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juliecolsen21's review against another edition
3.0
Excellent job writing the character, found the plot a bit hard to believe.
srg6734's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sbright421's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Talented Mr. Ripley is a certified page-turner that follows the travels of Tom Ripley and/or Dickie Greenleaf through Europe in the 1950s. I don't read fiction that often, but when I do it's usually because I need something that will get me through a book quickly and rebuild my love of the fun of reading. I don't always have to learn something when I read, I can do it for entertainment as well. This book definitely delivered the entertainment, I couldn't put it down and was eager to get to the apex of the plot to see if Tom Ripley could wriggle his way out of another or more sticky situations that he ultimately created for himself. If you need something to read quickly, and breeze through, I definitely would recommend giving this book a shot. I also loved how vividly the various places in Europe are described in the book. Mongibello is the Italian name for Mount Etna (I think) so the town itself might not exist but when Highsmith describes this town on the coast of Southern Italy it really feels like you can transport yourself there. Her descriptions of places like Paris, Rome, and the south of France really allow you to escape for a moment and it's easy to see how this was a book that had a really good skeleton to be made into a movie. The descriptions of the places reminded me a ton of Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne series in that sense, and they both were turned into movies. The characters, even the ones that only are described for a page or two, each have unique quirks that make them memorable and add to the suspense of the story. Highsmith is clearly a talented writer who strength is bringing people and places to life even on a black and white page.
I also really enjoyed Tom as a main character. He reminded me a lot of Patrick Bateman from Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho in the way that they were very clearly flawed people but drove the story in a way where their unreliability was unavoidable (in Ellis's case you really couldn't escape it because Bateman was the narrator, and while Tom Ripley wasn't the narrator the story was told from his perspective). I was never quite sure if I was rooting for Tom to get away with everything or whether I wanted him to get arrested, and that was fun to toy with in my head as I kept reading the story. I had some issues with the plot and how believable the premise of the story is, and I definitely spoil the ending, but I describe why below and is ultimately why I gave the book four stars. The plot's unbelievability took away a ton from what was otherwise a fantastic book.
SPOILERS BELOW
The story itself though left a little bit to desire for me. I kept asking myself why these characters were even doing what they were doing in the first place. It almost seemed pointless, and I couldn't get that out of my head. Why would Dickie's dad go and try and find Tom Ripley and trust him with all of this money to try and get his son back from Europe? Why didn't the dad just fly over himself, which he obviously have the means of doing so, to try and convince him instead of trusting some random stranger with all of this money to do it for you? It's no surprise that Tom gypped him, at least to me. The whole premise of the story was just a little bizarre, but it didn't stop my from wanting to find out what happens.
The ending was kind of a total dud too. There is no way in hell Dickie's will would've left everything to Tom, and the fact that Dickie's parents just totally go for it was something that I just totally rejected in my head. The fact that that was how the story ended was so ridiculous. How did Highsmith make an entire series out of this?
I also really enjoyed Tom as a main character. He reminded me a lot of Patrick Bateman from Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho in the way that they were very clearly flawed people but drove the story in a way where their unreliability was unavoidable (in Ellis's case you really couldn't escape it because Bateman was the narrator, and while Tom Ripley wasn't the narrator the story was told from his perspective). I was never quite sure if I was rooting for Tom to get away with everything or whether I wanted him to get arrested, and that was fun to toy with in my head as I kept reading the story. I had some issues with the plot and how believable the premise of the story is, and I definitely spoil the ending, but I describe why below and is ultimately why I gave the book four stars. The plot's unbelievability took away a ton from what was otherwise a fantastic book.
SPOILERS BELOW
The story itself though left a little bit to desire for me. I kept asking myself why these characters were even doing what they were doing in the first place. It almost seemed pointless, and I couldn't get that out of my head. Why would Dickie's dad go and try and find Tom Ripley and trust him with all of this money to try and get his son back from Europe? Why didn't the dad just fly over himself, which he obviously have the means of doing so, to try and convince him instead of trusting some random stranger with all of this money to do it for you? It's no surprise that Tom gypped him, at least to me. The whole premise of the story was just a little bizarre, but it didn't stop my from wanting to find out what happens.
The ending was kind of a total dud too. There is no way in hell Dickie's will would've left everything to Tom, and the fact that Dickie's parents just totally go for it was something that I just totally rejected in my head. The fact that that was how the story ended was so ridiculous. How did Highsmith make an entire series out of this?
squid_vicious's review against another edition
4.0
There is something darkly hilarious about Tom Ripley’s first “adventure”; I would not want to spoil it for anyone, but this slippery sociopath manages to be both detestable and yet, you can’t help but root for the slimy bugger…
Tom Ripley makes his living in 1950s Manhattan by being a small-time conman – who clearly struggles with a lot of repressed psycho-sexual issues (I wonder how this was perceived at publication time: knowing what we know about Patricia Highsmith makes this aspect of the character weirdly fascinating). He is the first to be surprised when an acquaintance’s father reaches out to him: would Tom be willing to go to Italy and try to talk some sense into the wayward Dickie Greenleaf, and bring him back home so he can take over the family business? At first, this just seems like a convenient way for Tom to ditch New York for the Europe he has been dreaming about most of his life. But that is until he meets Dickie, as the golden boy is everything Tom has ever wanted to be: rich, confident, independent. At the beginning, Tom decides to simply befriend Dickie and eventually tell him the actual purpose of his trip to Italy, but this very quickly blooms into an obsession and a desire not simply to be with Dickie, but to become Dickie…
Patricia Highsmith didn’t really create a likable anti-hero here – or at least, not one that I liked (come to think of it, I didn’t like any of the characters in this book). But it is fascinating to read this fast-paced little book and watch Tom wiggle himself in and out of the tightest binds, keeping a few steps ahead of those who would be suspicious of him and somehow, prevail. The paranoia is palpable in the prose, and the convoluted yet very well weaved plot makes it a hard book to put down.
I dimly remember the Anthony Minghella movie, mostly because I thought the photography was amazing, and a few elements had stuck in my mind; I was a touch disappointed not to find them in the book, but there is still something to be said for a novel that keeps you on the edge of your chair even when you dislike the main character so much! I mentioned the funny aspect of this story, and it really peaks at the very end, as if the whole story was a prank Patricia Highsmith had pulled on her readers. This last twist actually makes me want to read the rest of Tom’s adventures, and see what other ridiculous scrapes he gets himself into.
3 and a half stars, rounded up.
Tom Ripley makes his living in 1950s Manhattan by being a small-time conman – who clearly struggles with a lot of repressed psycho-sexual issues (I wonder how this was perceived at publication time: knowing what we know about Patricia Highsmith makes this aspect of the character weirdly fascinating). He is the first to be surprised when an acquaintance’s father reaches out to him: would Tom be willing to go to Italy and try to talk some sense into the wayward Dickie Greenleaf, and bring him back home so he can take over the family business? At first, this just seems like a convenient way for Tom to ditch New York for the Europe he has been dreaming about most of his life. But that is until he meets Dickie, as the golden boy is everything Tom has ever wanted to be: rich, confident, independent. At the beginning, Tom decides to simply befriend Dickie and eventually tell him the actual purpose of his trip to Italy, but this very quickly blooms into an obsession and a desire not simply to be with Dickie, but to become Dickie…
Patricia Highsmith didn’t really create a likable anti-hero here – or at least, not one that I liked (come to think of it, I didn’t like any of the characters in this book). But it is fascinating to read this fast-paced little book and watch Tom wiggle himself in and out of the tightest binds, keeping a few steps ahead of those who would be suspicious of him and somehow, prevail. The paranoia is palpable in the prose, and the convoluted yet very well weaved plot makes it a hard book to put down.
I dimly remember the Anthony Minghella movie, mostly because I thought the photography was amazing, and a few elements had stuck in my mind; I was a touch disappointed not to find them in the book, but there is still something to be said for a novel that keeps you on the edge of your chair even when you dislike the main character so much! I mentioned the funny aspect of this story, and it really peaks at the very end, as if the whole story was a prank Patricia Highsmith had pulled on her readers. This last twist actually makes me want to read the rest of Tom’s adventures, and see what other ridiculous scrapes he gets himself into.
3 and a half stars, rounded up.
j_rowley's review against another edition
4.0
Tom Ripley seems to be a con man in the making. Drifting around NYC, living off friends and acquaintances, no job, a friend's father tracks him down for some help. (Tom thinks the cops have finally caught up to him for an IRS scam he's been pulling)
The father wants him to convince his son to come home from Europe. Tom takes the money and heads to Europe. But once there he likes the life Dickie leads, although thinks he can do it better. And when the opportunity for murder is open, he takes it and steps into Dickie's shoes.
From there it's a cat and mouse game with a psychopath.
Highsmith does an excellent job of letting you feel like you are in Tom's head.
The father wants him to convince his son to come home from Europe. Tom takes the money and heads to Europe. But once there he likes the life Dickie leads, although thinks he can do it better. And when the opportunity for murder is open, he takes it and steps into Dickie's shoes.
From there it's a cat and mouse game with a psychopath.
Highsmith does an excellent job of letting you feel like you are in Tom's head.
mxtt_c's review against another edition
3.0
3.5*
A unique and interesting perspective. The novel follows the tortured Mr Ripley as he moves from one bad decision to another. This novel in 1950s fashion conflates homosexuality with a mental illness. It makes for a rather uncomfortable taste at the end.
The plot almost feels quite anticlimactic and as much as it is fitting doesn't feel enjoyable.
A unique and interesting perspective. The novel follows the tortured Mr Ripley as he moves from one bad decision to another. This novel in 1950s fashion conflates homosexuality with a mental illness. It makes for a rather uncomfortable taste at the end.
The plot almost feels quite anticlimactic and as much as it is fitting doesn't feel enjoyable.
istartedit's review against another edition
4.0
Queer!
Murderous?
Drag!
Tension (not the good kind!)
Happy pride :-)
Murderous?
Drag!
Tension (not the good kind!)
Happy pride :-)
hopeonfire's review against another edition
3.0
#ReadICT 2023 Category 5: A book told from a villain's point of view