A Game for the Living

I tend to go for the harder edge of mystery and noir (Andrew Vachss, Chester Himes, etc.), but whenever I can afford it, I buy a new Highsmith novel. Why? Because she creates believeable characters and absorbing settings, and her books are more than just the mystery that's a segment (sometimes, as in this case, a small one) of the plot. Unlike the chilling "Cry Of The Owl", this novel is more about Theodore and Ramon than it is about the murder that it opens with. This isn't a wild ride, edge-of-your-seat book. Instead it lures you in by making you care about the characters. Highsmith seems almost to forget about the murder, in fact, and explores these two men, and their relationship, at some depth. The mystery is paid attention to...but the novel ends on a note that implies maybe it isn't as neat as the characters think. If you're looking for an out-and-out mystery, or a suspense thriller, "The Cry Of The Owl", an equally good book, is probably more for you. But if you like psychodrama, definitely pick up "A Game For The Living."

Yep -- it's another fine piece of work from Patricia Highsmith, who was, I'm becoming increasingly convinced, one of the 20th century's most accomplished and important writers. I wonder how long it will take folks to figure this out (and to start putting many of her long-lost books back in print) -- esp. since she is cleverly disguised as a suspense/thriller writer (and she is a darned good one); but she's equally interested in exploring the complexities of modern life, with its alienation, widespread atheism, and deliberate cruelty. "A Game for the Living" is something of a whodunit, but also a beautifully realized tour of Mexico at mid-century, plus a flawless character study of two men who are polar opposites, one of whom commits himself to friendship with the other, despite the distinct possibility that the other man murdered the girl they both loved. It's a deeply moving portrait of friendship, and another great read from Miss Highsmith's collection.

This is my first encounter with Patricia Highsmith, and I've very favorably impressed and looking forward to reading another of her novels immediately. Not being really conversant with the "who done it" genre, if indeed that is her genre, I can only compare her to Georges Simenon. There is the same intense concentration and a similar interest in the psychology of people at cross purposes. She does a fine job with the third-person introspection of her leading character, Theodore Schiebelhut, a well-to-do Swiss artist living in Mexico. There is an unusual feel not only to her character developments, but to the picture she paints of the upper middle class lifestyle of Mexico in the fifties with their easy privilege amid a restrained carnival atmosphere. Yet there is never a sense of unreality or of anything fake or pasted on. Highsmith doesn't reach for effects nor does she contrive. She carries the burden of veracity very well while giving "reality" an original twist that is hard to define.Theodore, the contemplative Protestant is contrasted with Ramón, the fiery Latino Catholic, both lovers of the same woman who is found murdered as the novel begins. I was able to guess who did it fairly early on, although I am not sure why. Highsmith produces some red herrings en route to a neatly packaged conclusion, but plays fair at all times. Note worthy is the easy-going, yet savvy police inspector Sauzas. The tension between the sin-filled Catholic Ramón, and the nearly agnostic Theodore is nicely developed and maintained. The feel of the Mexican hotels and the easy Mexican lifestyle is vividly rendered while the contrast between the well-to-do and the poor is presented in a straightforward manner. Highsmith's plot is well thought out and dove tails nicely with the resolution of the psychology of her characters. It's a little slow-going in the middle but finishes well without any artificiality.

This is my first encounter with Patricia Highsmith, and I've very favorably impressed and looking forward to reading another of her novels immediately. Not being really conversant with the "who done it" genre, if indeed that is her genre, I can only compare her to Georges Simenon. There is the same intense concentration and a similar interest in the psychology of people at cross purposes. She does a fine job with the third-person introspection of her leading character, Theodore Schiebelhut, a well-to-do Swiss artist living in Mexico. There is an unusual feel not only to her character developments, but to the picture she paints of the upper middle class lifestyle of Mexico in the fifties with their easy privilege amid a restrained carnival atmosphere. Yet there is never a sense of unreality or of anything fake or pasted on. Highsmith doesn't reach for effects nor does she contrive. She carries the burden of veracity very well while giving "reality" an original twist that is hard to define.Theodore, the contemplative Protestant is contrasted with Ramón, the fiery Latino Catholic, both lovers of the same woman who is found murdered as the novel begins. I was able to guess who did it fairly early on, although I am not sure why. Highsmith produces some red herrings en route to a neatly packaged conclusion, but plays fair at all times Note worthy is the easy-going, yet savvy police inspector Sauzas. The tension between the sin-filled Catholic Ramón, and the nearly agnostic Theodore is nicely developed and maintained. The feel of the Mexican hotels and the easy Mexican lifestyle is vividly rendered while the contrast between the well-to-do and the poor is presented in a straightforward manner. Highsmith's plot is well thought out and dove tails nicely with the resolution of the psychology of her characters. It's a little slow-going in the middle but finishes well without any artificiality.