The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith: audiobook vs book, which should you choose?
A shop girl and an older married woman take a journey across 1950s America. This is the novel that became the film Carol.
Short answer: for The Price of Salt audiobook vs book choice, we say listen on Audible (65% confidence, leaning). The novel is also sold as Carol: the two titles are the same book. Cassandra Campbell reads Blackstone Audio’s 2015 recording in 10 hours 37 minutes (10h 37m), unabridged, and Audible UK sells a different recording, read by Laurel Lefkow, as Carol. A single viewpoint with one narrator is the only confirmed point, and nothing confirmed points to print.
Listen on Audible
One viewpoint and one narrator, with nothing confirmed that points to print.
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Confidence 65%, which puts it in the leaning band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above.
The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | Our verdict: Cassandra Campbell (Blackstone Audio) | On Audible UK as Carol: Laurel Lefkow (Isis) |
|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Cassandra Campbell | Laurel Lefkow |
| Length | 10 hours 37 minutes (10h 37m) | Not shown on the Audible UK page we read |
| At 1.5x | about 7h 5m | Not shown |
| At 2x | about 5h 19m | Not shown |
| Abridged or unabridged | Unabridged | Not stated |
| Audio publisher and year | Blackstone Audio, released 4 August 2015 | Isis Publishing, 2014 |
| Title on the listing | The Price of Salt | Carol |
Two different recordings by different publishers. Campbell’s is scored because it is the newer of two solo readings and carries an Audible editors’ pick. Lefkow’s is the one Audible UK sells, under the title Carol; a listener says Highsmith’s afterword is included on it. Do not assume the two match in content until you have checked the listing.
Lengths checked 23 October 2026. ElevenReader lists Campbell’s recording at 10h 36m. Speed times are calculated.
The Price of Salt
Patricia Highsmith
- Genre
- Romance; a 1950s love story
- Published
- 1952, as The Price of Salt, under the pen name Claire Morgan; later reissued under Highsmith’s name as Carol
- On audio
- 10 hrs 37 mins, Cassandra Campbell
- Film
- Carol (2015), starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.
Listening: single point of view and narrator (7), 7 points. Reading: nothing confirmed, 0 points. 100% of the confirmed points favour listening, so the verdict is listen on Audible at 65% confidence (leaning). Only 7 points could be confirmed, so confidence is held at 65% until more evidence is found.
The recording in detail
- Scored
- Cassandra Campbell, Blackstone Audio, 2015, 10h 37m, unabridged
- Recognition
- An Audible editors’ top pick
- Other recording
- Laurel Lefkow, Isis Publishing, 2014, sold on Audible UK as Carol; length not shown
- Extras
- A listener reports Highsmith’s afterword on the Isis recording
- What you miss
- Nothing confirmed
What this book actually is
The Price of Salt was published in 1952 under the pen name Claire Morgan, and later reissued under Patricia Highsmith’s own name as Carol. They are the same novel. The 2015 film Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, is based on it.
Therese, a young woman working in a New York department store, meets Carol, an elegant older woman whose marriage is ending. Their attraction leads them out of the city on a journey west. The ending is not covered here.
The case for reading it
The case for reading rests on the writing. Highsmith is admired for her style, and the New York Journal of Books calls the novel “beautifully conceived and written”. If you like to linger over sentences, print lets you.
Print also settles the title question: Carol and The Price of Salt are the same text, so either edition will do. Some editions include Highsmith’s afterword; check yours if you want it.
The case for listening to it
The book follows one relationship, seen only through Therese, and audio is good at keeping you close to one character throughout. Cassandra Campbell’s unabridged reading for Blackstone runs 10 hours 37 minutes, about 7 hours at 1.5x, and Audible’s editors made it a top pick.
In the UK, Audible sells a different recording as Carol, read by Laurel Lefkow for Isis, which a listener calls “excellent”.
The audiobook in detail
Two recordings exist. Cassandra Campbell reads the US edition from Blackstone Audio, released on 4 August 2015, at 10 hours 37 minutes (ElevenReader lists 10h 36m). Laurel Lefkow reads the Isis Publishing edition from 2014, which Audible UK lists under the title Carol; its length was not shown on the page we read, and a listener says it includes Highsmith’s afterword.
Speed times for Campbell’s recording: about 7h 5m at 1.5x and 5h 19m at 2x (calculated).
Who should ignore this verdict
Readers who come to Highsmith for her sentences, and anyone who wants her afterword, which only some editions include.
Audiobook
- Read by Cassandra Campbell, an Audible editors’ pick
- 10h 37m, or about 7h 5m at 1.5x
- Audible UK also sells a Laurel Lefkow recording as Carol
Kindle
- Sold as Carol or as The Price of Salt: the same novel
- Some editions include Highsmith’s afterword
Read differently from most people? The app, coming soon, will let you switch off any of the thirteen checks. Get notified →
Related verdicts
The Great Gatsby
A classic American love story in one narrator’s voice, with a Listen verdict.
Rebecca
A mid-century classic told by one woman, with a Listen verdict.
Normal People
A love story told in time-stamped jumps, where either format works.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
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Questions people ask
Is Carol the same book as The Price of Salt?
Yes. Patricia Highsmith published it in 1952 as The Price of Salt, under the pen name Claire Morgan, and it was later reissued under her own name as Carol.
Who narrates The Price of Salt audiobook?
Cassandra Campbell reads the Blackstone Audio edition, the one scored here. Audible UK sells a different recording, read by Laurel Lefkow, under the title Carol.
How long is The Price of Salt audiobook?
Cassandra Campbell’s recording is 10 hours 37 minutes, unabridged; at 1.5x about 7 hours 5 minutes and at 2x about 5 hours 19 minutes (calculated).
Should I read or listen to The Price of Salt?
Listen on our checks (65% confidence, leaning). The story is told entirely from Therese’s viewpoint by one narrator, and nothing we could confirm points to print.
Is the film Carol based on The Price of Salt?
Yes. The 2015 film Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, is based on this novel.
Do you agree with this verdict?
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How this verdict was reached
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.
- The criteria: read the thirteen questions in full.
- What we checked for this book: Audible UK’s listing for Carol, Blackstone Audio and a US library record, ElevenReader, Audiobooks Now, the New York Journal of Books review, and Open Library for the cover.
- Verdict last reviewed: 23 October 2026. Editions and narrators change, so verdicts are rechecked annually.
- Prefer different criteria? The app, coming soon, will let you change which of the thirteen questions matter to you.
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