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Carol

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Carol

By: Patricia Highsmith
Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow
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About this listen

NOW A HUGELY ACCLAIMED, SIX-TIMES OSCAR-NOMINATED FILM STARRING CATE BLANCHETT AND ROONEY MARA

'Full of tremor and of threat and of her peculiar genius for anxiety' SUNDAY TIMES

'A document of persecuted love . . . perfect' INDEPENDENT

'Some books change lives. This is one of them' VAL MCDERMID

A groundbreaking American novel for its honest and sensitive portrayal of a lesbian couple in the 1950s, Carol is a truly remarkable story.

Therese is just an ordinary sales assistant working in a New York department store when an alluring woman in her thirties walks up to her counter. Standing there, Therese is wholly unprepared for the first shock of love. She is an awkward nineteen-year-old with a job she hates and a boyfriend she doesn't love. Carol is a sophisticated, bored suburban housewife in the throes of a divorce and a custody battle for her only daughter. As Therese becomes irresistibly drawn into Carol's world, she soon realises how much they both stand to lose.

First published pseudonymously in 1952 as The Price of Salt, Carol is a hauntingly atmospheric love story set against the backdrop of fifties New York.©1984 Claire Morgan (P)2014 Isis Publishing
Fiction Literary Fiction Heartfelt New York
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What listeners say about Carol

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A real writer

Read my first Highsmith recently (The Talented Mr Ripley) and was knocked out by the qualities of her writing. Decided to try this one as something really different. Lots of good things here, besides being very brave in its day.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

amazing

a beautiful lesbian romance . not vile or forced by male gaze a true account of love between women

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

absolutely stunning

this quickly became one of my favorite books. I couldn't put it down for two nights in a row.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Timeless

Absolutely absorbing timeless book. The characters are strong and the story of two women's love is deep and intense. There is good pace to the story wishing you to turn the pages or listen right to the dramatic end.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Magnificent

A brilliant portrayal of people and situations as real today as in 1952. A masterpiece.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Oh my.

Where does Carol rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 5

Who was your favorite character and why?

Carol. Different. Daring. Intense.

Have you listened to any of Laurel Lefkow’s other performances? How does this one compare?

None.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If only. Yes.

Any additional comments?

I read this years ago and was drawn to it again after the film production was in the news. Its flow from tension to joy to despair dragged me along with it. I kept feeling like I was being punched, like I was nervous and terrified. I can't remember being caught up in a story like this for a long time.
The afterword by Patricia Highsmith is an education in itself.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great characters

Would you consider the audio edition of Carol to be better than the print version?

I enjoyed the audible version and the narration was excellent, so it probably brought the characters to life really well.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I like both the main characters, but for different reasons.

Have you listened to any of Laurel Lefkow’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There are some touching moments, not a lot of laughs, but it's an interesting microcosm.

Any additional comments?

Strong sense of time, location and attitudes. Character driven in the main, but totally engrossed by the story. Looking forward to seeing how well it's done on film.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A lovely book

A nice book. Easy to get lost in. Well written. I read it in a day and didn't want to put it down.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great if you want more after the movie

I really enjoyed this audiobook, the narration specially made listening to it fun and lively. I loved the story as a gay person myself, to recognise and compare feelings that are rarely acknowledged in novels of this kind (historical by someone of that time). And after listening to the whole thing I did hold back tears during the conclusion and my heart grew two sizes from happiness.

My only criticism of the story would be that the main character Therese is a big dramatic weirdo, who cannot stop being grandiloquent for more than ten minutes even while pondering about flowers, cars or old people. But it really comes off as a fully integrated and intended part of the character and not as a writing style flaw. It just leaves you smiling, "oh my god Therese calm down".

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Uplifting and enjoyable...

What I loved most about this book was it's sense of realness and urgency, i think that it captured so well the emotions, fascinations and trepidations of the lead characters so well........and.......could there be a better ending...!?!?!

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