This Sweet Sickness cover art

This Sweet Sickness

A Virago Modern Classic

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This Sweet Sickness

By: Patricia Highsmith
Narrated by: William Hope
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About this listen

 BY THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY, CAROL AND STRANGERS ON A TRAIN

'The No.1 Greatest Crime Writer' THE TIMES

' I love Highsmith so much . . . What a revelation her writing is' GILLIAN FLYNN

'Highsmith was every bit as deviant and quirky as her mischievous heroes' J. G. BALLARD, DAILY TELEGRAPH

David Kelsey has an invincible conviction that life is going to work out just as he has planned it - if he can just fix 'the situation'. His one true love, the brilliant, beautiful Annabelle, has married another man. But that doesn't mean they can't still be friends. And even though she is pregnant with her husband Gerald's baby, that surely doesn't mean she won't one day get back together with David. She still loves him, of that he is certain. David is sure she'll take him back, and, under an alias, is setting up a wonderful home for the two of them in a town close by. And everything is just about going to plan until things take a murderous turn, leaving David a desperate man on the run.©2016 Patricia Highsmith (P)2016 Little Brown Book Group Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Thought-Provoking

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I chose this book because there was another Patricia Highsmith adaptation on the radio. It was very powerfully written, a relentless depiction of the downward spiral of obsession and addiction, in short, a study of the disintegration of identity through isolation. There's not much redemption here and you listen in horror wondering how it will end. Inevitably. Even in Dosteyevsky there is a chance of redemption and that's why it's not great fiction. Not for second listening.

relentless

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William Hopes narration is brilliant. I salute you sir.
Patricia Highsmith marvellous as ever, i shall be listening or reading more.

Absolutely wonderful

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I have listened to most of Patricia Highsmiths books, and find them all an enjoyable listen, this one - one of my favourites. She has similar characters in her novels - double life’s, hidden identities, hidden crimes, but they take shape well and are defined from each novel making them enjoyable listens. Highly recommend

One of my favourite of Patricia Highsmiths to date

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Usual Patricia Highsmith's main character: narcicist with the mission! The story was OK, not extraordinary, but I enjoyed listening to it. Narrator was great!

Great performance!

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Again another brilliant book. Great story, Great narration and performance. You have to accept this is based in the 50's and there are some parts to it that some might find offensive but it's a book of it's time and should be enjoyed in that fashion.

She does it again!

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Highsmith is always brilliant but this is by far the best reading I have heard of her work of the 5 I have now listened to.

Incredible narrator

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Any additional comments?

Patricia Highsmith, according to many, was a terrifying and unpredictable person to be around - drunk or sober. Perhaps her understanding of what it is to inflict cruelty on people (and how easy it is to get away with it when so few people expect it, so many are prepared to make excuses for it and explain it away) are what enable her to write so convincingly on the subject. David Kelsey, the protagonist (by no stretch of the imagination can he be called the hero) inflicts suffering and harm to a greater or lesser extent on most of the people with whom he comes into contact. It might be through the sickening realisation that they have been lied to for years by someone they genuinely liked and trusted - the kind of realisation that can permanently damage your ability to trust and relate to others. On the other hand, this book is really concerned about the damage he does, of a far more serious nature, when he goes completely off the rails. The true extent of his self-centred, chaotic and delusional agenda becomes horrifyingly apparent. More and more people are drawn into dealing with the fall out of his obsession with a woman he has decided belongs to him. As a coda: this book contains one of the funniest lines in literature, towards the end: surely the most unexpected and apposite reference to the Holy Grail.

The Talented Miss Highsmith

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Perfectly narrated in every way. A truly compelling read. To think this was written 60 years ago! Fantastic stuff.

Brilliant

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I have read the novel many times but this is a fine performance. It's a tale of obsessive love which goes disastrously wrong for David Kelsey and the people around him. I love the narrator's differet parts, he really brings characters like Wes and Effie alive and it greatly supplements the written work.

Great narration of a classic tale

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Dark yet funny and well written with a great performance. Will be looking out for more from Highsmith

Great listen

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