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A Kiss before Dying (1953)

by Ira Levin

Other authors: See the other authors section.

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1,2993814,828 (3.78)100
Fiction. Thriller. HTML:

A modern classic, this novel set a new standard in the art of mystery and suspense in its exploration of the criminal mind.

A Kiss Before Dying not only debuted the talent of best-selling novelist Ira Levin to rave reviews and an Edgar Award, it also set a new standard in the art of psychological suspense. It tells the shocking tale of a young man who will stop at nothingâ??not even murderâ??to get where he wants to go. For he has dreams, plans. He also has charm, good looks, intelligence. And he has a problem. Her name is Dorothy; she loves him, and she's pregnant. The solution may demand desperate measures. But, then, he looks like the kind of guy who could get away with murder… (more)

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English (31)  Spanish (3)  Dutch (2)  Danish (1)  All languages (37)
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Showing 1-5 of 31 (next | show all)
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. ( )
  AliceAnna | Sep 24, 2023 |
This was my first book by Ira Levin - I don't know how I've missed out for so long, but I plan to make up for it.

This one was pretty suspenseful, although it was hard not to try to shake some sense into some of the characters. But that's probably because I've read a lot of mysteries, and I just hate to see them make mistakes I easily recognize. The main problem was that the women believed everything they were told by a stranger, mainly because they wanted to believe it.

The main character in this book used a technique to ingratiate himself with some women. He learned as much as he could about what the woman likes, then studied about the subjects and pretended to be their ideal partner with similar tastes, etc. I've read more modern books where a criminal that had either special access to online databases (like Google) or was a good hacker would learn about a victim by putting together bits of information on where they shop, what they order, etc. One, by Jeffrey Deaver I believe, was scary enough to make me rethink online privacy and the dangers of Google.

In this story, the killer shows how easy it is to get away with murder. It seems feasible, and he almost succeeds.
( )
  MartyFried | Oct 9, 2022 |
Reread. One of my all-time favorites. Just sheer greatness. Review below.

“A false-hearted lover is worse than a thief.

For a thief will just rob you and take what you have,
But a false-hearted lover will lead you to the grave".

Ira Levin- "A Kiss Before Dying".

I love Ira Levin. This book is so much more then a 'thriller". It is so good and really the intro in the beginning of the book explains why better then I eve r could.

SPOILERS:

Two..not one..two of the best twists in book history in this masterpiece.

I will always love Levin. One of the best thrillers ever written. Five wonderful stars! ( )
  Thebeautifulsea | Aug 5, 2022 |
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, and read the book cover to cover. ( )
  iszevthere | Jun 24, 2022 |
This book is 60 years old. It is still amazing. I was on the edge of my seat and found myself cheering for the bad guy and the good guy. ( )
  Sunandsand | Apr 30, 2022 |
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Showing 1-5 of 31 (next | show all)
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▾Published reviews
 

Vrij Nederland heeft gelijk

Sinds jaar en dag wordt - Een kus voor je sterft - in de VN thrillergids beloond met vijf sterren. Het boek dateert uit 1953 en is vertaald door Remco Campert. Jaren geleden heb ik dit boek gelezen en ik vond het ook een absolute topper binnen het genre. Levin is van oorsprong toneelschrijver en heeft na dit werk nog een aantal zeer 'eigen' boeken geschreven zoals: Rosemary's Baby en De Jongens uit BraziliĂŤ.

Voordat ik het nu, anno 2003, opnieuw ging lezen vroeg ik me af of het boek inmiddels gedateerd zou zijn. Zo ja, op welke punten dan wel? Na herlezing vind ik het niet verouderd. Het verhaal kun je gemakkelijk anno 2003 plaatsen omdat het universeel is. Een man die rijk wil worden en daarvoor tot het uiterste gaat. Een psychopaat die zich zo inleeft in de rol van de ander dat hij geloofwaardig is. Wat de schrijfstijl betreft, Levin houdt de vaart er flink in. De wendingen zetten je soms op het verkeerde been, waardoor de spanning alleen maar stijgt. Het eind is verrassend en bij de laatste regels vraag je je af hoe het verder gaat. Wat is er dan wel anders tegenwoordig? Er wordt veel gerookt in het boek. Daarnaast zijn de liedjes die genoemd worden voor niemand meer herkenbaar en bij sommige kledingstukken (strikje bij een vrouw) kun je je weinig meer voorstellen. Maar verder..... nog steeds spannend, goed geschreven, uitermate onderhoudend. Knap dat iemand dit boek op zijn 22ste heeft geschreven.

Vrij Nederland heeft gelijk: vijf sterren.
added by jdpwash | editGrim Nederland
 
▾Other authors

» Add other authors (24 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Levin, Ira—primary authorall editionsconfirmed
Cain, ChelseaIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Hantman, MauroNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Karjalainen, MattiTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Nørvig, ElseTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Penzler, OttoIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
▾Series and work relationships
▾Awards and Honors
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▾Common Knowledge
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For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.
Canonical title
A Kiss before Dying
Original title
A Kiss before Dying
Alternative titles
Information from the Dutch Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
Kus mij en sterf
Original publication date
1953
People/Characters
Dorothy Kingship
Ellen Kingship
Marion Kingship
Leo Kingship
Gordon Gant
Important places
New York, New York, USA
Stoddard College
Caldwell College
Important events
Related movies
A Kiss Before Dying (1956 | IMDb)
A Kiss Before Dying (1991 | IMDb)
Epigraph
Dedication
For
My Parents
First words
His plans had been running so beautifully, so goddamned beautifully, and now she was going to smash them all.
Quotations
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Boucher, Anthony
Original language
Canonical DDC/MDS
Canonical LCC
▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English

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▾Book descriptions
Fiction. Thriller. HTML:

A modern classic, this novel set a new standard in the art of mystery and suspense in its exploration of the criminal mind.

A Kiss Before Dying not only debuted the talent of best-selling novelist Ira Levin to rave reviews and an Edgar Award, it also set a new standard in the art of psychological suspense. It tells the shocking tale of a young man who will stop at nothingâ??not even murderâ??to get where he wants to go. For he has dreams, plans. He also has charm, good looks, intelligence. And he has a problem. Her name is Dorothy; she loves him, and she's pregnant. The solution may demand desperate measures. But, then, he looks like the kind of guy who could get away with murder

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WorldCat

Genres

Melvil Decimal System (DDC)

813.54Literature › English (North America) › American fiction › 20th Century › 1945-1999

LC Classification

PS3523.E7993Language and Literature › American literature › American literature › Individual authors › 1900-1960

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