Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

bartleby@sprintmail.com

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.

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.

Tom Ripley is probably the most unique...and compelling...murderer in literature today. This is no serial killer like Hannibal Lecter; this is a man who defies description. The most relevant fact about Ripley is he's NOT an evil man. He just has some strange views on the importance of human life. When you read the Ripley novels as a body of work, you realize that he doesn't kill anybody that the reader has much sympathy for. His victims tend to be more self-centered and insensitive than Ripley himself. Ripley also never kills for pleasure; he kills when someone backs him into a corner. In "The Talented Mr. Ripley", Tom is a confused young man trying to find an identity, no matter whose he has to steal. By the second book, "Ripley Under Ground", he has his own life, a home, an income, and a beautiful wife. And he is more than willing to kill to keep all this safe. "Ripley's Game" shows what Tom can do when angered, and what he does when he feels he's gone too far. "The Boy Who Followed Ripley" has him taking a protege, and the final novel, "Ripley Under Water", pits Tom against someone even stranger than he is. In all of this, we find ourselves, against our better judgment, actually pulling for Tom. These novels are must-reads for any devotee of suspense, but fair warning: they are not for the weak of heart or the impressionable of mind.

The character development of Tom Ripley is what makes The Talented Mr. Ripley one of the great crime novels of the 20th century. Ms. Highsmith is an acute observer and is able to translate her sensitivity into a multidimensional portrait of a successful criminal in a way that is virtually unmatched. One of the most astonishing qualities of this book is that you will find yourself pulling for Ripley, even though he is as amoral a character as you will read about.

Ripley is an immensely capable man who floats like a newly cut wood chip on the surging tides of life, always buoyant regardless of the circumstances. He is extremely impulsive. He also has so little invested in who he is that he can even be happier pretending to be someone else. He is also unattached to the world's judgments. Solitude suits him well.

The story opens as the father of a casual acquaintance tracks Ripley down. The father wants to persuade his son to return from Italy to take up a career in the family business. Through this contact, Ripley finds himself sent off to Europe as a paid emissary. Once there, Ripley makes no headway but does develop a friendship with his casual acquaintance before strains start to develop. What follows is one of the most interesting and intricate plot lines that it will ever be your pleasure to read.

The book's largest theme is about identity. Who are we really? Can we be someone different from whom we seem to be? How do we misjudge one another? I don't remember any other crime novel that explores such subtle questions so well.

I recently reread this novel for the third time. I found depths in the themes and story telling that I had missed before. Even if you have read it before, I suggest you do so again. If you haven't read any of the Ripley novels, you have a great treat ahead of you.

The next book in the series is Ripley under Ground which suffers in comparison with The Talented Mr. Ripley. By comparison, Ripley Under Ground could be renamed Ripley in Slow Motion with a Yawn. Character development is much less in this book and the plot is much less intricate and exciting.

As the book opens, we find that the sexually neuter Ripley from The Talented Mr. Ripley has turned into a married Ripley who has a wealthy wife on vacation in Greece. A scam that Ripley started before he married and after The Talented Mr. Ripley has come back to haunt him. Ripley had helped set up a ring to forge portraits by a dead artist and to pretend the artist is still alive. A collector is challenging the authenticity of a painting he bought which is a forgery. Ripley decides to come to London to impersonate the artist. But that doesn't work so Ripley has to find some new method to solve the problem.

One of the weakest elements in this book is the heavy use of impersonations. It's just too much to be credible. That was the weakest part of The Talented Mr. Ripley, but here Ms. Highsmith goes off the deep end in that regard.

I did like the little character development that occurred. Ripley starts to develop some feelings for other people, even if they are not deep ones. He's not quite the amoral monster he was before, but he certainly looks out for number one first. He also starts to trust others for the first time.

The premise for Ripley's Game, the third book in the series, is the most interesting of the three: How will a dying man look at morality when he knows his days are numbered? Ripley's Game has a second advantage over The Talented Mr. Ripley and Ripley Under Ground, there are no plot devices where Ripley fools the same person over and over again with alternate disguises. Another advantage over Ripley Under Ground is that Ms. Highsmith has a new character who can be totally developed in his many complex facets.

As the book opens, Tom Ripley's criminal friend Reeves has come up with an implausible idea -- encourage the Italian mafia to run itself out of Hamburg by starting a war between rival families. To do this, Reeves needs an untraceable, innocent-looking killer who will quickly disappear. Reeves spots the possible targets, but cannot think of anyone to do the killings. Although Ripley has nothing at stake, the problem intrigues Tom. He remembers a local owner of a framing shop, Jonathan Trevanny, who has an advanced case of incurable leukemia. How might making the man afraid of dying sooner affect his willingness to kill? The story proceeds from there with many twists and turns that are more realistic than in The Talented Mr. Ripley or Ripley Under Ground. Before the book is over, you learn a lot about how people create their own situational morality. You will find yourself surprised by the reactions of Ripley, Trevanny and Trevanny's wife. It makes for very interesting reading. I especially enjoyed seeing Ms. Highsmith go back to do more with developing new dimensions of Ripley's character.

The book's main problem with the book is that it usually moves at the wrong pace. The leisurely, untroubled sections are developed at about the same pace as the dangerous action sections are. As a result, the book feels like Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is being played at the exact same average tempo throughout. The contrasts don't work as well with such an approach. In addition, the leisurely parts are too fast and the action parts are too slow.

After you finish this book, take time to honestly think about what you would do if you had been Trevanny. It makes for a series of fascinating speculations to consider.

I was a bit disappointed that everybody obviously watched the new remake of "The talented Mr.Ripley" with Matt Damon(which I didn`t find that good), but nobody mentioned the original movie from the early sixties with Alain Delon called "Plein soleil" which is available on amazon.com.
I read the first 4 Ripley sequels in the early eighties and liked "Ripley`s Game", "Ripley under Ground" and "The Boy who followed Ripley" the most of all 5 sequels. But the first one is necessary to read to understand the other volumes. But I never liked the first book as much as the others. Her style of writing matured in the seventies a lot and her books gave me lots of inspirations and tips where to go on vacation and what kind of classical music I could hear etcetera.
If you enjoyed the Matt Damon version with Tom Ripley, try "Plein soleil", you`ll like it even better! The actors, location and score/soundtrack are just divine!

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).

I am having a ball - I'm in love with Patricia Highsmith and her stories. I can't get enough of the corrupt, sociopathic, amoral, sleazy, viscious, mean, devilish, vile, brilliantly believable world she has created. Has anyone read "The Tremor of Forgery", set in Algiers? Wow! All the Ripleys are ripping, in the true sense of the word. Tom is a horror. I saw the movie first, but I do think Matt Damon did him justice, as did the other actors with their parts. But I liked "Purple Noon" better as a movie, especially the ending, which was not like the book but excellent nevertheless.\

I envy those who haven't begun reading PH yet. They are in for a fab adventure. Oh, by the way - "Strangers On A Train" is amazing - incredble - creepy as all get-out. Very different from the excellent Hitchcock.

You'll want to "go all the way" with Highsmith - that is, read it all. I'm thrilled that I have more to go.

Coming to Ms Highsmith via Mr Hitchcock (Strangers on a Train, The American Friend) I was struck by the way in which the writer had me liking Mr Ripley and disliking most of the other characters in these stories, even though Mr Ripley is a liar, a murderer, a thief, a cold calculating fish who delights in deceit and undermining others, manipulating the world around him to suit his selfish ends - maybe he represents the child in us, a character who gives expression to the dark side of our nature by allowing us to live through his adventures. He is superior, snobbish and incredibly attentive to detail. His knowledge of the art world, of Europe as the civilised centre of the universe, and many other matters make him something of a gourmet, bon vivant, idler. The world is just a large play pen for him to indulge his urges, but at some considerable risk. Tremendously entertaining stories composed over a period of 20 years by Ms Highsmith in clear stylish English make them a pleasure to read. This excellent Everyman Edition provide these stories with a worthy home. A bargain.