Author:
Patricia Highsmith | Title: The Talented Mr Ripley | Genre:
Thriller (or Crime Fiction)
Publication Date: November 30, 1955 | Number of Pages: 295 | Series: Ripley series (#1)
Geographical Setting: Italy (New York, France, Greece) | Time Period: 1950s
Plot Summary: Conman Tom Ripley receives an
offer to convince Dickie Greenleaf, amateur painter and son of naval architect
H.R. Greenleaf, to come home to the United States. Arriving in scenic
Mongibello, Tom quickly works to gain Dickie's affection. However, their bond
cannot last forever. As Tom repeatedly tries to regain control, Dickie's
friends- and the law- feed into an ever-increasing spiral.
Characteristics for Thriller:
Intricate plot- Ripley begins with a long exposition that
gains speed to a breakneck pace. This book is full of what the textbook called “reversals
of expectations, plot twists, and sudden revelations” (6). The protagonist is unable
to avoid danger but somehow always able to escape at the last moment.
Character- Most of the characters are fairly one-dimensional and
only exist to serve the plot or the protagonist, who is what the textbook would
call “dangerously flawed and often amoral” (13).
Tone/Setting- Thrillers often have a strong sense of place, and
this setting (Italy, with some New York, France, and Greece) is almost its own
character in this book. When added to the wealth of characters like Dickie and
Marge, the story seems almost dreamlike and disconnected from reality. As events
unfold, the tone becomes stressful, uncanny, and nightmarish, giving an insight
into Ripley’s disconnection from morality.
Read-alikes:
Nonfiction-
Blood Will Out (Walter Kirn)/ The Man in the Rockefeller Suit (Mark
Seal)
Catch Me if You Can (Frank Abagnale)
The Fatal Gift of Beauty: The Trials of Amanda Knox (Nina
Burleigh)
Similar Authors: Pope Brock, Ben Mezrich, Rachel DeLoache Williams
Fiction-
Social Creature (Tara Isabella Burton)
The Last Mrs Parrish (Liv Constantine)
Maestra (L.S. Hilton)
The Truth and Other Lies (Sascha Arango, Imogen Taylor)
The Ambassadors (Henry James)
Similar Authors: Peter Abrahams, Gillian Flynn, Jim Thompson
I have always been SO curious about this book but too chicken to ever read it! It sounds extremely interesting and listening to your description of the sense of place detail may convince me to give it a try. I can most likely guess that you enjoyed this book but I'd love to hear your personal opinion!
ReplyDeleteI was a little worried to share my personal review, to be honest. I read it after having seen the movie, and I think that ended up affecting my expectations for the book. On its own, it's a well-written but pretty standard '50s crime novel and wouldn't have left an especially strong impression if it wasn't for this assignment. If you want to read it, I would definitely recommend watching the movie afterwards, because it's a strong exception to the "book is always better than the movie" rule.
DeleteThat you identify the pacing as "breakneck" is the most appealing thing to me. I love those books that progress quickly and can't be put down. I love that you read an older book! I felt this unfounded pressure to pick something kinda newer.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way! I'm so worried about only picking older/"famous" books and seeming "basic," and feel like I should try more things people are writing now. This pick was really more of an excuse to try Ripley, to be honest. A bit of warning about the pace- the exposition takes up about 1/5 of the book, so it does take a while to speed up. It also speeds up gradually, but once you get about halfway through, the "breakneck" sets in through the rest of the book.
DeleteI liked your key words of "increasing spiral"! Combined with the page count, I think readers who want to be thrown into a quick thriller would love to try this. My annotation was of Gone Girl, which is 415 pages; I found it very engaging and compelling, but it was still a little longer than I would have expected. You also included key elements that would help readers decide if they want to read this or not (like if someone wanted a crime thriller with more character-development).
ReplyDeleteI've seen the movie but never connected with their being a book. I like your highlighting of the place's importance being that of a character. To escalate the action and keep one reading, it just draws us in even more. The spiral here reminds me of the spiral in The Goldfinch and how characters can spiral out of control into situations we don't want but fully expect.
ReplyDeleteI did not know this was a book! The way you described it made me want to read it. I especially like your description of the tone/setting. Your mention of a breakneck pace makes sense when reading about all of the places the story takes us. It's amazing that all of that is contained in a relatively short book.
ReplyDeleteFantastic annotation! Full points! You did a great job outlining the characteristics and your summary has a lot of your classmates wanting to check it out. I'll admit I've only seen the movie but now I'm intrigued by the book! Excellent work!
ReplyDelete