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Patricia Highsmith, known for her thrillers, had a passion for animals, especially snails, which she raised in terrariums and even brought to parties. She preferred their company to people and spent much of her life on an isolated farm in Switzerland.
Many well-known writers were also great pet lovers, from Ernest Hemingway and his six-toed cats to John Steinbeck and his standard poodle, Charley, who accompanied Steinbeck on the road trip described in Travels with Charley.
But American novelist and short story writer Patricia Highsmith has taken her passion for animals to bizarre heights. Known for her tense thrillers like The Talented Mr. Ripley, Highsmith didn’t really care about people and wasn’t shy about letting them know.
Conversely, Highsmith preferred the company of animals, especially snails. Not only did she raise them in terrariums in his backyard, but Highsmith also sometimes brought them along, even in his luggage. In one famous incident, Highsmith attended a cocktail party and brought hundreds of little creatures with her, kept on a head of lettuce in his bag. According to a 2009 biography, if Highsmith was bored at dinner, he would put snails on the table to crawl around. Such behavior probably helps explain why Highsmith spent much of his life surrounded by cats and other creatures on an isolated farm in Switzerland.
Patricia Highsmith’s ups and downs:
Highsmith’s grandmother taught the future novelist to read at the age of 2.
Highsmith disliked the notion of justice and did not mind having her characters punished for bad deeds.
Annoyed by the noise, Highsmith preferred to be alone and maintain friendships by mail.
