Highsmith: A Romance of the 1950's, a Memoir:
Select Format
Select Condition 
Book Overview
Patricia Highsmith, author of such classics as The Talented Mr. Ripley and Strangers on a Train , was a writer who defied simple categorization. Gore Vidal called her: "One of the greatest modernist writers." The Cleveland Plain Dealer rightly commented: "Patricia Highsmith is often called a mystery or crime writer, which is a bit like calling Picasso a draftsman." To young novelist Marijane Meaker, however, Highsmith was more than a role model. Shortly after the two met in a New York City lesbian bar, they became lovers and embarked on a two year romance amidst the bohemian set of Greenwich Village and the literary crowd of Fire Island. There, the pair navigated the underground lesbian scene, lunched with literary stars like Janet Flanner, shared intimacies, and gossiped with abandon. Written with wit and brassy candor, Highsmith: A Romance of 1950s is a revealing look at the controversial icon of popular American fiction.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:1573441716
ISBN13:9781573441711
Release Date:April 2003
Publisher:Cleis Press
Length:216 Pages
Weight:0.70 lbs.
Dimensions:0.4" x 5.5" x 8.5"
Customer Reviews
4 ratings
A History and Inside look at a famed lesbian relationship
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 21 years ago
I liked the historic setting for this book, telling the reader what gay life was like in the late 1950's. Meakers story about her love affair with famed author Highsmith was revealing. Though not sure I would want my relationship written about in a book by an ex, it is still well done. This was a book of non fiction that read like fiction with a history lesson on top of it. It is a wonderful multi dimensional read that should be in everyones library. This is the type of book you will not lend out in fear of not getting it returned.
Meaker is funny as h*ll!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 21 years ago
Although this is a bittersweet love story, it is told with a sense of wit and high grade storytelling. Of course there are the serious aspects of the intensely passionate relationship between Meaker and Highsmith. Meaker paints a vivid picture of a specific society in New York (and of city mice living in rural Pennsylvania) in the 1950's. Meaker is a talented raconteur and wonderful writer! I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about Patricia Highsmith, life in the 1950's (lesbian or otherwise), Marijane Meaker, a talented author in her own right, or a decent read. I also recommend Shockproof Sydney Skate to see how Meaker incorporated her nonfiction life into a fictional book. I read these books around the same time and I felt like I was back in time.
COULD NOT PUT IT [DOWN!!!]
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 21 years ago
This is one of this year's BEST reads. Not only do you get a revealing look at what makes the writer of Ripley tick, you also have a wonderful history of gay life in the 1950's ... plus the trials of two writers living together. Meaker is funny, honest, and truly moving in her observations then and now about the writer and the woman, Patricia Highsmith. It made me want to read a lot more of Meaker's works as well as rereading Highsmith ...
Truly fascinating!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 21 years ago
I've heard such mixed things about Patricia Highsmith over the years. The comments about her writing have been very positive, but most of the statements about her personality have been negative. Here we get a fair and balanced portrait of a fascinating individual. But more than that, Meaker's book gives us an intriguing perspective on New York in an earlier era when social mores may have been somewhat different but timeless human dramas played out with the same abandon as today. This memoir is written in incisive, witty, and honest prose. As I neared the final pages I found myself reading slower and slower because I didn't want the book to end.
Copyright © 2025 Thriftbooks.com
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information | Cookie Policy | Cookie Preferences | Accessibility Statement
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
