THE TALENTED MS. PATRICIA HIGHSMITH

A complicated storyteller whose books continue to intrigue readers today.

The recent re-release of The Talented Mr. Ripley featuring the 1999 cover art got us thinking about the author, Patricia Highsmith. Her brilliant collection of psychological thrillers was always slightly sinister in nature and kept her readers guessing.

To say that Highsmith’s life was unconventional for the 1950's would be an understatement. As an atheist, bisexual who battled depression, she preferred the company of animals to people. A shy child, Highsmith “often fantasized about disappearing,” which probably led to her fascination with inhabiting the life of another as manifested in the characters she wrote about.

Her escapist stories often dealt with murder, voyeurism and themes having to do with identity as well as homosexuality – controversial subjects for the times, especially for a female author. Despite that, the public devoured her stories. Her books proved incredibly popular as evidenced by the dozen or so that were turned into movies including the Hitchcock classic, “Strangers on a Train,” the 2015 film, “Carol” starring Cate Blanchett and of course the beautifully shot “The Talented Mr. Ripley” starring Matt Damon, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Look for the exclusive 1999 cover art edition of The Talented Mr. Ripley at your local bookstore or wherever books are sold.