A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING MATT DAMON, JUDE LAW AND GWYNETH PALTROW
One of the BBC’s 100 Novels that shaped our world.
‘An outstanding thriller which has deservedly become a classic’ THE TIMES
‘Ripley – amoral, hedonistic and charming – is a genuinely original creation’ DAILY TELEGRAPH
‘I’m a huge Highsmith fan. If there’s one book I wish I’d written, it’s The Talented Mr Ripley‘ SARAH WATERS
A BEAUTIFUL HARDBACK EDITION OF ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL CRIME NOVELS EVER WRITTEN
Tom Ripley travels 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 will stop at nothing to accomplish his goal.
The Talented Mr. Ripley serves as an unforgettable introduction to this smooth confident man, whose talent for murder and self-invention is chronicled in four subsequent Ripley novels.
One of the BBC’s 100 Novels that shaped our world.
‘An outstanding thriller which has deservedly become a classic’ THE TIMES
‘Ripley – amoral, hedonistic and charming – is a genuinely original creation’ DAILY TELEGRAPH
‘I’m a huge Highsmith fan. If there’s one book I wish I’d written, it’s The Talented Mr Ripley‘ SARAH WATERS
A BEAUTIFUL HARDBACK EDITION OF ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL CRIME NOVELS EVER WRITTEN
Tom Ripley travels 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 will stop at nothing to accomplish his goal.
The Talented Mr. Ripley serves as an unforgettable introduction to this smooth confident man, whose talent for murder and self-invention is chronicled in four subsequent Ripley novels.
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Reviews
One of the great crime novels of the 20th century, Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley is a blend of the narrative subtlety of Henry James and the self- reflexive irony of Vladimir Nabokov. Like the best modernist fiction, Ripley 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 The Ambassadors. 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.
- Patrick O'Kelley, Amazon.co.uk
