false 156024 52 One of the great crime novels of the 20th century, Patricia Highsmith's <I>The Talented Mr. Ripley</I> is a blend of the narrative subtlety of Henry James and the self-reflexive irony of Vladimir Nabokov. Like the best modernist fiction, <I>Ripley</I> works on two levels. First, it is the story of a young man, Tom Ripley, whose nihilistic tendencies lead him through a deadly passage across Europe. On another level, the novel is a commentary on fiction-making and techniques of narrative persuasion. Like Humbert Humbert, Tom Ripley seduces readers to empathise with him even as his actions defy all moral standards. The novel begins with a play on James's <I>The Ambassadors</I>. Tom Ripley is chosen by the wealthy Herbert Greenleaf to retrieve Greenleaf's son, Dickie, from his overlong sojourn in Italy. Dickie, it seems, is held captive both by the Mediterranean climate and the attractions of his female companion, but Mr. Greenleaf needs him back in New York to help with the family business. With an allowance and a new purpose, Tom leaves behind his dismal city apartment to begin his career as a return escort. But Tom, too, is captivated by Italy. He is also taken with the life and looks of Dickie Greenleaf. He insinuates himself into Dickie's world and soon finds that his passion for a lifestyle of wealth and sophistication transcends all moral compunction. Tom will become Dickie Greenleaf--at all costs. Unlike many modernist "experiments," <I>The Talented Mr. Ripley</I> is eminently readable and is driven by a gripping chase narrative that chronicles each of Tom's calculated manoeuvres of self-preservation. Highsmith was in peak form with this novel, and her ability to enter the mind of a sociopath and view the world through his disturbingly amoral eyes is a model that has spawned such latter-day serial killers as Hannibal Lechter. --<I>Patrick O'Kelley</I> 1817520 1955 The Talented Mr. Ripley total:2428|5:605|4:1064|3:584|2:142|1:33| 2428 9350 3522 266 5 9 false false Sat Mar 08 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sat Feb 23 11:52:50 -0800 2008 Sat Mar 08 01:23:24 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 3 false true Mon Feb 25 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sat Feb 16 22:10:41 -0800 2008 Mon Feb 25 03:28:12 -0800 2008
Then Dickie came along and I was torn between who I d...more...]]> 4 2 true false Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Fri Nov 23 21:53:08 -0800 2007 Mon Feb 16 05:08:52 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 2 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Jan 11 21:08:41 -0800 2009 Fri Jan 30 15:11:11 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 2 false false Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sat Jul 28 09:16:07 -0700 2007 Sat Aug 04 14:08:23 -0700 2007 more...]]> 5 1 false false Wed Oct 14 07:09:08 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 14 07:09:16 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 1 false false Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 06 10:47:47 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 06 10:49:57 -0700 2009 1 Dexter or The Flyā€...more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed May 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 08 18:17:26 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 08 18:28:51 -0700 2009
The book was published in the 19...more...]]> 5 11 false false Fri May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed May 27 06:53:49 -0700 2009 Wed May 27 06:54:06 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 1 false false Sun Apr 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri May 01 11:05:22 -0700 2009 Fri May 01 11:10:35 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Mar 06 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Mar 07 01:13:44 -0800 2009 Tue Mar 10 17:59:58 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Apr 09 09:00:35 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 14 03:07:32 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Apr 05 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Mar 31 23:15:30 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 05 20:55:38 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 3 false false Sun Jan 27 12:23:07 -0800 2008 Sun Jan 27 13:31:46 -0800 2008
However, once I finished up all the...more...]]> 4 1 false false Sun Jul 12 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 06 21:21:21 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 12 14:04:39 -0700 2009
The true sociopathic nature of Ripley is perfectly brought to life through Highsmith's writing. I go...more...]]> 5 1 false false Tue Sep 08 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 29 21:35:32 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 08 20:08:09 -0700 2009 more...]]> 0 1 false false Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Jan 04 13:41:02 -0800 2009 Sun Jan 04 13:41:02 -0800 2009
For its time, this is an amazing book. It kind of reminds me of ā€œIn a Lonely Placeā€ by Dorothy B. Hughes. Tom Ripley is a man who is already in some trouble and is expectin...more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Nov 29 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Nov 16 06:19:11 -0800 2008 Thu Dec 04 16:45:17 -0800 2008
...more...]]> 2 0 false false Mon May 11 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Apr 24 12:17:22 -0700 2009 Mon May 11 02:35:05 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 1 false false Thu May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Apr 20 09:53:09 -0700 2008 Mon May 12 22:43:39 -0700 2008 more...]]>