Under a Dark Angel’s Eye: The Selected Stories of Patricia Highsmith
To mark the centenary of Patricia Highsmith’s birth in January 2021, Virago will publish Under a Dark Angel’s Eye, the most comprehensive volume of her short fiction. This new collection will include two newly discovered stories and an introduction by Carmen Maria Machado.
Highsmith is one of the great writers of twentieth-century fiction, famous for The Talented Mr Ripley, Carol and Strangers on a Train, but she was also a prolific short-story writer. Donna Coonan, Editorial Director of the Virago Modern Classics, says: ‘This is the definitive collection of a genius of the genre. The earliest story is from when Highsmith was still at high school, and the stories are arranged chronologically so that the threads that run throughout her work are evident. The stories are exhilarating, chilling and shot through with brutal humour, but with flashes of poignancy and empathy that might surprise some readers. Highsmith was a fiercely intelligent writer who picked at the surface of convention. Her world is familiar, but brimming with menace, and her stories are as relevant and startling as when they were first written.’
- Highsmith’s extensive backlist is published on the Virago Modern Classics list, and we will be celebrating her centenary throughout 2021 with retailer promotions and activity across the Virago community channels
Praise for this collection:
‘Every story shimmers like a dark gem as Highsmith turns her gimlet eye on domesticity, suburban madness, toxic families and the loneliness of childhood. Often mordantly funny and always psychologically acute, this collection is not to be missed’ MEGAN ABBOTT
‘By opening this book, you’ve given Patricia Highsmith permission to follow you, catch you, take you apart. Get ready to run’ CARMEN MARIA MACHADO
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