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

“His stories were good because he imagined them intensely, so intensely that he came to believe them.”

This is a book I’ve been wanting to read for a long time, and I’m glad I finally did! I can see why it’s considered a classic and why there have been multiple screen adaptations made, and I’m excited to track them down to see how they compare!

I enjoy the occasional book where the protagonist is a nuanced villain, and Tom made for an excellent case study! While it’s clear to the reader that he’s a manipulative sociopath, he’s also charming enough that I found myself wondering how Highsmith had me wavering in what I wanted his conclusion to be. (Let me clarify that in a real life situation, there would be no question… but in this literary world, part of me was hoping he’d get away with everything in the end.)

Saying much more might give away spoilers, so I’ll just say that this book left me with a lot to think about!

Content Warnings

juliana05's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

madlain's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

Content Warnings

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.

Content Warnings

kier_joe22's review against another edition

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adventurous tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Content Warnings

goldfinch123's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

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

5.0

Content Warnings

minnaohrner's review against another edition

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dark funny 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

3.5

Content Warnings

jesshindes's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny fast-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

4.0

I've seen the film of The Talented Mr Ripley several times so reading the book was inevitably a bit of an exercise in comparison. There are plenty of differences between the two both plot and character-wise (Marge is very un-Gwyneth-like in the novel, for instance) but one thing that struck me was that Tom's sexuality is much more to the forefront in the novel. It's so clearly part of who he is, the way he sees other people, how his view of society and his place in it is formed. This is a good thing, I think, and another very good thing about the novel is just Highsmith's style. She's a pleasure to read. Tom's constant struggle with the contempt he feels for those around him is sad at points but it's mostly very entertaining. There are so many great lines and funny observations. She's also as great at suspense as you'd expect - even though I knew there were several more Ripley books in the series, I was stressed about the possibility of discovery throughout 😂 In summary a great read and I'll definitely look to consume more Ripley in future!

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