Cry Of The Owl

The Cry Of The Owl is the second novel that I've read by Patricia Highsmith, the first being The Talented Mr. Ripley. Highsmith's highly stylized portraits of psychopaths have proved to be appetizing for film makers-I first was aware of Highsmith through the successful Ripely  film version starring Matt Damon and first learned of this novel while watching Wim Wenders film version of another Highsmith novel, Ripley's Game, given to him after he had learnt that The Cry Of The Owl and  A Tremor Of Forgery had already been optioned. In this fascinating novel all of the main characters have some sort of mental issue, however, it doesn't turn out as I had expected and is a study of dread for Robert Forester, who admits that he has to struggle very hard to remain "normal" on a daily basis-it is a struggle. But there are characters who do not feel the need to be "normal" and give in to their impulses, whether it be suicide, violence, or mere cruelty. I really felt the tension and couldn't see where Highsmith was going with this story. I'm curious to see what her other novels are like-I think I'm hooked on Highsmith.