The Talented Mr. Ripley
by Patricia Highsmith
★★★★☆
Tom Ripley is a quiet unassuming young man. When the opportunity to go to Europe to track down a former classmate comes along he jumps at the chance. Once he's there we begin to see the real Tom. He finds the old acquantance, Dickie Greenleaf, and Dickie's friend Marge. He insinuates himself into their lives in a small Italian village. There's a line at the beginning of the book where Ripley tells Dickie's father something and then in his own mind he says, "which was true." It immediately cues the reader into the fact that they can't trust the narrator and most of what he tells people is probably a lie.
The beauty of this book is watching Ripley slowly reveal himself to the reader. It's not a single snap, it's peeling layers off an onion, exposing his inability to connect with the world around him. He sees murder, deceipt and theft as a game.
"Risks were what made the whole thing fun."
He thrives on the cat and mouse interactions he has with the police and Dickie's family and friends. It's a twisted view of the world, but it's fascinating. For a book that deals with so much dark action it feels very calm. Highsmith manages to convey Ripley's distance from everything to the reader. Even as people edge closer to the truth, he is hardly ruffled. He has no remorse, no compassion. He justifys his actions in his own mind and smoothly moves forward to the next challenge.
BOTTOM LINE: Ripley is one of the most fascinating characters I've ever encountered and this story is an enthralling look at his slow creep towards his true nature.
"Tom didn't think too much of him, but, on the other hand, it was not wise to underestimate one's opponent."
