Perhaps it is a testament to how riveted I was to the story that I hardly made any notes or highlights in The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. The writing is stellar and well-paced and the horror that is Tom Ripley is only gradually and ever so casually revealed. Truly marvelous.
In case you don’t know the story, Tom Ripley, shy, socially awkward, a bit of a loner, walks into a bar one evening and thinks he is about to be arrested for some IRS fraud he is committing. But instead he ends up talking, not to the police, but to the father of Dickie Greenleaf, a wealthy shipping magnate. Tom knows Dickie only slightly but manages to convince Mr. Greenleaf he knows him well enough to go to Italy and persuade Dickie to come back home to New York all on Mr. Greenleaf’s dime.
Once in Mongibello, Tom insinuates himself into Dickie’s life, moves in with him, takes trips with him, begins to dress like him. Dickie’s girlfriend, Marge, is not pleased with this development and warns Dickie that there is something not right about Tom. When Dickie and Tom take a trip to San Remo and they are out jetting around the bay in a small boat, Dickie tells Tom that this is their last trip together, that when they get back Tom has to leave, that he and Marge don’t want him around any longer, Tom loses it and kills Dickie.
Tom looks enough like Dickie that he can get away with the impersonation. And he is very good at it. Thus begins an ever growing spiral of lies and manipulations, of living as two people. Tom concocts story after story for Marge, the police, and eventually Mr. Greenleaf and the private detective he brings from America. Tom teeters on the brink of failure a number of times but manages not only to get away with murder, but also to be legally awarded Dickie’s trust fund.
In becoming Dickie Greenleaf, Tom sees an escape from his past, a escape from himself, and the opportunity to be the person he always wanted to be. Tom’s desire to be Dickie is creepy as heck. Dickie finds Tom amusing and a little weird but he is not one to analyze. Marge, however, quickly becomes suspicious of Tom, though in the end he manages to win her over. It’s good stuff!
I also watched the 1999 movie version starring Matt Damon as Tom Ripley. Gwyneth Paltrow plays Marge and Jude Law is Dickie Greenleaf. It is very well done, though in some ways significantly different than the book. Marge is not so very suspicious of Tom in the movie, but Dickie’s friend Freddie Miles, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, is. In the book Freddie is talked about more than seen.
In the book Marge suggests to Dickie that Tom is gay. Dickie mentions this to Tom and Tom quickly disputes it. There is no sexual tension between Dickie and Tom, no looks or touches or anything that would indicate Tom really is gay. The tension between the two men is not sexual at all but arises from Tom’s desire not to be with Dickie but to be Dickie. In the movie the gay angle is totally played up and emphasised to the point where it seems like Tom kills Dickie in a lover’s quarrel.
The movie has two characters the book does not, Meredith, a rich heiress, and Peter, a friend of Dickie’s. Peter is mentioned in passing in the book but nothing more. Perhaps these two characters are in one of the other Ripley books? Oh, another difference between the book and movie, Tom is a piano tuner and pianst in the movie and Dickie plays sax and loves jazz. In the book Tom is a bit of a math whiz and Dickie is a very bad painter. I am not entirely certain why these two details were changed. Also in the book, Dickie does not get an Italian woman pregnant. In fact, Dickie doesn’t have sex with anyone until well into the book and that is with Marge.
The movie still works though. Bookman has not read the book and liked the movie. I don’t usually read the book and see a movie adaptation so closely together, but it was kind of fun having the details of the book so fresh for comparison.
Here’s one RIP book down. I am about a quarter of the way through the next one already: The Sundial by Shirley Jackson. And oh, it’s good!
I saw the movie, but did not read the book. I thought the movie was excellent. I did pick up on the sexual tension in the movie. Patricia Highsmith was lesbian, and she wrote The Price of Salt, which was made into the movie Carol recently. I haven’t read her, but I have read some stories about her that suggested her being lesbian in the 1950s – the difficulty of that existence back then – was somehow transmuted into her novels, through Tom Ripley. She’s such a fabulous writer – I say that not really knowing for sure, since I haven’t read her books, but the movie was so well done, and Carol was good, too. Ripley, especially, is so bleak.
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Valorie, Carol is a good movie, isn’t it? I have not read the book for that one. Highsmith is a fabulous writer. If you ever have the chance to read her books, give them a try!
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I think that Patricia Highsmith is a hypnotic writer and she has to be one of the greatest ever “crime”/suspense writers. She isn’t to everyone’s taste (even her British publisher, Victor Gollancz, wasn’t a fan) probably because of a certain coldness. I am not so keen on the Ripley books. Have you heard about Jill Dawson’s recent Highsmith novel The Crime Writer- it is excellent.
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Ian, hypnotic is a good description! No matter how distasteful Tom might be, you just can’t look away. I’m not sure I will read more of the Ripley books. Perhaps in the future I might want to find out what happens to Tom but for now I am satisfied with just the one. I have not heard about Dawson’s novel. I will have to look into it!
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I really want to read this. It sounds like such an interesting character study.
I thought that the film was very good.
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Brian Joseph, it is a fascinating character study and it all takes place through Tom’s point of view so you get the pleasure of the unreliable narrator. The movie can’t give you that but they did a good job.
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Oh I really enjoyed both the book and the movie, though I watched it first and then read the book years later. So I haven’t been tempted to do the book vs movie thing 😀 I’ve been meaning to explore more of her works, definitely Carol. And I also like how Highsmith can create such atmospheric texts.
Ooooh The Sundial!! I’ve been putting it off since sadly Jackson won’t be writing more. But I think my annual rereading of Castle should occur sooner rather than later 🙂 Happy RIP!
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Bina, this is the first of Highsmith’s books I have read and I definitely want to read more! The Sundial is turning out to be wickedly funny if that gives you any incentive to pick it up 🙂
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I saw the movie a long time ago, back when it was first released. I remember being creeped out by the entire premise. Back then, I had no idea it was based on a book. Your review makes me think I need to check it out!
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Michelle, I somehow managed to never see the movie and I have no idea why. I am kind of glad to have read the book first though. If you liked the movie, the book is even better 🙂
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I loved the movie and would love to read the book one of these days. There are several Ripley books though right?
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Iliana, yes, there are several Ripley books. I am not sure I will read them though I definitely want to read some of Highsmith’s other books.
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I love the movie–I saw it twice it the theatres and read the book not long after. There’s also a French film, Purple Noon, which I like a lot. I never did get around to reading more of the Ripley books, although I did watch and enjoy Ripley’s Game with John Malkovich.
Highsmith is one of those writers, I keep thinking I need to read more. I’ve heard Strangers on a Train is particularly good, and I love the Hitchcock film. I also loved Carol. So both of those seem promising.
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Teresa, a co-worker told me about the French film. She likes to read crime and I asked her if she had read the book and she told be the French film scared her so much she will never read the book! Makes me wonder if I should try and see it. I’ve seen the movies of Stranger on a Train and Carol and liked them both so I suspect I will eventually get to the books.
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Great review! Makes me want to read the book, and then see the movie. How have I not seen the movie yet?!
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wanderwolf, I hadn’t seen the movie before either and I am not sure why. But I am kind of glad because I really liked reading the book first.
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I have to start! But great review and hopefully I will get going soon!
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cirtnecce, I hope you like it!
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I enjoyed your review! I saw the movie ages ago when it came out and Jude Law was the hot new thing. I keep telling myself that I’m going to read Highsmith one day! (That’s the title of my autobiography, by the way: I’m Going to Read X Eventually: a Memoir.)
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Thanks Laila! I’ve been telling myself for years that I need to get around to reading HIghsmith. I am so glad I finally did! The title of your autobiography is perfect! Mine is going to be: I haven’t read that yet but I hope to soon 🙂
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Perfect!
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I recently listened to the audiobook and love Highsmith’s creepy writing. She does know how to set a mood and create tension.
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Care, ooh that must have been fun on audio! She is a master at mood and tension. That moment when Ripley gets so close to killing Marge. Fantastic!
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Like you, I usually leave some distance between book and film, so it’s easier to try to be fair (instead of slamming the book rules card on the table relentlessly!) but I watched this one right after reading the book too. And it was interesting to compare, perhaps even more so because of the core differences you’ve described so well. Had it been more loyal to the original, it mightn’t’ve been so much fun to lay them alongside.
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buried, the movie and book are just different enough that the comparison is interesting – what is emphasized and how some characterization is shifted. In spite of the changes in the movie I think it does a good job of sticking to the spirit of the book and that’s something.
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I’m not a big crime reader as you know, but Patricia Highsmith does sound as though I NEED to know her. I saw the first two movies and enjoyed them – Bourne is a complex character. It would be probably good to read the book and see what the author has to say!
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whisperinggums, I’m not a big crime reader either but it turns out that while crimes are committed, that is not what the book is about. It’s more of a psychological delving into the workings of a sociopathic mind. In other words, more character focus than plot focus. 🙂
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I really need to read this book again. I liked it and the movie, too. Usually I am disappointed with film adaptations of books, but this one worked for me. You have to credit Highsmith for making a serial killer like Ripley almost likeable. I am looking forward to hearing about the Shirley Jackson now, too!
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Danielle, yeah, except for a few quibbles, the movie adaptation worked really well. Highsmith does a great job at making Ripley not be a monster that’s for sure. I never really like him but sometimes I felt like I could almost feel sorry for him. Shirley Jackson is so wonderful!
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I really need to read this book. Mostly I think so I can see how Tom gets away with it for so long. It always seems so unlikely when I read reviews. He seems like a very interesting character to watch too.
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