The Talented Mr. Ripley

I realize the point of Patricia Highsmith's Ripley novels is to make us dislike the character of Thomas Ripley. He is amoral, sociopathic, and quite possibly a psychopath. He has also never quite grown up. And I do dislike Ripley - INTENSELY.
But "The Talented Mr Ripley" deals with all its other major characters (with the exception of Dickie Greenleaf's father) in much the same way. They all appear to have a severe case of arrested development, and have never grown up emotionally and assumed the responsibilities that come with being an adult.
The impression carries over into Highsmith's writing. I would not care to buy another Ripley novel. I might be interested in purchasing one of her other books, but Thomas Ripley and his world (and the way it's written about) is totally abhorrent to me.

The book is very interesting and very well-written but I liked the movie more. In the interest of not giving things away to someone who has not read the book, I will only say that I found the characters more believable in the movie version and the action more dramatic. Now it could be due to the fact that I saw the movie first and therefore was coming into the book with preconcieved notions, but Ripley seemed like a more insecure, more flawed and eventually more interesting character in the movie than he was in the book.
I still give the book 4 stars because it is very well-written and worth reading. Read the book, see the movie, and then draw your own conclusions.
Okay, Highsmith fans, you can stone me now.

The story begins with Tom meeting Mr. Greenleaf, who is desperately trying to convince his son Richard to return to America. Mr. Greenleaf believes that Tom is a close friend of Richard and might have some influence on convincing him to return. At first, Tom is not interested, and politely states that he is not sure he is close enough to Richard to have any influence on him, but then Mr. Greenleaf suggests that Tom go to Italy to meet Richard. This sparks some interest in Tom's mind since he is bored of New York and has need of hiding out for a time, due to a tax letter scam he has been running and fears getting caught. He accepts and goes to Italy to meet Richard, having every intention on doing his best to get Richard to come home with him. However, this does not happen. Instead, Tom begins to like Richard's carefree lifestyle and pretty soon he likes Richard's clothes, his rings, and eventually he likes pretending he is Richard.

Things start to spiral out of control as Richard's friend, Marje, starts to raise doubts about Tom's intentions, and when Richard starts to distance himself from Tom, Tom realizes that he does not only like Richard's lifestyle, he would like to be Richard. This leads to Tom killing Richard to literally take his place. Tom enjoys the next few months in Rome and traveling around Europe as Richard Greenleaf without remorse. However, this does not last very long. Soon, some of Richard's friends are on to Tom and suspect that something is not quite right about Richard, which leads to one of them, Frederick Miles, going up to Rome to visit Richard only to find Tom, who was supposed to have returned to America. Tom realizes he is in danger of getting caught and kills Frederick, then tries to make it seem like Frederick was robbed and murdered. Things get complicated and just when it looks like he is about to be discovered, Tom realizes people would not suspect him of killing Frederick Miles, but Richard Greenleaf. He then gives up Richard's identity and returns to being Tom, thus not only getting away with two murders and stealing money, but also coming out looking like a truly nice guy in the eyes of every other character in the story. Even readers cheer at the end as things go favorably for Tom and his future looks bright, and then it sinks in. As readers, we have been cheering a murderer on and are glad that at the end he gets away with all the harm he has done. What does that say about us?

I do not believe that Tom was a victim of his condition because that would absolve Tom of guilt and responsibility over his actions. Tom killed and hurt other people without care or remorse and we are supposed to feel sorry for him? I do not doubt that he was not well, but in many instances in the story, we are shown that Tom is aware of what he is doing, coldly calculating what his next steps will be, thinking only of his own well being. Tom was not forced to lie, steal, cheat and kill. He chose to. This is what makes him such a dangerous person.

At the very beginning of the story, Tom thinks he is being pursued by someone, whom he fears is the police. This paranoid delusion is a recurring feeling he gets throughout the story and is our fist sign that there is indeed something not quite "balanced" about Tom. We immediately see that he is inclined to criminal activity, which at first is limited to small "practical joke" type stuff like his tax letter scam, and that he knows how to lie and manipulate people through the use of mannerisms and carefully chosen words and expressions. We see this uncanny talent in use during Tom's meeting with Mr. and Mrs. Greenleaf and when he is being interviewed by the Italian police and the American detective. It is apparent that lying is as natural to Tom as breathing, and boy does he have charm! It is this awareness of his talents that shows that Tom is not the victim of his condition, but that maybe he knows how to use it to his advantage.

As the story progresses, we get some insight into the potential source of Tom's condition. He became an orphan very early on in his life and was verbally and mentally abused by his Aunt Dottie, who adopted him. We can also note that before Richard's death, Tom reveals some interesting things about how he views himself. He clearly does not like himself and sees himself as empty, lifeless and boring. Yet once he becomes Richard, these feelings go away almost as if Richard's personality was filling some empty gap in Tom's own self and was now complete. These are signs of deep rooted problems, but they do not excuse Tom of his deeds.

Frederick's murder was more from passion than anything else. Tom panicked. He was about to get caught and, in the heat of the moment, killed Frederick as his only course of action. This was most unwise of Tom and nearly leads to him getting caught. One can argue that he was not quite himself during this event and so may have been influenced by his fears and insecurities, but the choice to kill was his. For instance, something similar happens later in the story when Marje finds Richard's rings in Tom's possession. Tom again feels fear and begins to contemplate killing Marje, but just as his fears were to get the best of him, he stops and decides not to kill her. Reason takes over, he subdues his fear and realizes that another murder would make things worse, so he chooses not to kill her. He does not spare her out of compassion, but so that he can use her later on for his own ends, which he does. This shows that has control over himself. He does not act impulsively but seeks to improve his situation, albeit with little regard to whom he may hurt along the way.

Richard's murder also shows that Tom had a choice about killing Richard right up to the moment of the actual kill. It is true that his mental state was a bit unbalanced leading up to his decision to kill, but as he thinks about how much he hates Richard on the train ride, he clearheadedly plans killing Richard, not out of anger or revenge, but so Tom can assume Richard's identity. At this point, we are reminded about all the things that have led to this moment. Tom often remarked about how much he resembled Richard. They had similar features and Tom could easily wear Richard's clothes and stated that he could forge Richard's signature. He could copy his mannerisms, his voice (in two different languages) and could imitate his writing and painting styles. It was too convenient. Now, all he had to do was decide to kill him or not. Richard's murder was premeditated. Tom was in control of himself and knew what he was doing and not the victim of some uncontrollable desire to harm others. As a matter of fact, through the whole story Tom does not desire to harm others at all, they are just in his way.

I do not believe Tom was a victim of his condition and that his actions were perhaps not entirely his own. In my point of view, "doing something bad" is anything which aims to harm another thing or person for no justifiable reason. In nature, carnivores kill their prey in order to survive, definitely a good reason. Tom had no such reason to harm anyone. Blaming his condition would be an excuse to shift the blame off of Tom on to the circumstances of his childhood. We are responsible for our own actions and our choices determine if we are good or bad. He is most definitely dangerous and more bad than good due to his selfishness. Beware the wolf among us sheep.

Enter the mind of the delightfully warped Patricia Highsmith who lets us cheer for the villians and sets her tales of danger and moral decay in luxurious European settings worthy of Ian Flemming. The Ripley books are much better than the recent film, because they are more brutally honest about Ripley's charater. Not being written for the typical middle-American audience, there is no need to sugarcoat anything. He is not some nice but troubled boy who lashes out in anger and then skillfully covers his crime and happens to get rich in the process thanks to a stroke of luck. He is a master manipulator who is always in control of himself and usually in control of others.

When he travels to Italy in search of an acquaintance, petty con artist Tom Ripley stumbles into the con of a lifetime: another man's identity. This book has some singularly perfect moments--namely, the impromptu and keenly flawed murder that begins the con; but also the way Tom juggles his dual personas, and the final few pages. But its bulk is repetitive. Near all that can go wrong does go wrong with predictable pacing, creating a constant state of tension (and frustration at Tom's lack of foresight)--but Tom, neither compelling or sympathetic, fails to warrant investment, and so the tension has no payout and is merely unpleasant. The supporting cast is as dull as Tom finds them, so neither is there dramatic irony. I appreciate the intent, and love the moments in which that intent succeeds, but too much of The Talented Mr. Ripley fails to impress.

THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY is about Tom Ripley, a strange, unhappy young man living in New York. From the beginning, we sense that there is something off about Tom, though it isn't until later on that we can begin to guess. He is persuaded by the wealthy business tycoon Herbert Greenleaf to go to Italy to persuade Greenleaf's son, Richard (Dickie) to come home and assume his family's responsibilities, while Greenleaf finances his voyage and expenses. Tom views the voyage as a chance to start over, and accepts. When Tom arrives in Italy, he is immediately taken by the generous, free-spirited Dickie and develops a quick hate for his the woman living with him, Marge Sherwood. The nature of their relationship is ambigiuos, but Marge's unrequited love for Dickie does not escape the watchful Tom. While Tom grows very popular with Dickie, Marge becomes very suspicious, and leads Dickie to question the nature of Tom's feelings toward him. Tom's desperate need to be liked by Dickie, whose independence he idolizes, leads to desperate feelings of rejection when Dickie begins to realize the strangeness of Tom's character. Full with contempt, Tom plans to kill Dickie on the train to San Remo, on their goodbye trip, and does so in a boat. He soon assumes Dickie's identity, writing to Marge and the elder Greenleafs and living Dickie's life, the life he wished he had. But soon the murder of the American and good friend of Dickie, Freddie Miles, leads the Italian police to "Richard Greenleaf". Tom has to navigate his way in and out of the police, while switching identities, and is forced to choose who he will ultimately become, and how far he will take his scheme.

What an interesting book! The character of Tom Ripley is an exceptional creation; indeed, all the characters in this novel are developed with fine nuances that make the book much more compelling than the movie (which was merely disturbing, where the book succeeds on higher levels). Ms. Highsmith's writing is deceptively simple. The style is basic while the characters are complex.
Unfortunately Michael Hayden has a slight lisp (can you believe it?!) which distracts from his otherwise talented performance of the audio version of this work. How it is that people with speech impediments get jobs reading novels aloud is a mystery to me.

Being a mysterious person herself, it is no wonder that she was able to create the character Tom Ripley. I found the book absolutely irresistable. The main character Tom is introduced to us in the first novel, "The Talented Mr. Ripley". Homoeroticism is clearly evident, yet Highsmith decides to mask this by marrying Tom off to a lovely French woman in the second novel, "Ripley Under Ground". I loved the development of the characters, and Highsmiths brilliant ability to create a claustrophobic environment from which Tom can not escape. His only chances to breathe stem from his murderous escapades with in each novel.
As an avid Christie reader, I found these novels not only to be a nice change of pace, but also intelligent, and geared towards the literary mystery reader.

This is as good as any Psychological Thriller can get. After a point the suspense builds and builds to the point you can't put the book down. And the build-up of angst keeps both Tom Ripley and the reader restless, tense, and excruciatingly on edge, yet at a fast moving pace without the pages and pages of agonizing self-torture that made Highsmith's first book, Strangers on the Train, stagnant at certain points.

The main character, Top Ripley, is superbly cast. Nobody draws the inside of a sociopath's head and his somewhat naïve personality and compulsive mannerisms for you better than Patricia Highsmith. The 2 supporting characters, Marge and Dickie, are real and tightly drawn into the world of Tom Ripley, who would not let them escape, against their sense and better judgement from the start with disastrous consequences for themselves.

The world building in the beautiful setting in Italy is so attractive that you long to be there doing the things that the characters do and seeing what they see.

I did not have a chance to read other stories from the "Ripley collection" yet, but I like this one enormously. Patricia Highsmith was a great and a very talented writer. It is nice to see that now she is getting the appreciation she deserves. Better late than never. As a general rule, I do not like "suspence" genre, but this book seems to be much more than just a suspence story. It is much more complex than a typical "murder-fiction". You can read this book several times and every time you peel off another layer and discover something else. This story is timeless and limitless...

I, too, am on a Patricia Highsmith "high." She is awesome! Her characters are undescribably delicious! I am now reading THE ANIMAL LOVERS BOOK OF BEASTLY MURDERS and I'm telling you it's not for the faint-hearted. She is not afraid to tackle the taboo (like killing babies). How she can get into the minds of such diverse animals as cockroaches, pigs, horses, cats, dogs and hamsters I don't know. I wish she were still alive so I could enjoy more. But like you, Santa Fe reader, I have much more to read at my disposal! Enjoy! Oh---and I look forward to reading STRANGERS ON A TRAIN. Thanks for the tip.

I did not see the movie, so I had no idea what to expect from the book. I heard it was a good suspense book....so I picked it up. You can definetly tell that it was written a while back and with a British flare,but I have to say that the suspense parts were rather predictable. I loved the characters,even the one's you weren't SUPPOSED to like and I think that was the best part about the book. You walk away feeling sorry for Tom and being totally annoyed with Dickie when it should be the other way around. In that aspect the writing was great. The suspense could use a boost but all in all it was a pretty interesting book. If you like Agatha Christie and some of the other authors of that time, you'll enjoy this book.

This is my favorite in the "Ripley" series because the intricate plot is so tightly worked it is impossible to put down and after reading you must find another Ripley book to see what he is up to.
The film version with Matt Damon is a case of perfect casting and an example of quality film making. This is a must read (the book) AND view (the movie).

Never a dull moment when reading any of the Ripley books. If you like the Ripley books, you're sure to like her short stories, she is a master of psychological suspense.

One of the real achievements of Patricia Highsmith's THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY is the way that the author allows us to sit both inside and outside the title character. From the inside, she makes us understand the miseries and insecurities that drive her psychopath. From the outside, she makes us understand how his ambitions have warped his taste and perceptions. Tom Ripley's fascination with lazy socialite and would-be painter Richard 'Dickie' Greenleaf seem driven almost entirely by his desperation to be as comfortable and confident as the latter. Stripped of the money and the self-confidence that it inspires, Greenleaf is a mediocre painter and a even less worthwhile as a human being; an empty charmer who picks up people when they amuse them and drops them with equal ease. One of the funniest aspects of the book is the poisonous resentment that boils between Ripley and Greenleaf's girlfriend Marge Sherwood, another rich kid with artistic pretentions (they are each convinced that opposite party has a close reationship with Greenleaf that they have been shut out of). And as the tensions of this particular relationship reach the boiling point, Ripley slips into homicidal violence with frightening ease. The title of the book packs an ironic wallop. Tom Ripley is bright, energetic, and possessed of real taste and discrimination. And the only goal to which they are applied is stealing the life, so to speak, of a wealthy layabout. The sense of waste is palpable.

Tom Ripley is a likeable sociopath whose misfortune it is to find himself too frequently in circumstances in which murder is, if not necessary, at least desirable. And Patricia Highsmith is a suspense writer who could make you bite your nails just reading about a woman setting the table. Read The Talented Mr. Ripley, and then read the rest of the Ripley books and a bunch of other Highsmith novels. (My favorite is A Suspension of Mercy.) Enjoy!

Reviewed by Debra Hamel, author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece

The first book I read in trimester one was the Talented Mr. Ripley written by Patricia Highsmith. The main conflict in the book was Mr. Ripley trying to get Dickie home from Rome back to his parents. While this is going on a lot of other stuff is happening too.

I really enjoyed this book. The book was very exciting to read because you never knew what was going to happen next. I was able to feel in the book because everything seemed so real. I could also make many connections to the book. The main conflict of the book was very interesting. You never knew what was going to happen and everything was fast paced and action packed. Every time I would predict what was going to happen I was always wrong and something better happened. I think that the characters seemed very realistic in the book because they faced very similar problems that people face everyday. The book's ending was very satisfying. If the book would have ended any other way it would not have been as good.

The author's voice in the story was narrative. She was the one telling the story. The author used vocabulary in a very interesting way. She used some very hard words, and she used some Britain words like ajar. I think that the author has a very unique way of writing. I like how she uses her vocabulary a lot. I think it is unique that she uses Britain and English in the same text. I also thought she was very unique how she explained parts of the book. She wouldn't say a lot but you would definitely have enough information to understand what she explained and you would have a good idea of it. The author used dialogue perfect in the book, she didn't have too much of it that you were bored out of your mind. She used enough to let you understand the part in the book. I think she is a very good author. I really enjoyed how she wrote her book and I loved reading it. She made the book very good with giving the right amount of details and not making you bored.

I would give this book a ten out of ten. I would give it this rating because it was a really good book and I don't think that there was anything I didn't like about it. I highly recommend this book to people who like books that keep you guessing on every part of the book. I also recommend this book more to guys then girls because I think guys would enjoy the whole entire book better because there is a death in the book.

This was a great book. I really enjoyed reading it and I never wanted to put the book down. I would have to say that this is one of the best books I have ever read, if not it is the best. I think the most amusing part in the book is when someone gets killed on a boat. This was a very exciting part in the book. I am not going to tell who got killed because it would ruin the book for you. If you want to find out who gets killed and the rest of the book go read the book for yourself.

Patricia Highsmith's THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY is an exercise in noir. Tom Ripley sinister efforts to gain what he desires through murder is fantastic in that the reader must suspend belief and will readily accept Tom for what he is. This early psychological mystery novel holds your attention as Tom readily justifies his acts and feels little if no remorse.
This classic crime fiction continues to enthrall readers as Tom is the one who gets away with murder.
Nash Black, author of SINS OF THE FATHERS

I purchased this volume over a year ago, but just got to reading it recently. In that time, I also saw the modern film version of the same title. Seeing the film, I already knew the premise, characters, and subject matter of the story. The book, however, is significantly different - and better - than the film. The film seems hardly to capture the true noir characterization in Tom Ripley and his actions. The book, however, focuses in detail on these actions and his twisted psyche. The point of view and narration are right on for this subject and setting.
After I realized how different and engaging it would be (versus the film), I read faster and with more zeal and interest. I recommend this volume to anyone interested in crime, European travel, or social psychology (and studies in personality)

The first Ripley novel, "The talented Mr. Ripley" is not as compelling as the 2nd and 3rd part, but it's necessary to read the first book in order to really understand the sequels. I still give it 5 stars, but vol. 2 and 3 are 6 star novels.
Ripley's amazing story really takes off in "Ripley Under Ground" and "Ripley's Game".
I also loved reading "The Boy who followed Ripley" several times, because I went to Berlin, Germany, quite often and enjoyed Highsmith's descriptions.
However, I did not care for volume 5, "Ripley Under Water", at all. That's why I rate it 1 star.
Maybe the time that passed between writing vol. 4 and vol. 5 was too long?
Somehow Highsmith could not create the same magic that her first 4 Ripley books possess.

and I don't think I should have. I am not the best writer in the world, but I'll try. Usually, reading a book after seeing a film doesn't affect my involvement or interest, except in this case. As I read, I had the vision of Matt Damon in my brain and I couldn't shake it. Damon did a good job but I think the realization of the Tom Ripley character might have been more imaginatively rewarding through Highsmiths' writing. It is a solid read that is far less sensational than the film, where as another reviewer put-it, spent a lot effort dwelling on a latent homosexual. I enjoyed the pace that didn't race but didn't drag and having never read any Highsmith's novels or have been to Europe, her vivid detail of life in the area was a highlight for me. I do suggest this book and this film, but read first and let your mind tell the story, set up this character (smooth, calculating and evil) in your imagination and the let the film serve the purpose I suppose it was intended to, one person's interpretation.

Highsmith's Ripley is much less sympathetic and more blatantly sociopathic than the film adaptation with Matt Damon. A DVD commentary on "Strangers on a Train" said something to the effect that Highsmith felt she was more or less channelling her own less-than-wholesome impulses in her writing, and you can feel it. This book also made me think about the Andrew Cunanan case, not in necessarily a homophobic way, but how a person could obsess and take on another person's life out of malicious, murderous envy and a malignant sense of entitlement. This was a great read; far and above the usual murder mystery. That may not come as any big news as this is a classic work of its genre, but if you've only seen the movie, do read the book.

Ms. Highsmith again successfully takes us on one of Thomas Ripleys adventures that gets him mixed up with the Mafia. A formidable opponent I would say. His warped thinking doesn't seem so warped as you follow his logic and life. I again rooted for him to come out unscathed although a loss of a personal friend truly touches his heart. Extremely interesting and adventursome. Will Mr. Ripleys life ever calm down? He sure has a knack for delving in the criminal element. Murder again has a role in this book and vengance is pointed at him. Another success, Thank you Ms. Highsmith.

This has been the only time I actually like a movie better than the book. I enjoyed the movie, so I wanted to read the book to get a better taste of Mr. Ripley. Unfortunately, the movie develops Mr. Ripley's character better than the book. The movie ads a love interest for Mr. Ripley, and better evolves Mr. Ripley's seduction to the good life.
I've read the entire series. Overall, they are mildly interesting. I really don't understand all of the positive press this mediocre lot of books is getting. The pacing of the books is slow. While the detail to the European countryside and cities ads some spice to the story, overall the book plods along slowly. You are not rewarded by the time you're done reading; instead, you're glad you're done.
Furthermore, and most frustrating, are the errors and leaps in logic in the storyline. Mr. Ripley actions (and those of his opponents) are screwball in nature. For instance, in "The Boy Who Followed Ripley", Mr. Ripley attempts to single handedly rescue a kidnapped boy from a gang of kidnappers at their hideout. Mr. Ripley attacks the place, (by himself against this gang of crooks, who are also similarly as stupid as Mr. Ripley) with only 4 bullets in his gun, breaking through the door, while dressed in drag! (Is that something you'd ever attempt?) Furthermore, the mother of this kidnapped boy entrusts Mr. Ripley with the entire ransom, sight unseen, without ever having a direct conversation with him - Ripley is just handed a suitcase full of money.
In, "Ripley Under Water", a total stranger is searching the rivers and lakes to find a body that he suspects Mr. Ripley killed and dumped. So what does this person do after all of this searching when he actually finds the body? Instead of calling the police, he just retrieves the body and dumps it on Ripley's front doorstep! (Leaving Mr. Ripley to once again hide the body. The story gets even stranger after this point.)
I don't want to give away other relevant plot points in the series, but these examples are par for the course. The author stretches the believable in an attempt to compose an interesting story, and fails. Mr. Ripley is not a mastermind of crime - he's a nimwit.
Too bad the author didn't develop a story for Dickie Greenleaf. At least he led an interesting life as playboy in Italy!

to get it right out in the open, this book is very different from the movie. both are excellent stories, yet the storylines split halfway through. this book is a true thriller- though not as intense as most. its effect is more sublime and chilling. the gore is there, yet its presence is understated. the true thrilling nature of this book comes from the ability highsmith has of causing you to sympathize- almost empathize- with tom. she constructs his maniacal thoughts so subtly yet delivers them so matter-of-factly that you almost feel you're betraying tom each time you remind yourself that he's really insane! his thought process is logical; his ability to rationalize his actions is arcane.
truly a "literary hall of mirrors" (taken from the back cover yet dead-on), highsmith turns the table 180 degrees on good and evil- almost without your noticing.

Good crime novel by Patric Highsmith, who created the fascinating character of Tom Ripley. Ripley is not a likeable character- he is an amoral, whiny, phony, petty thief, and eventually a murderer. I didn't like Ripley, but every time it seemed that he might get caught, to my surprise I found myself hoping he would squirm out of it. Not an easy tightrope to walk, to make the reader sympathize with an unsympathetic character, but Highsmith pulls it off.

It's seems as though Highsmith's ambition greatly exceeded her ability. Don't get me wrong, the Ripley character is truly interesting, I just don't believe Highsmith's prose was strong enough to provide him with any real depth. If Ripley is a genius, it sure doesn't come across that way in this novel. As other reviewers have already said the writing is clunky and often amateurish. If you're truly bored, give the book a shot, otherwise just stick to the movie.

I had only heard positive things regarding this book, but all I can say is that I found it to be an incredible waste of my time. I hated Tom Ripley, not because he was evil or manipulative, but because he was whiny and boring. He complained about the most inane things and if I had to spend any length of time with him, I would have killed myself! I think the basic plot - one man wanting another's life - was original and could have made for an interesting read, but I had trouble staying focused from the beginning. I did not care about any of the characters or their fates. I only finished it because I kept waiting for it to get exciting and, dare I say, dangerous. Tom Ripley is not a frightening psycopath; he is a bore whose life is more uninteresting in fiction than mine is in realtiy.

3.5 stars. It's a very enjoyable, fast read. At times I had to suspend disbelief as some characters seemed absurdly oblivious, but that wasn't a huge distraction from the story. My biggest complaint is the large head shot of Matt Damon on the cover of my edition.

What a great book! I've heard a lot about Patricia Highsmith before and I also saw the movie The Talented Mr.Ripley. I found it really strange, but I knew that this author wrote a lot of books with strange personalities in there. Now I've read a book from her and I only can say that I founded amazing. In the story you know from the beginning that this the two guys will kill somebody, but the interesting thing is not to know who killed, but why they kill and how the become killers. The whole tells about 300 pages why the become killers. I think Patricia Highsmith would say: "You and me can become killer, everyone has a part inside who can kill somebody." What a strange view of the human being. Read the book!

The reason I did not give this a lower rating is because the premise is good. The story in a nutshell is Tom Ripley is sent to Europe to try to convince Dickie Greenleaf to come home. He winds up wanting to be Dickie and assumes Dickie's identity. Tom noticed that there is a resemblance between Dickie and himself. It seemed strange to me that Dickie's parents did not notice the resemblance, nor did Dickie, nor his girlfriend, nor any of Dickie's other friends.

When Tom assumes Dickie's identity he lightens his hair (Dickie was blond), gains a few pounds, and dresses like Dickie. He is living in a place where Dickie is not known. This is quite plausible. However, one of Dickie's friends tracks him down and calls him on the phone. The friend is not able to tell it is not Dickie. Yet, when Dickie's girlfriend calls the number she recognizes Tom's voice immediatley. Meanwhile, Tom is writng letters as Dickie to Dickie's parents and Dickie's girlfriend. Grant they are typewritten. Mind you he has only know Dickie for a few months. No one seems to notice that something is not right. This is a stretch; but it is plausible.

Things start getting totally unbeleivable when Tom gives Dickie's passport as identification to a police officer. I know passport photos are bad; however, this is part of a murder investigation. Then when the real Dickie Greenleaf photograph get splashed across all the newspapers no one not even the police notice that the person in the photographs is not the same person they have known.

Finally, a bank suspects that Dickie's signature are forgeries. At this point Tom goes back to being Tom. He lightens his hair, tries to loose the extra pounds he put on to be Dickies, starts to dress sloppily and moves to another town. A photograph of Tom as Tom get published in the papers and again of course no one notices that this is the man that was posing as Dickie.

To top it all of Tom sent a type forged copy of Dickie's will to Dickie's parents with no witness signature. They accept it without wanting to see the original (at the very least it could be checked for fingerprints) and make arrangements for the will to be executed.

There are other things in the book that stretch the limit of plausibility. The premise was very good and the psychological profile of Tom was good. Everything else just didn't add up.

A page turner. She really understands men, women, social climbers, sexually underdeveloped people of both sexes, class conflict... Unbelievable it was published in the early 1950s because it seems very current.

Just substitute the telegrams and mailed letters with texts and emails. Back then, too, people concocted whole romances and frauds via writing.

Back then, too, people would get aggravated waiting for someone to text back.

Incredible book--masterful writing coupled with a page-turning story. You don't get that combination very often. Tom is a fascinating character--totally plausible yet unique--and the author shows a deep understanding of the disordered human mind. I am in awe of her abilities.

Patricia Highsmith and Ruth Rendell (also writing as Barbara Vine) are my two favourite psychological thriller writers. I'm fascinated by the portrayal of pyschopathic characters from their own point of view. Both authors are skillful at showing their pyschological and moral deterioration with a lot of tense plotting too.

Tom Ripley doesn't deteriorate of course, in fact, he gets ever more cultured and affectionate to wife and house keeper in his charming French house! But he's a fascinating character with his paradoxical combination of good qualities and truly amoral/immoral ones. I love all the Ripley books even though I know the plots are highly unlikely. Suspend your disbelief!

I strongly recommend all of Highsmith's books. They're not all equally good but all are worth reading.

Twenty-five-year-old Tom Ripley is sent to Italy to convince the son of a boat-building magnate to return to the States. Mr. Ripley finds that the European life is much to his liking, though unaffordable for him. What should he do?

This is a scary-good book that can make the reader uncomfortable at times. This book escapes being firmly put in any single genre. Psychological thriller? Mystery? International thriller? A study of mental illness? All of the above.

I believe mystery readers, particularly those who like Hitchcock movies, would enjoy "The Talented Mr. Ripley."

If you've seen the movie "The Talented Mr. Ripley" with Matt Damon, you know what an interesting story it is. However, the book provides a lot of interesting side notes that the movie left out.
All three books in this "collection" read very quickly, build on each other, and are able to hold your attention for hours. Highsmith has done some fascinating work--even though Ripley is such a horrible person, you find yourself sympathizing with him.
A terrific read... I highly recommend it.

After seeing the movie I became fascinated with Patricia Highsmith's series of novels. I wasn't sure what I expected, but I was very pleasantly surprised by this novel. There were many more facets of Ripley than were shown in the movie. As other reviewers have written, he is a very sympathetic psychopath, if possible. I selected this book for my bookclub, and we had a fantastic discussion!!! Everyone had many different ideas of his methods and motives and it made for a very lively debate. I recommend this book!!!

What a shame. Such a great writer, such beautiful descriptions and settings, great attention to physical detail.

But this time, a serious flaw causes too many cracks in the story. For the first time, Ripley gets his hands dirty almost as a lark. In this novel the sophisticated psychopath protagonist slips in to contribute to a killing for no discernible reason. Unlike other Ripley murders, there is zero motive for Tom taking part in a certain garrotting that is pivotal to the series of events in the story.

Ripley just ends up looking foolish.

Only a game, definitely. Highsmith stretched the reader's faith a bit too thin for this book to be taken very seriously.

There are a few good moments, most notably a true Highsmith form of contrasting and paralleling thelives and actions of disparate characters.

It's odd, though. Here's a middle aged Ripley set in 1974, smack in the middle of what was arguably the least classy decade last century. Ripley is meant to be a man of class and style. It's as if it was just not the right time to bring him to life in another book.

Tom Ripley after playing a foolish trick on a fellow townsman for slighting Ripley, unknowingly sends the mans life into a tailspin. In this novel of the series Tom is faced with trying to put back together the life of a good man whos life has been turned upside down by the unwitting events that Tom sets into play. The consequences and choices that are made by these two men are heart rending and leaves the reader feeling quite unsettled to the very last page. A dark and fascinating read.

Incredible book--masterful writing coupled with a page-turning story. You don't get that combination very often. Tom is a fascinating character--totally plausible yet unique--and the author shows a deep understanding of the disordered human mind. I am in awe of her abilities.

Patricia Highsmith and Ruth Rendell (also writing as Barbara Vine) are my two favourite psychological thriller writers. I'm fascinated by the portrayal of pyschopathic characters from their own point of view. Both authors are skillful at showing their pyschological and moral deterioration with a lot of tense plotting too.

Tom Ripley doesn't deteriorate of course, in fact, he gets ever more cultured and affectionate to wife and house keeper in his charming French house! But he's a fascinating character with his paradoxical combination of good qualities and truly amoral/immoral ones. I love all the Ripley books even though I know the plots are highly unlikely. Suspend your disbelief!

I strongly recommend all of Highsmith's books. They're not all equally good but all are worth reading.

Twenty-five-year-old Tom Ripley is sent to Italy to convince the son of a boat-building magnate to return to the States. Mr. Ripley finds that the European life is much to his liking, though unaffordable for him. What should he do?

This is a scary-good book that can make the reader uncomfortable at times. This book escapes being firmly put in any single genre. Psychological thriller? Mystery? International thriller? A study of mental illness? All of the above.

I believe mystery readers, particularly those who like Hitchcock movies, would enjoy "The Talented Mr. Ripley."

If you've seen the movie "The Talented Mr. Ripley" with Matt Damon, you know what an interesting story it is. However, the book provides a lot of interesting side notes that the movie left out.
All three books in this "collection" read very quickly, build on each other, and are able to hold your attention for hours. Highsmith has done some fascinating work--even though Ripley is such a horrible person, you find yourself sympathizing with him.
A terrific read... I highly recommend it.

After seeing the movie I became fascinated with Patricia Highsmith's series of novels. I wasn't sure what I expected, but I was very pleasantly surprised by this novel. There were many more facets of Ripley than were shown in the movie. As other reviewers have written, he is a very sympathetic psychopath, if possible. I selected this book for my bookclub, and we had a fantastic discussion!!! Everyone had many different ideas of his methods and motives and it made for a very lively debate. I recommend this book!!!

What a shame. Such a great writer, such beautiful descriptions and settings, great attention to physical detail.

But this time, a serious flaw causes too many cracks in the story. For the first time, Ripley gets his hands dirty almost as a lark. In this novel the sophisticated psychopath protagonist slips in to contribute to a killing for no discernible reason. Unlike other Ripley murders, there is zero motive for Tom taking part in a certain garrotting that is pivotal to the series of events in the story.

Ripley just ends up looking foolish.

Only a game, definitely. Highsmith stretched the reader's faith a bit too thin for this book to be taken very seriously.

There are a few good moments, most notably a true Highsmith form of contrasting and paralleling thelives and actions of disparate characters.

It's odd, though. Here's a middle aged Ripley set in 1974, smack in the middle of what was arguably the least classy decade last century. Ripley is meant to be a man of class and style. It's as if it was just not the right time to bring him to life in another book.

Tom Ripley after playing a foolish trick on a fellow townsman for slighting Ripley, unknowingly sends the mans life into a tailspin. In this novel of the series Tom is faced with trying to put back together the life of a good man whos life has been turned upside down by the unwitting events that Tom sets into play. The consequences and choices that are made by these two men are heart rending and leaves the reader feeling quite unsettled to the very last page. A dark and fascinating read.

As an American high school student, I don't usually like to read much extracurricular material (and there are those wondering why U.S. students don't do as well as others?), but I had been in such great anticipation of the movie last December that I decided to pick up a copy of _The Talented Mr. Ripley_. The book is captivating in that Highsmith does not hammer the reader with specific details of the characters; rather, she makes the reader -- at least I did -- "feel" the characters. The plot takes many exciting turns, and thus keeps the reader begging for more. Overall, there's a lot of mental and physical action and surprises that takes the reader to the ultimate surprise. The ending is certainly surprise, maybe even somewhat of a shock for those who are "upright" members of society. Yes -- evil triumphs and yes -- evil is unavenged. However, isn't this more like what goes on in real life? Like Wilfred Owen's message against the romanticizing of war in "Dolce et Decorum Est", let's look at what we can make of this imperfect world, and this book, I believe, does that.

I cannot urge people strongly enough to read this book. Tom continues his capers in style, and what a delight to follow along. Introduces many major elements in what would become a very entertaining series of books. Read with amazement as Tom Ripley begins an actual relationship with another human being(!) Highsmith writes with such flair that I feel like I've BEEN to 'Belle Ombre' after reading these books! Highest rating!

First Sentence: Tom glanced behind him and saw the man coming out of the Green Cage, heading his way.

Tom Ripley has little money left and is very dissatisfied with his life. He also keeps expecting to be arrested for the various frauds he has perpetrated. An offer travel to Italy, all expenses paid, by the father of Dickie Greenleaf comes as a perfect solution. All Tom has to do is convenience Dickie to return to the US and his ailing mother. But Dickie isn't interesting in going back and the longer Tom is in Italy the more he envies Dickie's money and persona until that envy grows into violent actions.

Every now and then, you come across a book where you can see and appreciate the quality of the author's writing, but you don't particularly care for the book. This is one of those times.

The story revolves around Tom Ripley. He is described as "innocent and clean-minded." He is clearly a virgin and may, or may not, be gay but still has a prepubescent boy's view of sex as being "icky". No matter what else he may be, Tom Ripley is a textbook sociopath and Highsmith does an excellent job of portraying it. The complete disdain with which she conveys Tom's feeling toward Dickie's friend, Marge, is exceedingly well done. There is a very good conveyance of Tom's fear as well as very good suspense. As a character study, I felt the writing was excellent.

Evaluating the book as a mystery, however, is where the flaws appear. While Tom's character is as dimensional as it can be, I found the other characters very one dimensional and completely undeveloped. I do question, although could be wrong, about one of the forensic elements but do find it very hard to accept that no one really saw the similarities between Tom and Dickie or did a more thorough investigation. The situation with the letter to the father and the will would have been highly suspect to me unless the family really didn't care. As a mystery, there were just too many parts of the book that did not hold together.

"Ripley" was a fascinating book from the prospective of a book which has gained regard as a "classic," but not one I would re-read or like well enough to read the follow-up books.

THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY (Suspense-Tom Ripley-Italy, Cont) - Good
Highsmith, Patricia - 1st of four Ripley books
Vintage Crime, ©1955, US Trade Paperback - ISBN: 0679742298

The Talented Mr. Repley's Story is known for everyone. Almost. So what I am reviewing here is not the story but the dazzling and inruiging content.

I read this fabulous book ong ago, and I love more than the movie, although movie is put out in first class cinematography and actor and directing delivery. Books are better for imagination and consideration. In the movie hall there are two many other things going on and the time is not enough to discribe and oak tree like in a book.

The Talented Mr.s Reply is always puzzling my own beliefs, still also managing to satisfy my own belifs as well. The paradox of life and being human. The paradox of wanting and expecting verses lose one self's identitiy. Every thing tom did was to caress what he thought he had accomplished while he has never gotten it in the first place. Fascination and infatuation with things we don't posses or have really experience has become our greatest depression. To me Dickie is a very stable person. He lived life as it was given to him. Tom is the ordinary human always wanting more and sometimes taking it a little too far to satisfy what has become under its spell.

I know a lot will disagree with me and I am sorry i haven';t exactly talked about the content of the book.

a great book, read it and keep it.

Again Ms. Highsmith brings us into the warped mind and world of Thomas Ripley. Somehow it all seems to make sense when you look at life from his point of view. Again I rooted for him to come out scott free and although The death of Jonathan was a disapointment, I was happy that Ripley didn't get caught. He seems to find himself in compromising situations that to him seem perfectly normal. Having to deal with the mafia this time seemed too big a job to handle, but he did it. Thank you Patricia Highsmith for another sucessful Ripley adventure.

After seeing the movie I was compelled to read the book, as I wanted to get more into Tom Ripley's brain. I found the story line and the psychological part of it to be fascinating. I was disappointed. The movie, though not fast-paced nor entirely suspenseful, was exciting compared to the book. My greatest disappointment in the book was the lack of character development. There is not one round character; even Tom remains flat from beginning to end. It was obvious that the author's intention was to continue the story in a sequel, but I was given no reason to sympathize with Tom. He's a poor, lonely person who covets the wealthy lifestyle and believes he deserves it just because he is smart. That brings up another point. No one in the book is smarter than Tom. Everyone is of "average intelligence" or worse. I found that to be rather a pitfall of the book because I was looking for a nemesis, or at least someone who could give Tom a run for his money. If you liked Marge in the movie, you'll be disappointed with her in the book. Her character was very well-written in the movie version, but she was a rather disappointing presence in the book, for all her lack of intelligence, beauty and talent. All in all, while this book was mildly entertaining, it barely surpasses your typical pulp fiction. It's good as "escape literature" but if you are looking for something that challenges your mind, look elsewhere.

The others are right: it would help to read the first two novels in order to appreciate the character of Tom Ripley. This is important for this installment because this is the novel where Ripley almost has a soul -- he actually undertakes his usual nefarious activity in order to atone for his own malignant action (first a rumor, then a murder plot). The characters don't exactly deepen Highsmith's narrative, but she overcomes the problem of writing a creative mystery by bringing more and more characters into the mix -- the mysterious Reeves Minot, who appeared in Ripley Under Ground (an underrated novel, in my estimation), becomes a rather important character. And the unlucky pawn in Ripley's game, Trevanny, lends the story the closest thing to a moral center that one could hope for. Oh -- and the action scenes are relatively plentiful, and exhilirating.

Patricia Highsmith is one of the strongest voices in twentieth century suspense, but is never mentioned with the likes of Hammett, Chandler, or even Jim Thompson. She is elegantly perverse and morally confused, which to this reader is the delicious creamy center of her uncluttered narratives. Though all three books are strong, the first, Talented Mr. Ripley, is by far the best--creepy and unnerving, with a wonderfully rendered protaganist. A great book (a moniker I do not dispense with frivolously).

Reading the book, it's transparent that the author has an exceedingly high opinion of the author. She seems to hate women, and not much like men (though at least they're men, so they have some chance). One of the few books I'd like to unread.

Where has this book been for the last 45 years? Amazingly, Patricia Highsmith weaves a story that is just as fresh and believable today as when she published it in 1955. The characters are compelling, intriguing, and as a reader you find yourself snared in the ever deepening complexities that Mr. Ripley faces. Also, I found myself facinated by and amazingly sympathetic to Tom Ripley, at times even rooting for him against the established, moneyed, empty cultured lifestyle he both despises and longs for.
In addition, the ending is a bit unexpected, but one I had secretly hoped for...it will be hard for the movie to top this piece of fiction. Enjoy!

Rarely do you find such a compelling story as this. I was a little disappointed that Mr. Ripley wasn't apprehended. Although this is what makes a good novel, when you are so into it and can't control the outcome. It is chilling to think Mr. Ripley can do these horrendous acts with such daring calm. I haven't seen the movie, but am looking forward to it.

I have read so many books, and I am eager to call this one the best, followed by "Patrick Süskind - The Perfume".

Patricia Highsmith created one of the best criminal novels I have ever read. Partly because off her unique way to describe, e.g. when Tom Ripley, the protagonist, murders somebody. These scenes are told so cool and distant, its like if she was talking about going to the supermarket on Saturday morning. It sometimes gave me a chill, because I could not let go off this masterpiece - I just had to go on reading and find out what this psychopath was going to do next to continue being "A FAKE SOMBODY, THAN A REAL NOBODY", as he justifies his actions!

It has been a great experience for me to read this novel and I recommend it to anybody who has a brain to think and eyes to see.

The first Ripley novel, "The talented Mr. Ripley" is not as compelling as the 2nd and 3rd part, but it's necessary to read the first book in order to really understand the sequels. I still give it 5 stars, but vol. 2 and 3 are 6 star novels.
Ripley's amazing story really takes off in "Ripley Under Ground" and "Ripley's Game".
I also loved reading "The Boy who followed Ripley" several times, because I went to Berlin, Germany, quite often and enjoyed Highsmith's descriptions.
However, I did not care for volume 5, "Ripley Under Water", at all. That's why I rate it 1 star.
Maybe the time that passed between writing vol. 4 and vol. 5 was too long?
Somehow Highsmith could not create the same magic that her first 4 Ripley books possess.