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55 pages 1 hour read

Patricia Highsmith

The Talented Mr. Ripley

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1955

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Before You Read

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Super Short Summary

In The Talented Mr. Ripley, Tom Ripley, a young man living in New York, is hired by Herbert Greenleaf to travel to Italy and persuade his son, Dickie, to return to America. Tom befriends Dickie but becomes obsessively envious of his lavish lifestyle. As Dickie grows distant, Tom kills him and assumes his identity, leading a double life while evading suspicion and committing further crimes to maintain his facade.

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley is celebrated for its intricate plotting and captivating psychological depth. Highsmith's portrayal of the protagonist, Tom Ripley, is both chilling and compelling, making the reader both root for and despise him. Some critics note the pacing can be slow, but most appreciate Highsmith's masterful suspense and keen exploration of identity and morality.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Talented Mr. Ripley?

Readers who relish psychological thrillers with morally complex characters will enjoy Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley. Enthusiasts of suspenseful plots akin to Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson will find this novel captivating and thought-provoking.

Book Details
Pages

288

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Italy • 1950s

Publication Year

1955

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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