A decade ago, I sat in a small pub in Dublin and listened to the amazing Sarah Waters read from her book Fingersmith, it was enthralling and Fingersmith remains my second favourite book of all time, losing out on the top spot only to To Kill A Mockingbird, I bet Ms Waters is beside herself with glee.  After the reading she signed some copies of her book, now I am not usually one to go in for this kind of thing, I am a believer that just because I like someone’s work it doesn’t mean I am bothered to meet them in person, but up I went.  Ms Waters was as gracious as you’d expect and when she asked me my name and I replied with Carol she was kind enough to tell me I have “a classic lesbian name”, well I blushed I don’t mind telling you.  In my ignorance I asked why, she responded that there is a classic book called Carol and that I should check it out, so of course I did.

The book was first published in 1952 under the name The Price of Salt and is by Patricia Highsmith, although it was originally published under a pseudonym, Claire Morgan, have I lost you yet?  Anyway it’s a great read and actually makes you think lesbians can be happy, a daring suggestion in the 1950′s for sure.  It is now on the way to becoming a film with a script by lesbian playwright Phyllis Nagy, but who’s going to star as Carol I hear you ask, well it’s a sexy name, you’re right!  Turns out Irish director John Crowley isn’t going to let me down and has cast Cate Blanchett, she will star along side Mia Wasikowska.  So what happens when a sophisticated wife trapped in a marriage devoid of love meets a green 19 year old department store worker?  You’ll have to wait to see unless you have a sneaky peak at the book first.  The film is currently in pre-production, which translates into us having to wait ages for it to be in our theatres, it will only start filming in February 2013.

Let’s not be to impatient though, let’s instead be honest at what a welcome sight movies like this are.  Strong female leads are thin on the ground these days, especially for the more mature lady, so I for one can’t wait to see Cate get stuck into this role.  Lesbian dramas are even harder to come across as we all know only to well, so to see one this mainstream and with two recognisable faces in the leads has to be a welcome sight.  As producers Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley have said

We are thrilled to be working with Cate Blanchett and Mia Wasikowska, two of the most talented actors working today, in this striking adaptation of one of the twentieth century’s most iconic writers, Patricia Highsmith. To be re-united with highly talented individuals, director John Crowley and writer Phylis Nagy is a testament to the quality of the project. We are delighted to have such a gifted team on board

It’s great to see alright and here’s hoping this film does well and leads to more of the same.  What do you think of the casting and what other great books out there should filmmakers grab a hold of?  Let us know in the comments section below.