Edith's Diary (Paperback)
Staff Reviews
Of all the Patricia Highsmith thrillers I've read, this one has the lowest body count. And yet, it is the most terrifying. Highsmith turns Edith's workaday, domestic reality into the stuff of nightmares. Her home is a horror-scape, her mind a twisted kind of refuge, but can this even be called a thriller? On the surface, little is happening. It is the slowest, slowest of burns. Each time you close the book, you'll turn away from Edith with feelings of pity and intense unease, and a strong desire to close your eyes to your own life's failings and regrets. These characters will be a long time leaving me. Actually, I think it's a masterpiece — if a bit of a nasty one — and for those who like to be unsettled it is a true pleasure to read.
— MorganDescription
Edith Howland's diary is her most precious possession. After moving with her family from New York City to suburban Pennsylvania, Edith's husband abandons her for a younger woman, leaving her trapped in a bleak existence with her degenerate son and his senile uncle. As Edith's life turns sour, she retreats into her writing; and while her life plunges into chaos, a disturbing tale of success and happiness blooms in her diary. She invents a happy life, and as she knits for imaginary grandchildren, the real world recedes further still, marking a descent into madness that may well be unstoppable. Originally published in 1977, Edith's Diary is a masterpiece of psychological suspense, a harrowing and tautly written tale of an ordinary woman whose life is slipping out of control. The author of Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley, Patricia Highsmith is one of the most original voices in twentieth-century American fiction.
About the Author
Patricia Highsmith (1921-1995) is 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.