The Talented Mr. Ripley
 

The Talented Mr. Ripley (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)

by Patricia Highsmith

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... (read more)

Top tags: fictionmysterysuspenseitaly1001 books you must read before you die (all tags)

Discussions

  • Sign in to post a comment on this book.

  • pbrass

    pbrass said:

    I, somewhat, was inspired by Highsmith, when I wrote my own novel The Harvest, and saw Chris Turner as a Ripleyesque character. I guess other authors have done this, but I am indebted to her. From what I have heard, she was an impossible character in her own right—hard drinking, impossibly forthright in her prejudices, but also quite open about her lesbianism at a time when that just did not happen. It is interesting to me that her work lives way after she is gone, and even though there is gossip about Patricia Highsmith, people who know nothing about her read her books. I don't think you can say that about many authors who've been dead for some while now.

    posted Wednesday, January 16 2008
© 2008 Shelfari, Inc. | Portions of Shelfari.com are Copyright © 1996-2008 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy