Rating: 
Summary: A Happy Ending... For a Change.
Review: I was introduced to Therese and Carol, the two protaganists in Highsmith's lesbian romance The Price of Salt, my Sophomore year of college in a Gay and Lesbian Lit. Class. The professor told the class she had picked the book becuase it was well written and it presented an interesting twist to a gay love story, no one dies or goes straight at the end(imagine that). This alone is not neccesarily compelling enough to get someone to read Salt, after all, today's gay and lesbian love stories often end in positive and fulfilled ways. But for Highsmith's Salt, written in the 1950s, this was a stretch. The reader will enjoy the subtleness of the prose and the indepth look at the confusion and chaos that can occur when two women come together and realize their mutual attraction and then love for each other. In addition, the novel is a dynamic look at 1950s America as the characters adventure out of New York and off into the Great American Wide Open. I encourage gay and straight readers to venture forth with Therese and Carol. Salt allows a beautiful look into the world of finding one's soul mate and falling in love. Becuase, above all, Highsmith has written a love story, not just a lesbian work of fiction.
Rating:
Summary: One of this writers best efforts.
Review: In 1952 Patricia Highsmith composed this personal and revelatory classic. Harper & Bros, publisher of Highsmith's "Strangers on a Train," refused to issue this novel due to its controversial subject matter. The powers that be convinced Highmsith that publishing under her own name would adversely impact her career the way Gore Vidal's had initially been by "The City and the Pillar." The Naiad Press out of Tallahassee, Florida published this volume under the pseudonym Claire Morgan. Ironically, "The Price of Salt" became one of this author's best sellers. All that seems so long ago - another lifetime. Indeed, it's hard to conceive of Michael Cunningham or Tony Kushner having to contend with such issues. So, now that all of the controversy has abated we can judge this novel on it's own merits, and the verdict is a happy one. "The Price of Salt" is one of Highsmith's best efforts. This novel works on a number of levels. It is both a "coming out" story and a "love" story, with a bit of the author's trademark suspense thrown in for good measure. The story has an emotional honesty and autobigraphical sensibility; qaulities that are noticeably absent from much of her other work. I found myself pulling for Carol and Therese, and found the development of their relationship to be natural and true to life. The "happy ending" is achieved in an uncompromising fashion that doesn't feel false or contrived. I am reminded of a Stephen Sondheim lyric: "wishes come true, not free." These characters paid a price for their happiness - it wasn't free.
Rating:
Summary: Often fascinating Lesbian romance; a milestone in gay lit.
Review: Sometimes called the first Lesbian novel with a happy ending, Patricia Highsmith's psudonymous 1952 character study turns the suspense that would distinguish her later "Ripley" mysteries toward a deceptively tame subject: a love story. Here, the "whodunit" becomes a "will they" - more precisely, will the young lovers drive off into the sunset? It's a chancy gambit that ultimately works as a romantic thriller, thanks to Highsmith's skill and the novel's setting. In the heroines' upper middle-class, 1950's suburban world, even the most prim lesbian affair can mean losing child custody, social status, and murder (sound familiar?) Without the irony that hindsight has given us into the McCarthy era, Ms. Highsmith subtly paints society as a baleful force. The results insinuate creepily into the reader's consciousness. A treat for those who can remember, and for those who can project back.
Rating: 
Summary: A bit of a dissapointment
Review: The premise of the story seemed interesting, but it was written in a way that reminded me of books required for my high school Lit classes. So if you liked your Lit class books, you might like this one, especially since there seems to be an abundance of imagery in it.
The characters didn't seem to have much personality and the conversations were rather dull. I like getting into the heads of the characters, reading about what they're thinking and what makes them tick. After reading about 1/4 of the book I started skipping around to find more interesting character interaction - I didn't find many.
If you keep in mind that this book was written decades ago, you'll find that it's a groundbreaking book. My aversion to "classic literature" may have tainted my experience, so keep this in mind when deciding whether or not you want to read it. It wasn't bad, I was just dissapointed, that's all.
Rating:
Summary: subtle but very good, very complex
Review: The Price of Salt is one of those books where you read a few chapters and then let them swim around in your mind a while. The story is presented in a quick-read fashion but the subject matter is very complex. Highsmith describes the developing relationship between Carol and Therese in a very real, accessible way. It's worth reading a few times.
Rating: 
Summary: Little known classic novel...
Review: Therese, who works at a department store, meets Carol, soon to be divorced, and the two begin a friendship that slowly becomes more intimate. Carol's soon-to-be-ex-husband discovers the relationship, and moves to take custody of their daughter, challenging Carol to choose between her daughter and her lover. Therese must find her own fortitude to face this threat and ultimately decide where her path lies. Beautifully paced and captivating, this novel deserves a wider audience. I wish it would be made into a movie!
Rating:
Summary: Finding one's strength
Review: Therese, who works at a department store, meets Carol, soon to be divorced, and the two begin a friendship that slowly becomes more intimate. Carol's soon-to-be-ex-husband discovers the relationship, and moves to take custody of their daughter, challenging Carol to choose between her daughter and her lover. Therese must find her own fortitude to face this threat and ultimately decide where her path lies. Beautifully paced and captivating, this novel deserves a wider audience. I wish it would be made into a movie!
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