The last time I posted about Patricia Highsmith's The Two Faces of January, I was just over halfway through the book and loving it. I found it suspenseful and full of sexual tension and told you that I could hardly wait for the thriller to be adapted for the screen. I've now finished the novel and while something utterly unexpected occurred just past that halfway point that thoroughly shook me, my enthusiasm for the project hasn't changed. Avoiding spoilers - it's such a good read - here's how the story is described on the book jacket-"Athens, 1962. Rydal Keener is an American expat working as a tour guide and running cons on the side. He is mostly killing time, searching for adventure. But in Chester McFarland, a charismatic American businessman, and his flirtatious and beautiful young wife, Colette, Rydal finds more than he bargained for. After an incident at a hotel puts the wealthy couple in danger, Rydal ties his fate to theirs. He's compromised. Events spin out of control, and infatuation and sexual tension mount among the dangerous triangle, building to a shocking climax among the labyrinthine ruins."That climax is truly shocking, and truthfully, I was initially so put off by the turn of events I was reluctant to read on. But in for a penny - (or 200 or so pages) - in for a pound (finish the damn book!) so I read on and I'm glad I did. It's such a cat and mouse game, with the players so well-matched I really had no idea who would win out - if anyone - in the end.I'm nervous to say much more for fear of ruining it for those of you who haven't read The Two Faces of January yet, but I can say Patricia Highsmith wasn't called the #1 crime writer of all time by the London Times for nothing! The author of The Talented Mr. Ripley, Strangers on a Train, The Price of Salt and a slew of other novels and short stories knew how to craft intrigue. I think part of her exceptional skill is her understanding of the weakness of men - and women - and how our duplicitous, self-centered natures can land us in some very hot water if we're not careful of where we go, and who we go with.None of the three characters is careful, not careful enough anyway. There is a constant question of who to trust. And all three are liars to one degree or another, including being guilty of the cardinal sin of lying to themselves. Our friend Rydal seems particularly disposed to that. It's always dicey to have main characters that aren't exactly entirely likable. Colette is a tease, and dependent on your point of view, an adulteress, too content with her financial circumstances to question their unsavory source. Rydal is greedy, opportunistic and self-centered, McFarland is little more than a self-entitled crook; both men believe their rights, their needs, their desires trump all others. READ THE REST OVER AT MY BOOK-TO-MOVIE BLOG: http://chapter1-take1.blogspot.com/20...
Con artist Chester MacFarland is wanted by the police back in America, but here in Greece, he feels free to roam with his young Colette. That was until he accidently kills a police officer in his hotel room. The young American law graduate, Rydal Keener is there to help them escape the city. This accident has brought the three together but is this for the best or is there something else at play?Patricia Highsmith is often referred to as the queen of suspense and The Two Faces of January does not do anything to contradict this. The title alone gives the reader a pretty clear idea of what to expect; the month of January is named after the Roman god Janus. Janus has two faces, one looking to the future while the other looks at the past. The term Janus-faced means “having two sharply contrasting aspects or characteristics”. In the biography Beautiful Shadow: A Life of Patricia Highsmith by Andrew Wilson, Highsmith stated that the title was a reference to the flux-like nature of the characters that she likes to create.When it comes to character development, Patricia Highsmith really shines like no other. She has a great ability to create complex characters that feel authentic, and that is an ability that I find lacking in a lot of suspense novels. In The Two Faces of January, Highsmith creates a love triangle that is actually interesting to read about. There is the homoerotic relationship between Chester and Rydal and Colette is also quite taken by this young law graduate. This turns the book into more of a psychological look at the shifting nature of relationships rather than a thriller. It does depends on how the reader decides to read The Two Faces of January but for me the depth is what stood out for me.I probably should mention that The Two Faces of January was adapted into a movie back in 2014 starring Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst and Oscar Isaac. This was the directorial debut for Hossein Amini, who is best known writing the screenplay for the novels Drive and Our Kind of Traitor; he even wrote the script for The Two Faces of January. I know I need to have more Highsmith within my reading life and I am thinking about re-reading The Talented Mr Ripley, before continuing on with the series. I have noticed there are new editions of the Highsmith’s novels lately and I think I should take advantage of the availability while they are easily accessible.This review originally appeared on my blog; http://www.knowledgelost.org/literatu...
What do You think about The Two Faces Of January (1994)?
I went looking for this one because Viggo Mortensen's name is attached to a possible movie adaptation. Rather to my surprise, I discover this is the first Highsmith I have read, though I'm certainly familiar with the names of her more celebrated works, "Strangers on a Train" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley."Curiously, I found myself "over-reading" this at first. Even though the story is very firmly and obviously in the POV of the two male characters (in alternating chapters) I kept questioning whet
—Surreysmum
Two con men , young Rydal Keener living on the cheap while looking for adventure and Chester MacFarland a racketeer fleeing the U.S. accompanied by his young beautiful wife, cross paths in Athens and become entangled in an ill fated triangle of crime and romance. This Best Foreign Novel Award(1964) winning book is the early work of Patricia Highsmith who was an acclaimed English mystery and suspense writer most famous for her ( The Talented Mr.) Ripley series . My copy is the reprint ( 2014) which accompanied the movie release by the same name. This was the August read for my senior citizens Bookclub and though not my usual genre I enjoyed it as a nice change of pace.3 stars
—Camie
3d-rate Highsm makes a terrible movie. In fact, milady is vastly overrated. Hitchcock brought her attention w "Strangers on a Train." He altered huge chunks of the novel, which one must do, and then added ingenious Hitchery "moments." In 1961, French director Rene Clement made a sssh! hot & sexy film version of "The Talented Mr Ripley," which was called "Purple Noon." It pushes aside the bloated Minghella paraphrase w the young and gorgeous Alain Delon as Tom Ripley -- not to be missed.I dumped "2 Faces" after reading...argghhh...but was curious to see this film, which is the amateur hour - lousy direction, lousy script, and down-syndrome casting. Do I make myself clear?
—Sketchbook
