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

I gave my husband these first 3 novels from the Ripliad years ago and he loved them."The Boy who followed Ripley" is # 4, you can trust me with skipping # 5 "Ripley Under Water" which is extremely disappointing and boring and was written decades later.My favorites are "Ripley's Game" and "Ripley Under Ground".Patricia Highsmith knew her métier very well, she could create atmosphere with few words only, something that not many authors can do.Highsmith is much more popular in Europe, especially in Germany. The Swiss publishing house Diogenes has published all her crime novels in German.Many movies are based on her novels.Recently "Le meurtrier" (based on "The Blunderer", with Maurice Ronet, Marina Vlady and Gert Froebe, ca. 1964) was released on DVD by Pidax in Germany, one of the best PH film adaptations.There's a remake of "The Blunderer" from 2016 with Patrick Wilson.The best adaptation is without any doubt "Purple Noon" (1960, with Alain Delon), the first Ripley movie.

First of all, Highsmith's writing is quite pedestrian. You don't get any motivations for any of the characters. The most ridiculous of all is the supposed holographic will which was typed and accepted without question. A holographic will means hand-written, for crying out loud! And what family would accept their son's fortune being handed over to someone they knew nothing about and had only gotten acquainted for a very brief time. Also, each murder Ripley commits, he is known to be the last person seen with the victim, yet his glib excuses are allowed to stand. If I were an English or Italian policeman, I would be highly insulted by the portrayal. The other two stories are even more ridiculous. I only kept reading wondering what in the world was there to send Alain Delon to fame and garner many accolades for Matt Damon as Mr. Ripley. All I can conclude is that the directors saw the germ of an interesting concept and did some much-needed fleshing out of the stories. See the movies; don't waste your time on Highsmith's writing!

I am reading this for a literature class and I connot put it down. I only had to read the first book but I find it so enticing that I can't wait to read the rest! It does differ significantly from the movie however, having seen the movie it was easy to use the actors to picture the characters of the book. I got lost in the whimsy of distant lands and suspense.

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.

After seeing "The Talented Mr. Ripley" with Matt Damon, I was interested in learning more about this intriguing character, so I bought this single volume containing Patricia Highsmith's first three Ripley novels (which I understand are much better than the Ripley sequels number four and five). While I can't say, as other reviewers do, that I loved it, it was a worthwhile read, with the first novel being the best. After that, Ripley, while remaining true to his amoral self, becomes too self-confident and domestic for my taste. I probably would have stopped after the second novel if I hadn't bought the trilogy.Anyway, I've recently reviewed all three novels, which I figured I'd just "cut and paste" here:The Talented Mr. Ripley -- 4 stars:Thomas Ripley is approached by Mr. Greenleaf, a successful business man, who asks Tom to travel to a small coastal village in Italy, for the purpose of convincing his son Dickie to return and join the family business. When Tom, financed by Mr. Greenleaf, travels to Italy and meets Dickie (whom he soon befriends and moves in with), he sees what he has always dreamed of being: someone who lives a life of leisure, never works, with no money worries. Tom -- who's probably bisexual -- more than falls in love with Dickie, he actually wants to absorb his friend's persona and become him. He realizes that because of a stronger than passing resemblance, plus prodigious impersonation talents (which include forgery), he can become more and more like Dickie; but he eventually comes to the conclusion, in his typical amoral fashion, that he has to get rid of Dickie in order to truly live the life he wants. The third main character in the book, Marge, is in love with Dickie and jealous of Tom, but never truly understands Tom's complete obsession.If one has seen the movie, one cannot help but picture Matt Damon, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow (whose "Marge" has a stronger personality than the one in the book)in these roles. I didn't mind that, and could appreciate Patricia Highsmith's taut writing skills and ability to make the reader feel repulsed and sympathetic of Tom simultaneously. Sometimes I found myself routing for Tom, but most of the time I wanted him to get caught. My biggest problem with the book is that I couldn't accept how incompetent the Italian police were. One of the basic principles of a murder investigation is to follow the money trail -- which would lead even the most bumbling investigator to Tom. I doubt that even in the 1950's one could so easily impersonate someone else and get away with it. (The same can be said for "Ripley Under Ground," the next book in the Ripley series, but to an even greater degree).Although certainly with its flaws, "The Talented Mr. Ripley," delivers as a riveting read about a disturbed but clever man who will stop at nothing to obtain his goals.-------------------------------------Ripley Under Ground -- 3 starsSeveral years after he murdered Dickie Greenleaf and went through the events described in "The Talented Mr. Ripley," we now find a more domesticated Tom Ripley living as a man of leisure in a beautiful old country house with a lovely garden in France, with his young, blond French wife Heloise. Tom, living on the money that Dickie "left" to him (in a fake will drawn up by Tom himself after he murdered Dickie), plus his wife's family's generous allowance, supplements his income (and adds some excitment to a rather staid life) by having a stake in a bogus art dealership that sells paintings from the mysterious Derwatt. Unbeknownst to the general public, Derwatt actually committed suicide years before, and the new Derwatt paintings are being painted by Bernard Tufts, a secret business partner of Tom, who's an expert counterfeiter of Derwatt's art. But what's one to do when this fraudalent scheme is discovered by an avid Derwatt fan?Though Ripley is now older, wiser and more circumspect than he was in the prior novel, he hasn't changed at all in one respect: he will not let anything or anyone stand in the way of his blissful existence, even if he has to lie, cheat and murder. Still a master of imitation, Ripley also has to assume the role of different persona, including that of Derwatt himself, in order to get away with his various crimes.The problem I had with "Ripley Under Ground," was the same thing I had with "The Talented Mr. Ripley," but even more so. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at how many times Ripley was able to convince the police (here both French and British, as opposed to Italian in the prior Ripley novel) of his complete innocence and non-involvement with the shakiest of alibis and under the deepest suspicion. Ripley explains that he's just unlucky in that people who were last seem with him happen to disappear, and presumably well trained detectives astonishingly accept this after the most cursory of investigation.What was most frustrating to me is that all the police had to do to figure out the Derwatt ruse, and Ripley's involvement in it, was to follow the money trail. His colleagues at the Derwatt gallery explained that they had no idea where Derwatt lived or how they could locate him. Wouldn't following the money trail be the first thing one would do if someone who's alleging counterfeit paintings was murdered? This avenue of investigation would have led to the discovery of Ripley's involvement in the enterprise, and his entire story would have collapsed like a house of cards.In short, if you liked "The Talented Mr. Ripley," it's probably worth your while to read "Ripley Under Ground." But the problems of the first Ripley novel are magnified here.---------------------------------------Ripley's Game -- 3 starsSince I purchased a single volume which included the trilogy "The Talented Mr. Ripley," "Ripley Under Ground," and "Ripley's Game," I felt compelled to read the last installment, even though I probably would have stopped with the second one if purchased one at a time. Alas, "Ripley's Game" didn't thrill me. Sure, we still have the compelling main character who, like a toned down (non-cannabilistic) Hannibal Lechter, wonders whether his wine is properly chilled or how to play a Bach sonata on his newly purchased harpischord right before he bludgeons an enemy's head with a heavy stick. Here, his murderous choices aren't nearly so repugnant as in the two earlier Ripley novels, since those he kills are members of the Italian Mafia.In fact, the central character of "Ripley's Game" is not Thomas Ripley at all, but Jonathan Trevanny, dying of a fatal blood disease, who sets aside his morals and agrees to murder members of the Mafia for money (paid by Reeves, a "colleague" of Ripley whom we've met before), so that a war might be started amongst the Mafia families. Honestly, as a fan of "The Sopranos," it seemed at times that Highsmith's portrayal of the mob was nothing short of naive and pedestrian. The fight/murder scenes have an odd flatness to them, and are certainly not one of Highsmith's stronger points.One thing which kind of bothered me was that Ripley's comments to a character named Gauthier - that Trevanny had taken a turn for the worst -supposedly sets certain key events in motion. In fact (and I re-read this part to make sure), it was Gauthier who told Ripley about Trevanny's illness in the first place.In any event, the character of Thomas Ripley is certainly an intriguing one, and though I'm probably not going to read the two subsequent Ripley novels, someday I'll rent the two movies based on "Ripley's Game."

The first story is compelling and entertaining. After that, the pace in each subsequent story simply drags, and the stories become increasingly forced. I'd say get The Talented Mr. Ripley by itself and save time for other thrillers.

Only someone as talented as Patricia Highsmith could write, not just one but a series of books, where the main character is a psychopath. He is the personification of evil, but the reader follows him around, trying to see how he will get out of getting caught. I give a lot of books away and never regret it, but I do in this case, because I want to read them again.

If you have seen Alfred Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train" (the novel on which that film was based was by Patricia Highsmith) you will get some idea of what you are in for when you read these novels. A chilling study of a genuine psychopath. The title might make it seem like it is about Mr. Chips, but it is, trust me, not! The Everyman's edition is inexpensive and nicely bound, as are all books in that series.

beautifully produced book... with Tom Ripley at work... What's not to love about Highsmith's sense of society?

Love the who done it stories and when they come with a twist even better.

This was exactly what I wanted, even better the was the fact that it is an early edition in perfect condition.