Though Patricia Highsmith is a crime and mystery writer, she is also much more, probing the underbelly of the human psyche while creating an atmosphere of dread and foreboding. The novelist Graham Greene dubbed her the “poet of apprehension,” placing her in the upper echelon of twentieth-century noir fiction. Ignored largely in her native U.S., she exiled herself to Europe where her writing quickly attained cult status. In her short stories, animals take revenge on their human oppressors, gentle wives and passive husbands turn into conniving murderers, and terror awaits just around any corner. Often displaying a macabre sense of humor, Highsmith compels the reader to reflect upon what happens behind the locked doors of complacent middle-class lives. Her style is immediately direct and engrossing, and the growing uneasiness that she uncovers in the impulses of “regular” people builds slowly in intensity until it escalates into the disturbing.

We will ask questions like: How can dull, quotidian events precipitate actions that escalate into violence? Do all humans have a dark side? To what end does Highsmith turn seemingly rational and upright characters into violent murderers or criminals? Why are we attracted to her characters despite their dubious qualities? Is there at the core of her writing an existential message about our post-modern condition—do we live in a moral vacuum where virtues are willingly shelved and amoral actions justified? Finally, is her purpose more than simply noir storytelling that illuminates the depravity of a world whose centre does not hold?

Books to Purchase: TBD

Please note that this course has a maximum enrollment of 16 students and that TMI does not allow participants to audit courses for free.

Location: Zoom

First Session: Thursday, March 13th, 2025

Course Length: 12 weeks, Thursdays, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Discussion Team: Zsolt Alapi, Valerie Broege

Degree Credit: 3 credits

Total Course Fee: 
$140.00 (New Students)
$140.00 (Special Bring-A-Friend Promotion: For Returning Students who bring a New Student to TMI. Register by phone.)*
$200.00 (Returning Students)**

*Note on Bring-A-Friend Promotion for Returning Students: The special 140.00 price is applied immediately if the friend, the New Student, registers first. If the New Student has not yet registered, the regular 200.00 will be charged, and the discount will be refunded when the New Student registers. The discount can also be turned into a credit for a future course.

**Includes Standard Tuition + Admin Fee.

For 12-week courses, fees are refundable in full before the second session. If the participant withdraws after the second course, they will be charged a $50 fee. There is no refund after the third course has passed. Please note that non-attendance does not constitute a withdrawal.

Students pursuing studies for credit are encouraged to consult with their advisers as they register for courses.

Course leaders, and students wishing to use credit vouchers, should call (514) 935-9585 to pay by phone or to schedule an appointment to pay in person.