Reviews

Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith

mmariah's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

snowbenton's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Props to Highsmith for making me sympathize with the man in this novel.

I definitely thought it was funny when he told Melinda's lover that he killed her previous one by referencing a man who had been killed recently. And I was intrigued but not terribly surprised when he actually killed Delisle (forgive me if I spelled that wrong, I listened to the audio which was great). And somehow Highsmith managed to make me mad at Melinda for going around town telling people that Vic killed him. I was listening in my car mumbling "damn it, Melinda, he's going to go to jail if you keep this up," despite the fact that he actually committed the crime. Incredible. I loved that both murders weren't premeditated, just opportunity attacks from a man who was tired and ashamed. I was expecting him to kill Melinda by the end but it still took me by surprise; though seeing that Don brought the police, while morally satisfying, left me a little disappointed. I expected more from you, Vic. Trixie deserved better.

lenamittermaier1's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

tsumommy's review against another edition

3.0

A little hard to get into, then strangely compelling story about no one very likable. Abrupt ending, would have preferred a little more denouement than just a couple pages.

ems12345's review against another edition

4.5

i hate to admit this but i was rooting for the sociopath

sambailey's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

papernapkin's review against another edition

3.0

Patricia Highsmth's reputation for messing with your head might be a little overblown. This is the first novel of hers I've read though-- maybe others are better. I ended up half-rooting for the sociopath, which I don't think I was supposed to do. I loved the films of Ripley and Strangers on a Train, so maybe I just started with the wrong book. As far as similar psychological thrillers go, I thought Ira Levin's A Kiss Before Dying was better.

davidb71's review against another edition

3.25

I don't know if I've read too many books featuring psychopathic, or to some extent sociopathic, protagonists lately - from Highsmith and also several books by Peter Swanson - but maybe this was just one book too many of this type for me at the moment. I didn't really warm to it. I still thought it was decent, but it just felt so miserable.  It's a portrait of a horrible marriage, and I didn't like either the main character Vic, or his wife Melinda. Of course, I don't need to like characters in order to enjoy a book, but I need to feel invested in them in some way, I need to find the story engaging.  This felt too heavy and depressing and just plain miserable to me. I just wanted them to split up. Quite aside from the murders, I just didn't enjoy reading about this awful marriage. 

It is still nicely done, though. It is interesting to think about the psychology of the people involved, and why they do the things they do, and the story is vividly told. And it does in many ways feels fresh and - to my mind - quite modern. There are some attitudes, behaviours and details that ground it in its time (1957, I think) but the core of the novel felt surprisingly modern to me. 

I like novels that are dark and challenging but this just didn't quite hit that spot for me and it veered more into being a bleak, miserable and heavy read. But maybe I'm at fault here and it was just the wrong book at the wrong time for me, and I wasn't in quite the right mood for it. I still think this is a smart, accomplished and thought-provoking novel. 

beffy94's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

shewan's review against another edition

5.0

Highsmith does Yates (this is a compliment).