"Talvez a identidade, como o inferno, estivesse somente nos outros."É muito difícil atribuir um género literário às obras da Patricia Highsmith, porque a autora vai além dos géneros conhecidos e estabelece as suas próprias regras. Não é mistério ou suspense. Não se foca no crime ou nas relações humanas. Patricia Highsmith é mistério, suspense, acção, drama e romance. Foca-se no crime, na arte, na rotina, nas relações e na mente humana. A autora é, toda ela, um pequeno mundo de infinita sabedoria."O corpo dela podia ser muito atraente, mas o que ela dizia maçava-o, matando-lhe o desejo."Para quem a conhece e está familiarizado com as suas grandes paixões, este livro um reencontro com a pintura, os diletantes, os barcos e os indispensáveis conflitos e desejos pessoais. Numa luta entre genro e sogro, que partilham a dor da morte inesperada da mulher e filha, respectivamente, os sentimentos transbordam. Numa Veneza mais reservada que a da Donna Leon, os dois homens são os únicos empenhados numa batalha destinada a um final sem vencedor. Acima de tudo, cada um faz por seguir os seus interesses e tornar evidente o seu lugar, sem ter em conta questões de moral, danos colaterais, consequência directas ou sentido de oportunidade.Sem dúvida alguma, um dos meus livros preferidos da autora, que quanto mais conheço, mais quero conhecer."Noites descoloridas, de certo modo surdas ao resto do mundo, noites em que a comida só era engolida por ter sido posta na mesa."
What an odd book. My first by Highsmith. A sort of folie a deux, mainly set in Venice. A dead woman's father blames the husband and makes multiple murder attempts. Weirdo hubbie not only does not report these but follows pa-in-law from Rome to Venice and then hides from everyone after the second attempt, stalking p-i-l. Surfaces again after the 3rd murder attempt results in the worm turning and p-i-l getting what for at which point the latter in his own turn hides out. Severe WTFness. Hubby tracks down p-i-l, 4th murder attempt ensues, the older man is caught by the police, the weirdo hubbie doesn't press charges and the cat and mouse game is at an end. We get the most fleeting glimpses into the younger man's pyche and a few more into the older man's. We see how mixed up things are and how much some people care about other people and how little others do. Venice is a good place to quickly make random friends and live anonymously in their houses. And so on. Very tense, just a bit too opaque perhaps.
What do You think about Those Who Walk Away (1994)?
I have given this three as although it has many of the ingredients of Highsmith's best books it is not vintage. In the superbly realised ambivalent city of Venice two traumatised men play an intense and dangerous game with each other in which each move throughout the novel from victim to persecutor. The kindness and simple hospitality of the Italien characters towards the Americans is in stark contrast to the gossip and suspicion embodied by the Americans, even the police seem generous and forgiving. Very enjoyable
—Lynda
Dark, deadpan satire on the insanity of in-laws, “Those Who Walk Away” is the tale of an unforgiving bully chasing his son-in-law around beautiful, romantic Venice with the sole purpose of avenging his flaky daughter’s suicide. Because he holds the son-in–law responsible, numerous murder attempts are committed throughout the novel, the most absurd one being pushing his prey off a gondola into the Venice Canal in the middle of the night. I kept waiting for the next manic murder attempt to happen page after page just to see what this vulgar old boor would do next.
—Andy
Another Highsm sinks -- in the Venice lagoon. Her story makes no sense but, despite fact that she has no writing "style" at all, I get a kick out of her pervo's sense of Gotcha!
—notgettingenough
