The two faces of january book plot

The two faces of january kindle edition by highsmith, patricia. The rather curious title refers to the connection between the month of january, in which the story unfolds, and the roman god janus, in whose honour the romans named the month. Highsmiths 1964 thriller the two faces of januarypreviously made. This special edition includes a foreword by director and screenwriter hossein amini.

The novels of patricia highsmith present ripe material for grownup thrillers. The trio become entangled quite early on and their relationships loop around and around, taking forward and backward steps, until the final pages. The byzantine plots, sociopathic schemers, and rich psychological shading of. The two faces of january 1964 is a psychological thriller novel by patricia highsmith. The movie is adapted from a patricia highsmith novel. Chester macfarland is an alcoholic con artist traveling in greece with his young wife, colette. The two faces of january, from a highsmith novel the. Daru, the reclusive teacher, has to escort mohamed, a villager accused of murder. I continue to admire her writing ability and character portrayal, but this isnt a book ill. Janus is usually depicted as having two faces, as he looks both to the future and to the past. The two faces of january is like reading about another ripley in another city. Summaries a thriller centered on a con artist, his wife, and a stranger who flee athens after one of them is caught up in the death of a private detective.

The two faces of january by patricia highsmith goodreads. Two very different men thrown together by a world in turmoil are forced to flee across the atlas mountains. A thriller centered on a con artist, his wife, and a stranger who flee athens after one of them is caught up in the death of a private detective. A recent acquaintance, a young american law graduate and poet named rydal keener, decides to help them, in part because mcfarland reminds him of his recently deceased father, from whom he was. Theres a film of the two faces of january out this month, starring a favourite of mine, viggo mortensen. The trio become entangled quite early on and their relationships loop around and around, taking forward and. Titles can of course relate to a book s theme rather than its textual content. I continue to admire her writing ability and character portrayal, but this isnt a book i ll. It is though the plot hit a wall half way through and stumbled towards the end. The two faces of january is based on a 1964 patricia highsmith novel about two affluent american tourists vacationing in europe. In athens, a greek policeman questions mcfarland, who accidentally kills him during a struggle in his hotel room.

Except, this was published after the second ripley book and in rydal keener it feels like highsmith has written. Cwa best foreign novel award, patricia highsmiths the two faces of january is a chilling tale of. Viggo mortensen and kirsten dunst star as a married couple travelling through greece, but when. Viggo mortensen is excellent in this twisty throwback to 60s thrillers. From the nervy tension of hitchcocks strangers on a train to the sensual politics and locales of the talented mr. With viggo mortensen, kirsten dunst, oscar isaac, daisy bevan. The two faces of january has some similarities with other books of her, like. An atmospheric noir thriller, the two faces of january is full of suspense and mystery. Plot in 1962, con man chester macfarland and his wife colette tour greece and visit the acropolis of athens. Im also getting to the end of the ripley books that patricia highsmith wrote although im trying to ration myself with the last one, as there wont be any more. The two faces of january, from a highsmith novel the new york. Ripley, her works suggest exotic settings, cerebral sparring and involving characters. The two faces of january follows three characters husband and wife chester and colette mcfarland and american layabout, rydal keener through their misadventures in greece. The book s title is purported to relate to the roman god janus, the book emphasising the two faces presented by chester and rydal.