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outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Tom Ripley is perturbed to realise he is being followed one evening but fear not, it is merely the father of one of Tom's peripheral acquaintances, Richard 'Dickie' Greenleaf. Greenleaf Senior asks Tom if he can exert some influence on Dickie to return home from Italy, & Tom spots a chance to get away from his humdrum existence. On Greenleaf's dime, Tom makes his way to Mongibello where he finds Dickie and close friend, Marge on the beach. Everything starts off well & Tom is soon asked to move into Dickie's villa, but Tom most definitely does not like Marge but can't seem to shake her from Dickie's life & things eventually go horribly wrong. Tom decides that he could live Dickie's life better than Dickie ever could, so he kills him & assumes his identity, but can he stay ahead of the police?
I remember watching the film starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, & Gwyneth Paltrow years ago, so being able to picture the actors as the characters helped bring them to life. Tom seems to be a sociopath, his inner monologues & disregard for anyone he feels he cannot use is well-documented here. There are brief homophobic remarks & Tom seems ill at ease with his sexuality, but bearing in mind that Hollywood's leading gay men were still marrying women at this point, it seems likely that Tom would perhaps have trouble reconciling his sexuality. He seems almost asexual at times.
I thought it was a great read and I have every intention of reading the rest of the series.
I remember watching the film starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, & Gwyneth Paltrow years ago, so being able to picture the actors as the characters helped bring them to life. Tom seems to be a sociopath, his inner monologues & disregard for anyone he feels he cannot use is well-documented here. There are brief homophobic remarks & Tom seems ill at ease with his sexuality, but bearing in mind that Hollywood's leading gay men were still marrying women at this point, it seems likely that Tom would perhaps have trouble reconciling his sexuality. He seems almost asexual at times.
I thought it was a great read and I have every intention of reading the rest of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Homophobia and Misogyny
alylentz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Enjoyable and tough to put down once you've started! A great suggestion for readers who want to get into classics but tend to find them intimidating... language was approachable and it keeps a good pace.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Homophobia
audreytallulah's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence
nikwui's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape and Homophobia
houndoflove1985's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia and Biphobia
inkslate's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Murder
Moderate: Biphobia, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexism, and Violence
Minor: Addiction, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Gore, and Terminal illness
womanwill's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Body shaming, and Misogyny
Minor: Suicide
laurenleigh's review against another edition
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Homophobia
emerynmader's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, and Terminal illness
terrormademecruel's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-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? Yes
Highsmith manages to create a captivating (and at times, I reluctantly admit, relatable) character out of a conman turned serial killer. I have a soft spot for depraved bisexuals, and Tom is no exception.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia