The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide

By Bright Summaries

Unlock the more straightforward side of The Price of Salt with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!

This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith, which traces the burgeoning love affair between the 19-year-old shop clerk Therese Belivet and Carol Aird, a glamourous, alluring older woman who is undergoing an acrimonious divorce. In spite of their apparent differences, the two women are soon unable to deny their attraction to one another, and must fight against the pervasive homophobia that conspires to keep them apart. The Price of Salt was initially published under a pseudonym, before being republished as Carol under Highsmith’s own name. The novel’s happy ending was unprecedented for lesbian fiction at the time, and it inspired an Academy Award-winning film in 2015.

Find out everything you need to know about The Price of Salt in a fraction of the time!

This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:
• A complete plot summary
• Character studies
• Key themes and symbols
• Questions for further reflection

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• Language: English
• Publisher: BrightSummaries.com
• Release date: Apr 3, 2019
• ISBN: 9782808016292

Book preview

AMERICAN NOVELIST

Born in Fort Worth in 1921.

Died in Locarno in 1995.

Notable works:

Strangers on a Train (1950), novel

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1955), novel

A Dog’s Ransom (1972), novel

Patricia Highsmith was one of the most important thriller and mystery writers of the 20th century. Her work explores the psychological underpinnings behind criminal minds and investigates the philosophical questions behind crime, including the notions of good and evil.

A number of her novels explore the personalities of criminals and seek to uncover how a person can deviate far enough from social norms to become a murderer.

Highsmith wrote 22 novels and several short story collections and essays, and her works have been adapted numerous times for the cinema and the theatre. She first rose to fame after Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980) adapted her novel Strangers on a Train in 1951, and her career spanned five decades. One of her most important works is the Ripley series, commonly known as the Ripliad, which started with The Talented Mr. Ripley and follows the life of a charming con artist and serial killer.

In her personal life, Highsmith was known for her hostile manners