Slowly, Slowly in the Wind [Paperback]

Patricia Highsmith (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: New York: Penzler Books, (1985)
• ASIN: B000OVARA8
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

More About the Author

Patricia Highsmith (1921-1995) was the author of more than twenty novels, including Strangers on a Train, The Price of Salt and The Talented Mr. Ripley, as well as numerous short stories.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A few fine stories, others so-so, October 18, 2000

By 

Joseph W. Smith III - See all my reviews

This review is from: Slowly, Slowly in the Wind (Hardcover)

Highsmith's later work is uneven, and this collection from the 1970's is no exception. There are some truly bizarre stories -- including a sci-fi piece (not typical for her) and a dream-like fantasy called "One for the Islands" -- that simply do not work at all; and "The Pond" is a nasty, depressing tale. However, "Something You Have to Live With," "A Curious Suicide," "Those Awful Dawns" and "Woodrow Wilson's Neck-Tie" are all vintage Highsmith, and make this collection well worth acquiring. "Something" is a very thought-provoking story, and "Dawns" is simply shocking; unforgettable.

For the record, I've read a lot of Highsmith's short stories -- which poured prolifically from her pen in late career -- and the only uniformly excellent collection is "Eleven," which features first-rate early tales and is, fortunately, still in print.