Meet David Kelsey

4 stars

Reading This Sweet Sickness has sparked my enthusiasm for all things Patricia Highsmith. What an amazing talent for crafting uniquely intriguing characters. In this outing the reader is treated to (sociopath?) David Kelsey. Not quite to the level of Tom Ripley but full of his own neurosis (with made up aliases at the ready!), mainly driven by his fixation on Annabelle. Once, years ago, possibly a fleeting couple but now letter writing friends, in a fashion. The fact that she is married does not decrease David's obsession with her and his sureness that one day soon she will be his. As the story unfolds his issues seem to manifest and expand in a wider scope adding intrigue as the direction of travel becomes ever increasingly bumpy.

I was smitten by this and am now keen to revisit The Talented Mr. Ripley, as a consequence of enjoying this novel so much. It's a rare treat to delve so deeply into a less than healthy brain, and even more rare to enjoy the imbalance from a safe distance, as a reader. In this novel, set in the late 50s, I revelled in the propriety of the time. Social graces and dressing for dinner, no mobile phones or internet. A simpler time I am certain I was meant to dwell in. Such great fun watching David unravel, I recommend it.