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This Sweet Sickness

A Virago Modern Classic
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( 3,262 ratings, 457 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
This Sweet Sickness by Patricia Highsmith follows David Kelsey, a man leading a double life fueled by unrequited love. He constructs intricate fantasies around his ideal life with Annabelle, a woman he's obsessed with, yet who is married to another man. As David's reality and delusions begin to blur, intricate and suspenseful events unfold.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're drawn to psychological thrillers that delve into obsession and the complexities of the human mind. It offers a gripping exploration of how desire can blur the lines of reality, providing a suspenseful narrative that keeps you guessing at every turn.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

From the bestselling author Patricia Highsmith comes a brilliantly gripping psychological thriller. Too much love can be a bad thing.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

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

This Sweet Sickness centres around David Kelsey, who is convinced that life will unfold exactly as he has envisioned itβ€”if only he can resolve 'the situation'. His true love, the brilliant and beautiful Annabelle, has married another man. However, David maintains that they can still be friends.

Even though Annabelle is expecting a child with her husband Gerald, David is sure they will inevitably reunite. To him, her love is unwavering. Confident in this belief, he begins creating a life for them under a different name, crafting a perfect home in a nearby town.

Everything seems to be on course until events take a dire and murderous turn, leaving David a desperate man on the run.

Series: Virago Modern Classics

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

This Sweet Sickness is often praised for its compelling, eerie narrative that anticipates themes in Patricia Highsmith's later works like The Talented Mr Ripley. The novel immerses readers in a claustrophobic and irrational world filled with suspense and apprehension. Highsmith is repeatedly acknowledged as a master of the suspense genre, celebrated for her unique and twisted storytelling.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780349006284

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 June 2016

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Virago Press Ltd

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Sarah Hilary

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 21.0mm

Width: 200.0mm

Height: 129.0mm

Weight: 224g

Pages: 320

About the Author

Patricia Highsmith (1921-1995) was born in Fort Worth, Texas, and moved to New York when she was six. In her senior year, she edited the college magazine, having decided at the age of sixteen to become a writer. Her first novel, Strangers on a Train (1950), was made into a classic film by Alfred Hitchcock in 1951. The Talented Mr Ripley (1955), introduced the fascinating anti-hero Tom Ripley, and was made into an Oscar-winning film in 1999 by Anthony Minghella. Highsmith died in Locarno, Switzerland, in February 1995. Her last novel, Small g: A Summer Idyll, was published posthumously, the same year.

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