The London Times called Patricia Highsmith “the greatest of all crime writers” and “an essential postwar writer who captured the neurotic apprehensions of her times.” She was one of our greatest modernist writers according to Gore Vidal. Ever since Alfred Hitchcock scooped up the cinema rights to her first novel in 1950, filmmakers have continued to be attracted to her compelling narratives. Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley are two of her most stunning successes. We will begin with a lively discussion of each novel, followed by a screening of its adaptation to film. Then we’ll take a close look at how successfully the filmmaker transformed the book’s ideas and characters into cinema.

Read: Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley, Patricia Highsmith

This course is offered with the generous support of the Association for Continuing Education.