I LOVE Deep Water. I think that the difference is that modern domestic thrillers follow a very rigid and unbending formula. They’re about bizarre twists in the plot and high concepts that can be grasped in the title. Deep Water, by contrast, is a very subtle novel where nothing much happens and all of the suspense is purely psychological as opposed to plot-heavy.
Currently reading/listening to (Audible) Deep Water. Loving it. Didn't realize that P. Highsmith wrote Strangers on a Train as well (which I also liked). Your channel has been a wonderful resource in finding interesting titles to keep my Audible membership valid. Most all of my recent listens have been from your library recommendations. Good Stuff. Thank You!
Patricia Highsmith is one of the few psychological thriller writers I love. She was the queen. Loved Deep Water and the first Ripley is an all-time favorite.
I won't give away why, but Gillian Flynn was obviously reading a lot of Highsmith when she wrote Gone Girl. The only other novelist who I've found comes close to Highsmith is Ruth Rendell. I never read any of the Wexford books, but some of her psychological novels are almost as good as Highsmith. A Judgement In Stone, for instance, is superb, also made into a fantastic film, La Ceremonie by Claude Chabrol.
I just though of another Highsmith Ive read that would fit into her top triad : The Cry of the Owl. It was made into a film twice! You also mentioned you wanted suggestions for more domestic thrillers and like a commentator below I would recommend, who I refer to as the "English Highsmith"-Ruth Rendell...and while any of them are good my favorite might be: A Sight For Sore Eyes. Another writer I recently found is Elizabeth Sanxay Holding who wrote, The Blank Wall which was turned into a film,(again,twice), called The Reckless Moment -back in the 50s starring James Mason and Joan Bennett .
I read this book last year and loved it! Vic was such an interesting character! The movie from last year strayed from the book somewhat, but I still liked it quite a bit.
I just finished this book yesterday. I finished it in one day. It was great! The third Patricia Highsmith I’ve read and tied for equal best. I also love Library of America volumes. So well made and great content!
Gone Girl is the only domestic thriller in the last decade I’ve enjoyed - partly because I loved how neither protagonist is someone we should necessarily like or be pulling for so the lack of the black and white “good guy vs bad guy” trope was refreshing and fun. so this review made me super interested in checking it out!!
She wrote great comic books too, although she seems to have been embarrassed by them later in life. Odd women, possibly why her books are so good. You get the best look at things, including people and society, from outside.
Patricia Highsmith is so special. If you like her and haven't read The Silent Wife by ASA Harrison, you might give it a try. It's beautifully written and alternates POV as in Gone Girl, with both members of the couple getting equal time as the whole thing goes sideways. It's a slim one, too.
5 🌟? Adding this to the “when I feel like it list.” Your review makes the plot sound timely opposed to something from the 50’s. Looking forward to it. I ❤️ Library of America books. - 📚MJ
Love Highsmith. A bit off the subject but I particularly enjoyed one of her short stories, "Music to Die By." As a former postal worker, I'll say it really captured the mood there. Highsmith admitted to being a misanthrope and it definitely shows.
As. a Highsmith reader myself I agree that Deep Water is one of her best. The other one that I hold up as just as good is her novel: This Sweet Sickness. I would love to hear what you think of that one and maybe look forward to your review? Ive just recently in fact, started up to try and finish her books. I just finished Those Who Walk Away, and am about to start her book: A Tremor of Forgery.
A lot of people hate hate hate that book Ollie ! I think the hate is because of how repellent the characters are. Or shall I say how toxic the relationship is. Also, while I think you are correct that she intends to question gender role biases and inequities, she is also saying this: isn’t killing less objectionable than certain other breaking of social expectations and isn’t killing justified given some other so deserving kinds of people and circumstances? I really liked the book but almost didn’t like myself for that! Patricia HIGHSMITH will do that to you though!
I didn't know that! But I agree the characters aren't the nicest people! And yeah, Highsmith really does dig into some of the darker questions of our lives.
I love Patricia Highsmith - but I've not read this one so have moved it up the list. I took a break from modern domestic thrillers last year as I was losing patience with them. In short, I just couldn't relate to the characters - they all seemed to be so shallow and superficial and ridiculous. There was a lot of eye rolling from me! Shortly after the ban I read The Blunderer and I really liked it - that book represented what I actually want in domestic thrillers. I now try to find similar elements in modern writing; I love Liz Nugent who consistently writes excellent stories but I'm looking for others :)
Olly, I don't remember if you have access to the Criterion Channel in the UK, but if you do, they're showing a documentary this month called Loving Highsmith. Supposed to be pretty good.
Since starting to watch your channel, I have signed up to Goodreads. I have just brought P.Highsmith “strangers on a train” But I already have a huge TBR list lol Consisting of all the books you’ve pretty much read or recommended 😂😂 Cheers 👍🏻
I use to be a big thriller reader but I’ve sort of stopped purchasing them because they’re all the same. I would recommendMy Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing. It’s a bit of a different thriller written from the perspective of a husband.
Having bought LOA books, £20 sounds like a bargain. Didn't get on with the one Patricia Highsmith book I tried (Ripley), but I'll probably give her another shot. (Did give up on Gillian Flynn, so it might be destined for failure.)
This was adapted recently by Searchlight for Hulu, starring Ben Affleck and Ana De Armas. Reviews were a bit mixed, but I personally loved the picture for it's trashy nature lol Had no idea it was based on a novel!
Maybe it's more very talented writer versus marginally talented writer regardless of the decade? I picked up "The Velvet Whip" (1954) by Leonard Snyder recently and it's simultaneously as bananas and loosely strung together as a lot of of "now" domestic thrillers.
Most of the domestic suspense novels that I've read have been mediocre or down right bad. I like the subject matter/sphere of these books so I'm disappointed they haven't better. They're popular bc they play on the fear that our most dangerous threat comes from the people around us-- esp our domestic partners. Gone Girl remains my favorite in this subgenre. G Flynn is a better writer than a lot of her contemporaries. I like all her books.
I LOVE Deep Water. I think that the difference is that modern domestic thrillers follow a very rigid and unbending formula. They’re about bizarre twists in the plot and high concepts that can be grasped in the title. Deep Water, by contrast, is a very subtle novel where nothing much happens and all of the suspense is purely psychological as opposed to plot-heavy.
That's true - it's much more character based
Currently reading/listening to (Audible) Deep Water. Loving it. Didn't realize that P. Highsmith wrote Strangers on a Train as well (which I also liked). Your channel has been a wonderful resource in finding interesting titles to keep my Audible membership valid. Most all of my recent listens have been from your library recommendations. Good Stuff. Thank You!
Patricia Highsmith is one of the few psychological thriller writers I love. She was the queen. Loved Deep Water and the first Ripley is an all-time favorite.
I won't give away why, but Gillian Flynn was obviously reading a lot of Highsmith when she wrote Gone Girl. The only other novelist who I've found comes close to Highsmith is Ruth Rendell. I never read any of the Wexford books, but some of her psychological novels are almost as good as Highsmith. A Judgement In Stone, for instance, is superb, also made into a fantastic film, La Ceremonie by Claude Chabrol.
Yeah a Judgement in Stone was excellent
Thanks for recommending A Judgement In Stone - I just added it! :)
I just though of another Highsmith Ive read that would fit into her top triad : The Cry of the Owl. It was made into a film twice! You also mentioned you wanted suggestions for more domestic thrillers and like a commentator below I would recommend, who I refer to as the "English Highsmith"-Ruth Rendell...and while any of them are good my favorite might be: A Sight For Sore Eyes. Another writer I recently found is Elizabeth Sanxay Holding who wrote, The Blank Wall which was turned into a film,(again,twice), called The Reckless Moment -back in the 50s starring James Mason and Joan Bennett .
A Sight for Sore Eyes is my favorite Rendell also. A slow-burn story that really sticks the landing.
@@Robbo_C There's also a french film version but hard to find.
I read this book last year and loved it! Vic was such an interesting character!
The movie from last year strayed from the book somewhat, but I still liked it quite a bit.
Yeah.a couple of people have said the movie is decent so I might give it a try
I just finished this book yesterday. I finished it in one day. It was great! The third Patricia Highsmith I’ve read and tied for equal best.
I also love Library of America volumes. So well made and great content!
There's another LOA collection of crime novels, this time from the 60s, due out in about six months (just spotted on Amazon). Highsmith's in that too.
Oh awesome!
Gone Girl is the only domestic thriller in the last decade I’ve enjoyed - partly because I loved how neither protagonist is someone we should necessarily like or be pulling for so the lack of the black and white “good guy vs bad guy” trope was refreshing and fun. so this review made me super interested in checking it out!!
all those snails! great book. you should try the drowning ground one day if you get the chance.
Yeah that was deeply weird! And I'm reading all of her books, so will get to that one eventually
Thanks for this review! I ordered a copy from my favorite used bookseller today and can't wait to read it based on your comments. Thanks!
She wrote great comic books too, although she seems to have been embarrassed by them later in life. Odd women, possibly why her books are so good. You get the best look at things, including people and society, from outside.
Yeah I saw that the other day! I might have to try and get hold of some
Love you Olly for sharing such nice reviews. Thank you for this
My pleasure!
Patricia Highsmith is so special. If you like her and haven't read The Silent Wife by ASA Harrison, you might give it a try. It's beautifully written and alternates POV as in Gone Girl, with both members of the couple getting equal time as the whole thing goes sideways. It's a slim one, too.
5 🌟? Adding this to the “when I feel like it list.” Your review makes the plot sound timely opposed to something from the 50’s. Looking forward to it. I ❤️ Library of America books. - 📚MJ
Yep 5 whole stars!
Love Highsmith. A bit off the subject but I particularly enjoyed one of her short stories, "Music to Die By." As a former postal worker, I'll say it really captured the mood there.
Highsmith admitted to being a misanthrope and it definitely shows.
Yeah she doesn't seem to be the biggest fan of people, although she definitely gets them
As. a Highsmith reader myself I agree that Deep Water is one of her best. The other one that I hold up as just as good is her novel: This Sweet Sickness. I would love to hear what you think of that one and maybe look forward to your review? Ive just recently in fact, started up to try and finish her books. I just finished Those Who Walk Away, and am about to start her book: A Tremor of Forgery.
A lot of people hate hate hate that book Ollie ! I think the hate is because of how repellent the characters are. Or shall I say how toxic the relationship is. Also, while I think you are correct that she intends to question gender role biases and inequities, she is also saying this: isn’t killing less objectionable than certain other breaking of social expectations and isn’t killing justified given some other so deserving kinds of people and circumstances? I really liked the book but almost didn’t like myself for that! Patricia HIGHSMITH will do that to you though!
I didn't know that! But I agree the characters aren't the nicest people! And yeah, Highsmith really does dig into some of the darker questions of our lives.
I love Patricia Highsmith - but I've not read this one so have moved it up the list. I took a break from modern domestic thrillers last year as I was losing patience with them. In short, I just couldn't relate to the characters - they all seemed to be so shallow and superficial and ridiculous. There was a lot of eye rolling from me! Shortly after the ban I read The Blunderer and I really liked it - that book represented what I actually want in domestic thrillers. I now try to find similar elements in modern writing; I love Liz Nugent who consistently writes excellent stories but I'm looking for others :)
I'll watch this later because I'm reading this now. Better than Strangers on a Train. Creepy in a subtle way.
Olly, I don't remember if you have access to the Criterion Channel in the UK, but if you do, they're showing a documentary this month called Loving Highsmith. Supposed to be pretty good.
A 5~Star review for one of my favourite Highsmith novels.
Thank you
You’ve convinced me to put PH on my “To Read” list!
Since starting to watch your channel, I have signed up to Goodreads.
I have just brought P.Highsmith “strangers on a train”
But I already have a huge TBR list lol
Consisting of all the books you’ve pretty much read or recommended 😂😂
Cheers 👍🏻
It was brilliant!
I use to be a big thriller reader but I’ve sort of stopped purchasing them because they’re all the same. I would recommendMy Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing. It’s a bit of a different thriller written from the perspective of a husband.
Having bought LOA books, £20 sounds like a bargain.
Didn't get on with the one Patricia Highsmith book I tried (Ripley), but I'll probably give her another shot. (Did give up on Gillian Flynn, so it might be destined for failure.)
🖤💚
This was adapted recently by Searchlight for Hulu, starring Ben Affleck and Ana De Armas. Reviews were a bit mixed, but I personally loved the picture for it's trashy nature lol Had no idea it was based on a novel!
I remember when it came out and some of the critics wished it was more trashy. It was directed by a guy known for his trashy erotic thrillers.
Maybe it's more very talented writer versus marginally talented writer regardless of the decade? I picked up "The Velvet Whip" (1954) by Leonard Snyder recently and it's simultaneously as bananas and loosely strung together as a lot of of "now" domestic thrillers.
I thought I liked domestic suspense but the last few I read were just awful. I will be trying this although I didn't love the Talented Mr. Ripley.
It has a similar tone to Ripley, so if you didn't enjoy that one it may not be the book for you
Most of the domestic suspense novels that I've read have been mediocre or down right bad. I like the subject matter/sphere of these books so I'm disappointed they haven't better. They're popular bc they play on the fear that our most dangerous threat comes from the people around us-- esp our domestic partners. Gone Girl remains my favorite in this subgenre. G Flynn is a better writer than a lot of her contemporaries. I like all her books.
Were you aware there is a Ben Affleck movie based on DEEP WATER?
I had heard that
Hmm might be time to dip the toe into this Deep Water. Did you see what I did there ? 😉