The Talented Mr. Ripley, Ripley Under Ground, Ripley's Game (Everyman's Library) [Hardcover]

Patricia Highsmith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 12, 1999

(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)

Three classic crime novels by a master of the macabre appear here together in hardcover for the first time.

Suave, agreeable, and completely amoral, Patricia Highsmith's hero, the inimitable Tom Ripley, stops at nothing--not even murder-- to accomplish his goals. In achieving for himself the opulent life that he was denied as a child, Ripley shows himself to be a master of illusion and manipulation and a disturbingly sympathetic combination of genius and psychopath. As Highsmith navigates the mesmerizing tangle of Ripley's deadly and sinister games, she turns the mystery genre inside out and takes us into the mind of a man utterly indifferent to evil.

The Talented Mr. Ripley
In a chilling literary hall of mirrors, Patricia Highsmith introduces Tom Ripley. Like a hero in a latter-day Henry James novel, is sent to Italy with a commission to coax a prodigal young American back to his wealthy father. But Ripley finds himself very fond of Dickie Greenleaf. He wants to be like him--exactly like him. Suave, agreeable, and utterly amoral, Ripley stops at nothing--certainly not only one murder--to accomplish his goal. Turning the mystery form inside out, Highsmith shows the terrifying abilities afforded to a man unhindered by the concept of evil.

Ripley Under Ground
In this harrowing illumination of the psychotic mind, the enviable Tom Ripley has a lovely house in the French countryside, a beautiful and very rich wife, and an art collection worthy of a connoisseur. But such a gracious life has not come easily. One inopportune inquiry, one inconvenient friend, and Ripley's world will come tumbling down--unless he takes decisive steps. In a mesmerizing novel that coolly subverts all traditional notions of literary justice, Ripley enthralls us even as we watch him perform acts of pure and unspeakable evil.

Ripley's Game
Connoisseur of art, harpsichord aficionado, gardener extraordinaire, and genius of improvisational murder, the inimitable Tom Ripley finds his complacency shaken when he is scorned at a posh gala. While an ordinary psychopath might repay the insult with some mild act of retribution, what Ripley has in mind is far more subtle, and infinitely more sinister. A social slight doesn't warrant murder of course-- just a chain of events that may lead to it.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Penzler Pick, February 2000: Astonishingly unappreciated in America in her lifetime, Patricia Highsmith has suddenly become a hot writer, four years after her death. This has been aided in no small part by the theatrical release of The Talented Mr. Ripley, with its cast of attractive young people. The success of the film has induced readers to try the book--not uncommon for popular movie adaptations--and then to look for other books by her as well. This excellent trilogy of the first three (of five) adventures of the utterly amoral Ripley helps fill that need.

In spite of being a bestselling writer in Germany, France, Austria, and other European countries, and in spite of the great fame accorded her first novel, Strangers on a Train, and the film adaptation by Alfred Hitchcock, Highsmith enjoyed no success in her native America, and she became an expatriate, living virtually all of her adult life in Europe.

The first of the Ripley novels is The Talented Mr. Ripley, in which the ne'er-do-well Tom Ripley commits murder and assumes the identity of his wealthy friend. In Ripley Underground, he is in danger of being discovered to have defrauded a large company out of a fortune, which could cost him his wealthy wife. In Ripley's Game, a casual snub causes Tom to concoct a scheme involving several murders, the Mafia, and a great deal of money.

These superbly crafted tales about the unfailingly charming but entirely reprehensible criminal are irresistible, much like watching Mike Tyson in a boxing ring (or out of it, for that matter). You know it's wrong to be titillated by it, and you feel guilty about enjoying the spectacle, but it's impossible to avert the eyes. --Otto Penzler

From Library Journal

Highsmith's already popular Ripley novels will get a boost thanks to a forthcoming feature film version of Talented starring Hollywood heartthrobs Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow. If your existing copies are worn out from use, then jump on this Everyman's Library edition.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 904 pages
• Publisher: Everyman's Library; 2nd Printing edition (October 12, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375407928
• ISBN-13: 978-0375407925
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 1.8 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #334,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Patricia Highsmith (1921-1995) was the author of more than twenty novels, including Strangers on a Train, The Price of Salt and The Talented Mr. Ripley, as well as numerous short stories.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

210 of 212 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for every Library, December 21, 1999

By 

Valiant (Bend, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Talented Mr. Ripley, Ripley Under Ground, Ripley's Game (Everyman's Library) (Hardcover)

If you like characters in fiction that get under your skin, then this anthology is for you. Under the darkened pen of Patricia Highsmith, Tom Ripley, her most memorable character of fiction, brilliantly comes to life. Growing from a poor, insecure boy, to a suave, albeit dangerous man of the world, Tom Ripley takes you along through the passages of his life, holding you as a willing hostage to the dark secrets he keeps. From the Sunny shores of Italy to the elegant French countryside, we are allowed to eavesdrop into the inner workings of a master deceiver. Rarely do we get the chance to watch a character mature as the author matures, but over the course of several decades, Ms. Highsmith, accomplished the task by writing 5 books dealing with Tom Ripley. Her three best novels of the series are presented here.

For a good old fashioned, up all night, reading marathon, you can't go far wrong with this anthology. If you enjoy the feelings of hope, excitement, dispair, fear and loss then you'll love this compilation. Having read all the Tom Ripley novels, the only dissapointment I have is that there are no more.

109 of 114 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fantastic Reading Experience, January 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Talented Mr. Ripley, Ripley Under Ground, Ripley's Game (Everyman's Library) (Hardcover)

Highsmith's books--all of which feature murders--are not typical murder mysteries because Highsmith never leaves the reader in the dark as to the identity of the murderer. (The sole exception runs for only three pages in the third novel, in which Highsmith playfully leaves the reader wondering, with other characters, whether Ripley was responsible for the unnecessary demise of third-tier character.)

A mystery novel that discloses the identity of the murderer may create tension by dealing with the question whether other characters, such as a law enforcement officer or a spouse, will learn the identity of the murderer. The first book contains considerable dramatic tension of this type, but the second two contain considerably less (especially for the reader familiar with the Ripley series).

The strange appeal of these novels--especially the latter two--lies more in their overall lack of dramatic tension. In the second and third books, Ripley's easy, cultured life invites the reader to relax, perhaps brew himself or herself a cup of tea, and, above all, let his or her guard down. Never mind that the purpose of a quick trip is murder most foul; Ripley never lacks the time to pick up a tasteful gift for Heloise, his wife. Never mind that Ripley and a friend must dispose quickly of bodies; Ripley never lacks the time to prepare (true, in this instance, hastily) a sumptuous meal after the murders.

As unusual as these books are in their lack of dramatic tension, they are even more unusual in their presentation of Ripley. Many reviews describe him as amoral. He is amoral, but only if that word permits one to display some morals. In the second and third books, Ripley emerges as a person who is deeply in love with, and committed to, his wife. He is nearly as loyal to his housekeeper, Madame Annette. He is capable of surprising loyalty to others. By the third novel, he has even displayed some growth in his ability to show concern for others (ok, maybe only two other persons).

Undoubtedly, though, the distinction of these three works is the ease with which Ripley murders. He murders as he lives--efficiently and effortlessly. Each murder seems the product of impulse, although Ripley commits each with as much composure as circumstances permit and the murders themselves are never devoid of purpose.

The achievement of the second and third novels, which in many respects are superior to the first, is that the murders blend into Ripley's life in such a way that the reader may not find it jarring that other characters, who discover that Ripley has committed these murders, do not themselves find the acts more repulsive than they do.

Highsmith accomplishes this unusual effect in part by her characterization of Ripley. Most readers will find appealing Ripley's taste and composure. Even more readers will find appealing his loyal devotion to his wife. In the third novel, Ripley's murder victims were dangerous, hardened criminals.

But, most of all, Highsmith eases the murders into her narratives through skillful prose. She writes in a spare, easy style, just as Ripley lives. In short, clear sentences, Highsmith captures the few details that quickly render a scene or a minor character. Her word choice is simple, but apt. Despite her efficiency, Highsmith is patient in dialogue. Heloise asks Ripley if he and another character had a <nice talk.> Never mind that they were discussing murder, Ripley invariably answers that they did.

Above all, read these novels for the rare pleasure that good writing provides.

I must also commend the publisher. Although nearly 900 pages, the book is the perfect size and handles well in a variety of reading position (although I found myself responding to the cultured world of Ripley by abandoning my favored reading position--prone--for the more formal one of sitting upright). The slightly rough texture of the red book (dustjacket removed) also facilitates easy handling. The print is pleasing to the eye. Suggestive of more devotional literature, my book came with a handsome gold ribbon to mark the page on the few occasions that I was able to put the book down.

[e-mail]

71 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highsmith trilogy, January 5, 2000

By 

Matthew A. Sackel (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Talented Mr. Ripley, Ripley Under Ground, Ripley's Game (Everyman's Library) (Hardcover)

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.