Deep Water
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Book Overview
Now a major motion picture starring Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas In Deep Water , set in the quiet, small town of Little Wesley, Patricia Highsmith has created a vicious and suspenseful tale of love gone sour. Vic and Melinda Van Allen's loveless marriage is held together only by a precarious arrangement whereby, in order to avoid the messiness of divorce, Melinda is allowed to take any number of lovers as long as she does not desert her family. Eventually, Vic can no longer suppress his jealousy and tries to win back his wife by asserting himself through a tall tale of murder--one that soon comes true. In this complex portrayal of a dangerous psychosis emerging in the most unlikely of places, Highsmith examines the chilling reality behind the idyllic facade of American suburban life.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0393324559
ISBN13:9780393324556
Release Date:May 2012
Publisher:W. W. Norton & Company
Length:272 Pages
Weight:0.65 lbs.
Dimensions:0.7" x 4.7" x 9.2"
Customer Reviews
5 ratings
In a League of Her Own!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 14 years ago
I've read the Ripley books, her book on writing mystery and suspense novels, which I found excellent, and just recently read Deep Water and found it absolutely hynotic. Highsmith was a marvelous storyteller, understated and brilliant! Just ordered her bio A Beautiful Shadow by Andrew Wilson, looking forward to it. Chill Waters
Classic Highsmith
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 14 years ago
This is classic dark, hilarious, truly scary Patricia Highsmith. Almost as good as the Ripley books, which are so good that they're in a class of their own. Definitely worth reading.
Patricia Highsmith at her very best
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
This is Patricia Highsmith at her best: a very good page turner, beautifuly written, with great characters and a very good plot. It starts right away and keeps the suspens on until 3 pages before the end of the book. What is not enough said is that Patricia Highsmith was a great writer, and nobody wrote better thrillers in her time. This is a masterpiece outside of the Ripleyiad, but pretty close to it. Enjoy!
Never better motives for becoming a murderer
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
Another brilliant story of bottled up emotions, of a protagonist who seems to be free of passion, seemingly has no sexual urges, takes insult with apparent lack of interest, and yet slowly builds up the pressure until he erupts. Vic, the typically Highsmithian hero, is almost too good to be true, as a father, as a friend, as a neigbour, as an employer, as a professional. And then of course he isn't all that good. We might have guessed. We have a hard time understanding his patience with his wife. We never quite understand how he can play along for years. The plot starter is quite original: Vic's wife is outrageously unfaithful, but he is not yet known to be in the least jealous; surprisingly, he starts a rumour that he killed a former lover of his wife's. This is for a time quite effective in scaring away new suitors. Then, in a way unfortunately, the real killer gets caught. Vic has lost some of his status in the neighbourhood, and then he crosses the step from fantasy to reality. In order to rebuild the mystery surrounding him? One wishes him well, hopes he will get away with it. That is the main driver of considerable suspense in this masterpiece. One of her best.
At last . . .
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 21 years ago
I'm happy that this -- one of Patricia Highsmith's finest novels -- is back in print, because it deserves to be read.The set-up is that Vic and Melinda are unhappily married, but rather than divorce, since they have a daughter, he lets her go off and have affairs (this seems quite an interesting concept to have proposed in 1957, when this book came out) -- and you'd think that surely, a little jealousy might come in on his part, right? Right. . . . And from here, it goes off in some interesting directions. I really didn't expect the ending. And now that it's finally available, go ahead and get it! You're missing a great novel otherwise.
Deep Water Mentions in Our Blog
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Published by Ashly Moore Sheldon • May 23, 2023
Patricia Highsmith's life was marked by difficult personal relationships, self-destructive tendencies, and an endless pursuit to refine her work as an artist. A flurry of new television and film projects regarding the author have recently been announced. In the meantime, here are our picks for the essential Patricia Highsmith reading list.
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