Reviews with content warning for Death - The Talented Mr. Ripley

Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

22 reviews

naomipearl's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I’m a sucker for books that detail European life and also books that dig into social interactions way beyond the dialogue. This book does both, narrating omnipotently but simultaneously from Tom’s point of view. I think that is the exact point, given the central theme of identity to the plot. While the scheme itself is dark and uncomfortable to readers, reading everything from Tom’s calculating, objective, introspecting perspective kept my attention the whole way through.

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jay_hobday's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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carls_d's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

In had a difficult time to get into the book and disliked it at first. However, around page 100 I fell in love with the book
due to a plot twist: the murder of Dickie
. It is very interesting how Patricia Highsmith has portrayed Tom Ripley. You almost symphatize with him, the sociopath, and you secretly hope that his secret won't be revealed.

Some things were a bit unbelievable. Like when Marge had suddenly found the rings. And the envelope which said 'Don't open til June' was also a bit unbelievable. Why would someone forget that he had possessions of Dickie when these were obviously very important details for the invesitgation. Even at these moments, Tom wasn't suspected for the murder.

All in all, I loved this book and I thought that it was very interesting to read how a sociopath thinks.

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wossyboy's review against another edition

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adventurous dark lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

So good, so perfectly written. But so tense! I had to put it down at several points because I was too anxious. At other points I was flipping through the pages as fast as I can. Highsmith brilliantly changes pace to keep you on your toes and eek out the tension as long as possible.

I also really loved the romantic descriptions of Italy and Ripley's Italian life. It gave the book a sunny edge to what is otherwise quite a dark tale of death and deception.

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neali's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

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hannah_stoch's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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audreytallulah's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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nrya__'s review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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inkslate's review against another edition

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dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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laurenleigh's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’m not sure why or when this made it onto my TBR list, but I did enjoy this wild ride! Though maybe it wasn’t a great choice for my bedtime book, since it’s pretty tense all the way through. But in a very soft, gentle, creepy way. Tom Ripley is a sociopathic murderer, but he’s somehow still a relatable character at times. Highsmith is quite masterful in that regard. I was constantly kept guessing, always on the edge. Which is much like Tom himself. His identity and his grasp on reality is similarly in constant flux. He, or should I say Highsmith’s writing, truly amazes me. What I also enjoyed about this novel was its European setting. Most of the action takes place in various Italian cities and villages, and I loved their descriptions. I’m itching to travel so badly these days! I love how Highsmith mirrored the setting with the plot twists and also Tom’s internal turmoil. Things are pretty bucolic in the little beachy village of Mongibello, but the pace definitely picks up once they get to Rome and beyond!

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