The Black House
Encyclopedia
The Black House is a collection of short stories
by American
author Patricia Highsmith
.
anthology
focusing not only on murder
, but also on more unusual crimes and misdemeanours that are beyond the reaches of prosecution. Told in Highsmith's typically impassive, lucid writing style
, the work has been noted for its high degree of tension
and, in some cases, surrealism
.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author Patricia Highsmith
Patricia Highsmith
Patricia Highsmith was an American novelist and short-story writer most widely known for her psychological thrillers, which led to more than two dozen film adaptations. Her first novel, Strangers on a Train, has been adapted for stage and screen numerous times, notably by Alfred Hitchcock in 1951...
.
Overview
An intense, macabreMacabre
In works of art, macabre is the quality of having a grim or ghastly atmosphere. Macabre works emphasize the details and symbols of death....
anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
focusing not only on murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, but also on more unusual crimes and misdemeanours that are beyond the reaches of prosecution. Told in Highsmith's typically impassive, lucid writing style
Writing style
Writing style is the manner in which an author chooses to write to his or her audience. A style reveals both the writer's personality and voice, but it also shows how she or he perceives the audience, and chooses conceptual writing style which reveal those choices by which the writer may change the...
, the work has been noted for its high degree of tension
Suspense
Suspense is a feeling of uncertainty and anxiety about the outcome of certain actions, most often referring to an audience's perceptions in a dramatic work. Suspense is not exclusive to fiction, though. Suspense may operate in any situation where there is a lead-up to a big event or dramatic...
and, in some cases, surrealism
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
.
Contents
- "Something the Cat Dragged In"
- "Not One of Us"
- "The Terror of Basket-Weaving"
- "Under a Dark Angel's Eye"
- "I Despise Your Life"
- "The Dream of the Emma C"
- "Old Folks at Home"
- "When in Rome"
- "Blow It"
- "The Kite"
- "The Black House"
Reception
- "Her short stories represent a relatively minor part of her achievement; but within their limits they are almost always compelling, as they are here." – The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
- "The Black House runs true to a beguilingly upsetting form." – Event
- "Her stories are masterpieces of misanthropyMisanthropyMisanthropy is generalized dislike, distrust, disgust, contempt or hatred of the human species or human nature. A misanthrope, or misanthropist is someone who holds such views or feelings...
and futility." – Irish Times