A Kiss Before Dying

Dorothy Kingship is the 19-year-old daughter of the magnate who founded Kingship Copper. Wealthy and somewhat sheltered, she falls in love with a man who gets her pregnant—and because he’s a jerk, his thoughts are all about him and his big plans being ruined. So he becomes persuaded that either the pregnancy goes, or she does. Will this cad get away with murder?

This was my first Ira Levin and it was very well done. The writing is clean and crisp and rattles along. The story twists and turns so much I had a hard time figuring out who to believe until about 2/3 of the way through the book, when it becomes abundantly clear who to believe. The last third I read while barely pausing for breath—I had to find out whether he’d get away show more with it, and I had to find out immediately. And the ending is perfect. What a note!

I recommend this to fans of classic suspense novels in particular. show less

Ira Levin mi sa che potrebbe raccontarmi un po’ qualunque cosa e sarei comunque soddisfatta.
Qui siamo nel noir puro. Un reduce di guerra, convinto che il mondo sia stato ingiusto con lui, cerca di dare sfogo alle sue aspirazioni.
Una volta entrato in contatto con la figlia di un ricco industriale, laborerà con freddezza chirurgica alla ricerca di una dote.
Romanzo costruito benissimo, assolutamente verosimile e, nonostante l’età, per niente invecchiato. Tutti i personaggi sono belli caratterizzati, in modo particolare l’assassino, il padre e la prima e l’ultima sorella (Ellen ci e piaciuta meno). 350 pagine stampate larghe che si polverizzano sotto gli occhi e, nonostante un finale un po’ scontato, le ultime frasi rendono show more comunque il tutto assolutamente perfetto. Del resto, dei due finali secondo me possibili, questo è sicuramente il più azzeccato, il più spendibile cinematograficamente parlando (ira levin era pur sempre uno sceneggiatore) e il più plausibile.
Confermo la mia voglia di voler leggere tutto quello che ha prodotto. Tranne forse il seguito di rosemary’s baby che pare sia effettivamente una gran ciofeca trash, ma chissà… show less

Wow, that was so good. One of the more disturbing books I've read in recent memory, but not because of gore, of which there is almost none. It's not really a whodunit, since the reader knows who the killer is from the beginning, but it's engrossing to watch the characters try to figure it out. A man's girlfriend reveals that she is pregnant, and he decides to take drastic measures to "fix" the situation. The creepiest part is how justified he feels he is in all his actions. The best villains think they are heroes, after all, Recommended if you're looking for a good psychological thriller.

I didn't put the following sentences in the Goodreads review: This is what 50SoG would have realistically been, only swap the social classes. It was a delight to read Christian's -real- monologue, see who he really was. And this was written sixty years ago! The following is what I put on Goodreads: I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would. I liked the descriptions of the copper factory too. This was a "glad I read it, and glad when I finished it" book for me. Still, what stayed with me on every page is how incredibly relevant all of this still is. The technology is different, so if this were modern-day, the tech-related plot obstacles would have to change only barely. The writing still stands, too. I was pleased to discover this, show more and read the book cover to cover. show less

Really quite good. In the first part of the novel, Levin manages to get the reader into the mind of the murderer-to-be, so much so that I actually felt anxiety and empathy for the bad guy. That didn't last, but it was a unique feeling to be practically rooting for the murderer (at least for me). It probably helped that the victim wasn't all that likeable. The plot plays out beautifully with a few twists and turns along the way and a very satisfying ending. The characters weren't cardboard cutouts, but also weren't fleshed out too thoroughly given the short length of the book. But the little plot details here and there really sold it for me.

Ira Levin is well-known as a writer whose novels have been turned into wildly successful movies, including A Kiss Before Dying, Rosemary’s Baby, The Boys From Brazil, and The Stepford Wives. A Kiss Before Dying first came to the silver screen in 1956 starring Robert Wagner, Joanne Woodward, and Mary Astor. It was remade in 1991, starring Matt Dillon, Sean Young, and Diane Ladd.
This, however, is the book and it came before any of the movies. In fact, what is amazing about it is that it was Levin’s very first novel and was published at age 23. Otto Penzler, in his introduction to the book, marvels at how much genius was shown by this early success, comparing it to Bobby Fischer’s success at chess.

The book is divided into three parts show more for the three sisters: Dorothy, Ellen, and Marion Kingship.
A Kiss Before Dying is the story of a young man from a poor family in rural Massachusetts, a fair-haired boy who charms everyone he meets. The narrative is so matter-of-fact as he, seemingly on the outside being this normal guy, plans his atrocious deeds step-by-step. And, it is striking how he pulled off the perfect crime, leaving behind such scant evidence that he could never be prosecuted. No one, least of all the authorities, could possibly suspect this fine young man could be capable of such horrendous things. The greatness of this book is how a charming, intelligent man who no one could possibly suspect of being a murderering sociopath who will stop at nothing to achieve what he wants. The story is haunting in the way it is told and the way Levin slowly takes the reader along for a ride on the creepy express. This book is highly recommended. show less

A Kiss Before Dying is stylish, smart and remarkably suspenseful. I can't remember the last time I read a book that gave me the same kind of heebie-jeebies all the way through.

Levin wrote it when he was only 23, and although there's no sign of immaturity in his assured, urbane prose, his tender age must have been a factor in the book's structure: the plot is so audacious in its initial implausibility that it must be the work of either a young writer who feels invulnerable, or a very experienced writer who knows through long experience exactly what he can get away with. In any case, Levin build up his symmetrical if unlikely structure with elan; it's just sufficiently believable to allow all of the book's other manifold excellence to show more shine: sharp dialog, crisp description, and tight, active scenes, one after another.

My only gripe: the book's third act is just slightly off in comparison with the totally creepy parts I and II. show less