Patricia Highsmith

Novelist and short story writer

What is Patricia Highsmith known for?

Patricia Highsmith, born as Mary Patricia Plangman on January 19, 1921, in Fort Worth, Texas, was an illustrious American novelist and short story writer. Known widely for her series of psychological thrillers, she gifted the world a compelling character, Tom Ripley, who featured in five of her novels. A prolific writer, Highsmith wrote 22 novels and numerous short stories over a career spanning almost five decades, with many of her works adapted into more than two dozen films.

Highsmith's works were predominantly in the genres of suspense, psychological thriller, crime fiction, and romance. She derived significant influence from existentialist literature and frequently questioned notions of identity and popular morality in her works, earning her the moniker "the poet of apprehension" from renowned novelist Graham Greene.

Her debut novel, "Strangers on a Train" (1950), has been adapted multiple times for both stage and screen, and is best known for the 1951 film adaptation directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Her 1955 novel "The Talented Mr. Ripley" also saw multiple film adaptations. Highsmith penned her novel "The Price of Salt" (1952) under the pseudonym Claire Morgan. Notably, this was the first lesbian novel with a happy ending and was later republished as "Carol" under her own name and adapted into a successful film in 2015.

Highsmith moved to New York City in 1927 with her mother and adoptive stepfather, following her parents' divorce shortly before her birth. Having been sent to live with her maternal grandmother in Fort Worth at the age of 12, she described this year as the saddest of her life. She later returned to New York, where she spent most of her life in Manhattan, but also lived in Astoria, Queens.

A big part of her early life in New York was spent fostering her love for reading, thanks to her grandmother's extensive library. Highsmith eventually graduated from Barnard College in 1942, after which she embarked on her illustrious writing career.

For further details, you can visit her Goodreads and IMDb profiles.