Book Review: ‘The Talented Mr Ripley' by Patricia Highsmith
‘The Talented Mr Ripley’ by Patricia Highsmith is one of those books that I've heard about, and know of, and have seen doing the rounds time and time again. But somehow I've never found the time myself to sit down and read it. That's where our podcast The Dark Academicals really does me a favour sometimes.
We featured ‘The Talented Mr Ripley' in this week's episode (streaming now!) and while we were looking at it from a Dark Academia perspective, overall my general feelings are: I'm surprised.
The summary is short, sweet and incredibly accurate:
“Tom Ripley is struggling to stay one step ahead of his creditors and the law, when an unexpected acquaintance offers him a free trip to Europe and a chance to start over.
Ripley wants money, success and the good life and he's willing to kill for it. When his new-found happiness is threatened, his response is as swift as it is shocking.”
It honestly took me by surprise just how much I enjoyed it. I listened on audio via Audible, and the narration was fabolous, which is often half the battle.
What we have in Ripley is a protagonist who is utterly unreliable, amoral and equipped with a chilling ability to commit crimes with a calm charisma that can catch you off guard.
Murder isn't fun, but there is something so charming about the way Ripley passes it off that it becomes quite unsetting as the reader to experience the sequence of events. And what really gets me is the amount of times he's nearly caught, I'm sitting there thinking that the jig is very much up and then he manages to get away with it. Over and over!
Such an easy novel to read. I loved the trip it took me on. There is something very classic about it, in the way that Gatsby and Brideshead have that affluent excuse to them.
Even though I knew this is part of a series, I was intrigued to find that it doesn't leave off on a cliffhanger, so much as a “what on earth is he going to do next?” because for Ripley… I don't put anything past him.
A really well thought through cast of characters, I think this would actually make a great holiday read as much as it would suit being curled up in a blanket on a rainy day. A good all-rounder.
My overall view is that it deserves all the hype and attention it receives. A genuinely good read. And I just might continue the series, you know!
Written by Sarah
