The Price Of Salt By Patricia Highsmith May 2026

Read the 1990 edition, which includes Highsmith’s afterword about the book's reception [2].

Watch the 2015 adaptation, Carol , directed by Todd Haynes, starring Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett. It is widely praised for capturing the novel's atmospheric tension [7]. The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith

Much of the tension arises from the disparity between Therese’s working-class struggle and Carol’s mid-century luxury [1]. Read the 1990 edition

The road trip represents a temporary utopia that is eventually shattered by the legal realities of 1950s society [6]. 5. Essential Reading/Viewing directed by Todd Haynes

Sophisticated, wealthy, and burdened by the social expectations of her class. She must choose between her daughter and her authentic self.

Highsmith focuses heavily on how Therese watches Carol—the obsession with details like gloves, perfume, and cigarettes [5].