss." Highsmith was in her sixties at the time, so perhaps she felt a contemporary setting would update her unique brand of unease, but she doesn't quite make it. For example, she confuses "angel dust" with cocaine. Unfortunately, the bizarro-world details distract from the story, about religious fundamentalism and small-town gossip. It's still a good read, just a distinctly odd one.

Out of the ordinary Highsmith
The creepy universes that flow from Highsmith's imagination are usually based in the everyday lives of ordinary people, and so it is with "People Who Knock on the Door." A small-town family is shattered when some members are born-again; there is a sense of danger and alienation not unlike "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." Every age seems ripe for a parable about the self-righteous and the damage they do -- so this 1983 novel is compelling no matter when you read it. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first book-length study of all of Highsmith's work, including the short fiction and her occasional writings, such as book reviews. It places the work in both cultural and personal context, and contains a comprehensive bibliography and review of the literature. Though often dismissed in the US as simply a suspense writer whose books became movies (Strangers on a Train, The Talented Mr. Ripley), in Europe Highsmith is considered a major novelist and much is written about her. ... Read more

Product Description
"Highsmith's writing is wicked . . . it puts a spell on you, after which you feel altered, even tainted."—Entertainment Weekly

With Norton's publication of Slowly, Slowly in the Wind, Patricia Highsmith's entire body of work is now back in print. First published in 1979, this volume is one of Highsmith's most nuanced and psychologically suspenseful works. Slowly, Slowly in the Wind gathers stories that explore the hypocrisies of the Catholic Church, the writing life, Poe-like horror fantasies, and more. This collection is a perfect example of Highsmith's view of human nature and a fitting capstone to the reintroduction of one of the twentieth century's greatest writers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A few fine stories, others so-so
Highsmith's later work is uneven, and this collection from the 1970's is no exception.There are some truly bizarre stories -- including a sci-fi piece (not typical for her) and a dream-like fantasy called "One for the Islands" -- that simply do not work at all; and "The Pond" is a nasty, depressing tale.However, "Something You Have to Live With," "A Curious Suicide," "Those Awful Dawns" and "Woodrow Wilson's Neck-Tie" are all vintage Highsmith, and make this collection well worth acquiring."Something" is a very thought-provoking story, and "Dawns" is simply shocking; unforgettable.

For the record, I've read a lot of Highsmith's short stories -- which poured prolifically from her pen in late career -- and the only uniformly excellent collection is "Eleven," which features first-rate early tales and is, fortunately, still in print. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Great Script But a Departure from the Novel
The screenplay and movie of "The Talented Mr. Ripley" are, in their own rights, excellent and quite effective, but they are a decided departure from Patricia Highsmith's novel. We all know that the motion picture is an entirely different medium from the world of the novel, but some of the changes the screenwriter Anthony Minghella made are questionable.
The novel deals so much with Ripley's inner existence (it's told entirely from his perspective) that it calls for the adaptor to externalize and use devices which will bring out what is going on in Tom Ripley's warped mind; otherwise we'd have a movie of too many voice-overs. Some of the alterations used, I think, would not appeal to Highsmith. The motion picture is an art unto itself which must externalize and make visual what is going on in the psyche.
A good line in the movie from Tom is "it's better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody."
Marge in the novel does not confront Ripley with Dickey's murder as she did in the movie, and Dickie never said he was going to marry her. In the book Tom's gayness is not as open as it is in the movie, but it is certainly there. In the novel Ripley commits "only" two murders, whereas in the movie he commits three.
The movie makes Freddie Miles much more of a presence than he is in the novel. Freddie is seen as a foil to Tom and is more opposed to him. He has Tom figured out, whereas in the book they don't see very much of each other. Meredith, a major character in the movie, and Peter Smith Kingsley do not appear in the novel. In one sense, because of the importance of all these other characters, Tom gets subordinated. Dickie is an amateur painter in the novel; in the flick he plays the sax. In the novel toward the end Ripley is almost always alone. He's hemmed in by people in the film.
In the movie Dickie is a much more sexually active heterosexual. In the book there is no Silvana who finds herself with child.
Dickie says that one of Ripley's gestures is spooky. If only he knew how spooky Ripley would become. Tom Ripley at times is like Uriah Heep, slavish, picking up things after his idol. Tom tells Dickie right off the bat, supposedly in jest, that he's a forger, a liar, an impersonator.
In the movie there is more of a tone of a gay relationship although one-sided on Tom's part.
A great movie script in its own right but a quite divergent adaptation of a brilliant introspective novel.

Good addition to the film(if you own it). However, this book
would be interesting only to people, who study scripts seriously, who love Minghella's art, and who love the film itself.This particular script was not meant to stand on its own, unlike some scripts from other great films.It was only meant to be Minghella's subjective and brief overview of whathe is going to create for the screen. Ibought it because I was curious tocompare written word with what I have seen on the film. This book haslyrics of "Lullaby for Cain" and full cast list, though, which isa nice touch...

the talented mr ripley
Thebook was better than the movie. I think the movie was too soapy. The ending was not conclusive

A Masterpiece!
After seeing this film I was quick to jump to the conclusion that the screenplay would be just as good. I am pleased to report that I was correct!

As a read, Ripley is captivating and diabolical. The wordsfinely link together the voices and faces that I loved in the film. AnthonyMinghella has such a remarkable gift! First English Patient, now Ripley!

All I really have to say about this screenplay is that it ishoney--rich, sweet, and easy to swallow. You'll love it!

There seems to be some confusion
Some people seem to be under the impression that this is a novel that has been adapted from the film, which it is not.This is Anthony Minghella's SCREENPLAY for his film which he adapted from the novel, and it isexcellent.As a filmmaker I enjoy reading the screenplays for films that Ilike and anyone who enjoys reading screenplays will love this because it isa wonderful adaptation that proves the key to a great film is a greatscript. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (10)

Vividly drawn characters; a strong sense of place.
Patricia Highsmith had been writing fiction for 30+ years before she authored this outstanding gem of a novel.The years of experience are abundantly evident in the understated, precise way this highly interesting and totally believable tale is told.

Jack and Natalia Sutherland lead charmed lives and they know it.Both are young and both come from wealthy families.Jack is a talented illustrator and Natalia works in an art gallery.They live in a very desirable apartment in Greenwich Village along with their precocious 5 year old daughter Amelia. Their marriage is perfect.Their lives are perfect.

Enter Elsie Tyler, a fresh faced 20 year old from a small town in upstate New York.Elsie has a rare type of natural beauty, the kind that causes heads to turn. She is an object of desire to many.Men and women.
Much of the book concerns the unusual dynamic that is set up when Jack and Natalia both find themselves falling in love with Elsie.

Adding to the tension inherent in the narrative is the presence of Ralph Linderman, a socially isolated middle aged security guard, who takes a very unhealthy interest in Elsie's well being.

Highsmith developes the characters using detailed descriptions that ring absolutely true.These are characters you can practically reach out and touch. Moreover, every action taken is completely in character.Time after time I found myself thinking: "Yes, that is exactly what a woman like Natalia would have done." Or, "Isn't that just like Jack to do that very thing."Also presented with great skill is the ambiance of New York. The crowds, the shops, the restaurants. All the sights, sounds and smells of the city.

I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that Found in the Street is an unrecognized masterpiece of fiction.Very highly recommended.

Worth reading but not Highsmiths' best
Sometimes Highsmith's books make you think long after you put the book away, and I don't regret having read this one for that reason.It is a complex book with a very good portrayal Ralph, a lonely man who is on the verge of becoming dangerous. However,I thought the portrayal of Elsie was rather stereotyped. I have read all or most of Highsmith's books and I really thought they were better before her characters came "out of the closet".Her last books, including "Small g" seem to tout the gay/lesbian lifestyle to the expense of the plot.They are lighter books and seem to be saying "anything goes."I agree with a previous reviewer, that not many people, of any gender, are that accepting of their partners having lots of lovers, be they male or female.In fact, I thought her earlier books had more of a cutting edge when you weren't sure just where the characters were coming from.For example, inStrangers on a Train you don't really know what Bruno's problem is and that makes him even more frightening.For a sensitive book about a lesbian affair, The Price of Salt is much better than the others that address this theme. In my opinion it was done with great sensitivity and could be read and understood by anyone regardless of their sexual preference.My favorite Highsmith is Those Who Walk Away, followed by the Ripley series. There is always something to be gained by reading this author because her prose and characterization are definitely a cut above.Even when the book, like this one, doesn't quite fall together.

A modern classic
This is one of my favorite of her books.It must be read twice to fully appreciate it, though.Very underrated.

Get that kid out of the story!
This was my first Highsmith novel and I am pleased to know that there are better ones out there. I did think that the pacing was good and the tension sufficient for my limited tolerance. However the characters were outlandishly polite and accepting over death, our of marriage affairs, gay and otherwise, and the gentle manner by which marital sex was managed.There were so many brilliant moments in their lives, successful books, art world ingenuity, even two very significant deaths were magnificently endured.Following one murder, the couple shared drinks, mulled over the wife's gay affair and the husband's otherwise erotic obsession, to be followed by lamb chops-perfect, I'm sure.The child of this wealth and beauty union, was over the edge of my tolerance however. She could draw upon command, was never impossibly intrusive and went easily whenever the plot commanded, to the abundant babysitters who could instantly be called upon for days of support.
And yet the book had a definite intelligence, a psychological frisson,in the the ambiguous questionably sinister watchful movements of a lonely and completely marginalized 50 year old man. We try to stay ahead of that very slender line where he keeps his madness, his rage and consuming sexual confusion from psychopathic proportions. At the same timethe story is unbearably tragic when he is brutalized by the violent toughs who reduce him from even the slightest acceptability. We wait for another personality or some violence from him or to him, its a gamble and it's well done.We do not know the details of how this character became isolated by his own broken memories, Ralph is isolated by virtue of his own broken memories,but we know they are unmentionable.The book is redeemed through his part in it.

an unfortunate divergence from Highsmith's proven formula...
'Found in the Street' is certainly one of Highsmith's stranger books.Firstly, nearly all the characters are gay, bi-sexual, or at least very gay accepting.Even in today's era of enlightenment I found all this to be a bit unrealistic.Secondly, Highsmith lets down the reader by not capitalising on the suspense built up throughout much of the book.In other words the book's ending is a dud.Having said all this, 'Found in the Street' is standard Highsmith in that it is well-written (nice prose) and the characterisations are quite decent (despite the contrived gay aspect).

So what's the story about?It concerns a young, newly gay-enlightened woman in NYC being chased by an obsessive middle-aged bachelor.Coincidentally this middle-aged bachelor finds a wallet in the street owned by an artist.This artist's wife has some lesbian tendencies.All the characters then mesh together and, well, that's pretty much it.As I mentioned above, the ending is rather poor.

As an aside, Highsmith has done a MUCH better story concerning lesbians in her classic 'Carol'.That book is strongly recommended regardless of the reader's gender or gender preference.

Bottom line: 'Found is the Street' is really a forgettable piece of lesbian-mystery nonsense.Yet it is generally well-written, and I suspect Highsmith fans will find it okay. ... Read more

Product Description
Tom Ripley is a man who wants money, success, the good life - and is willing to kill for it. To avoid charges of forgery, the Buckmaster Gallery must produce the British painter, Derwatt. But he is dead. Tom Ripley is called in to work miracles, and will stop at nothing to protect himself. ... Read more