Those Who Walk Away

Those Who Walk Away is Patricia Highsmith at her very best. She throws her reader into the middle of an ambiguous, but charged, situation; the wife of a young man named Ray Garrett has just committed suicide. The young woman's father, Mr. Coleman, blames Garrett for her death and swears to take a bloody revenge. The civilized Garrett, meanwhile, wants only to work things out with his former father-in-law. Highsmith focuses on the sources of evil and on our subjective reactions to evil. It will come as no surprise to her regular readers that many characters have no sense of morals and there is no sense that adopting a moral code would make a difference in any event. More specifically, the juxtaposition of the "vicious" Coleman and the "innocent" Garrett is a key to the novel; Highsmith suggests that the differences in these two men may not be as great as one might suppose at first glance. The City of Venice co-stars in this novel. I've been fortunate enough to visit and I enjoyed reliving that experience through the novel. Highsmith knows Venice well. She contrasts the relatively-poor, hard-working Italians and the aimless, wealthy expatriates who vacation in Venice. Unfortunately, I think that the novel will not be as rich for those readers who have not been to Venice. Highsmith had no betters in the world of suspense novels and Those Who Walk Away is among her very best novels. Potential readers should be aware, however, that Highsmith will force them to make a mental effort and she provides no easy answers in the end. Throughout her career, Highsmith smashed the clichés associated with the old "private-eye"-style suspense novel. I highly recommend Those Who Walk Away.

I recently "discovered" this author after seeing the movie "The Talented Mr. Ripley." Since then, I've been raiding the library searching for more of her titles. All I can say is that she has created a number of masterpieces of suspense. I found this book particularly touching. It had it all--setting, characterization, good plot. Some of her books are not as well-balanced as this one, but they all offer a fine writing style and excellent characterization. I am amazed by her talent. She was recommended to me by someone who knew I enjoy Ruth Rendell, aka Barbara Vine. I think others who read Rendell/Vine will also like Highsmith's works if they aren't familiar with them already.

The novel deals with the dramatic and obsessive attempt of a man, whose wife has just committed suicide, to convince his father-in-law that he is innocent of his wife's suicide although their marriage was a failure. The plot is wonderfully interwoven into a great thriller. The brutal and vicious fight between the two men, Coleman and Ray, makes the attentive reader sit up and read on. The novel also includes a vivid description of the setting of this novel: Venice! The world of the two artists seems to be a very stark contrast. Both are trying to be very strong and represent their interests passionately.

Highsmith is my favorite author, and this is one of her best books -- second only to "Strangers on a Train," among the 11 Highsmiths I've read. Yes, it's a fairly suspenseful tale -- in places a real page-turner (though for sheer, unvarnished terror you can't beat "Strangers on a Train" or "The Cry of the Owl"); but it's really a book about relationships: about identity, isolation, and forgiveness, one so profound that it could be read and discussed almost endlessly. Highsmith's ability to make readers care for flawed and even sinful characters is astonishing; there simply is NO ONE who compares to her. The ending of this book is so deeply compassionate it made me weep -- something I do very rarely with novels of any kind. Help me, please -- is there anyone out there who feels the way I do about Highsmith, or have I lost my mind? If I have, I hope I do not find it again until I have read all of her books.Thanks, Atlantic Monthly Press, for making these books available in the United States; how about putting "Strangers on a Train" and "This Sweet Sickness" back in print as well? For anybody who's curious about Highsmith, "Those Who Walk Away" is an excellent place to start.

First Off.. I must state: I LOOOVED THIS BOOK!!! Why? Well because I've read loads of novels and only a few in my life time ( So far, of course) have held me in such suspense near the end, that I find myself reading every two words at a time. LOL!! If you're looking for action and mayhem, don't read this book. However, if you're looking to be subtly entrance in a wonderfully orchestrated character driven thriller of two men playing a deadly game of cat-and-mouse across Rome and Italy, then this is the novel for you! Patricia Highsmith is an author I hadn't heard much of before, but after recently reading The Talented Mr. Ripley and viewing the film, I was more than tempted to read other novels by her. She was such a gifted writer who must've traveled a lot because you get the feeling ( while reading ) that you're actually there, with the characters, in Rome and Venice constantly sipping on sweet bourbon and cognac. Though, for all it's great narrative techniques, it's also a suspensful tale that raises questions about revenge!! Should we let our loathsome feelings get in the way of our friendships? How far should we go to prove our innocence? If these are questions you'll willing to ask and willing to find the answers too, then this exceptional-character-study-of-a-novel will be the ticket to an orginal concept. ORDER IT NOW! ASAP!!Also recommended: The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith and Expendable by James Alan Gardner!