The Talented Mr. Ripley

De: Patricia Highsmith

Narrado por: Kevin Kenerly

Since his debut in 1955, Tom Ripley has evolved into the ultimate bad boy sociopath, influencing countless novelists and filmmakers.

In this first novel, we are introduced to suave, handsome Tom Ripley: a young striver, newly arrived in the heady world of Manhattan in the 1950s. A product of a broken home, branded a "sissy" by his dismissive Aunt Dottie, Ripley becomes enamored of the moneyed world of his new friend, Dickie Greenleaf. This fondness turns obsessive when Ripley is sent to Italy to bring back his libertine pal, but he grows enraged by Dickie's ambivalent feelings for Marge, a charming American dilettante.

A dark reworking of Henry James's The Ambassadors, The Talented Mr. Ripley—immortalized in the 1998 film starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, and Gywneth Paltrow—is an unforgettable introduction to this debonair confidence man, whose talent for self-invention and calculated murder is chronicled in four subsequent novels.

©1955 Patricia Highsmith. Copyright renewed 1983 by Patricia Highsmith. (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"One of the great crime novels of the 20th century, Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley is a blend of the narrative subtlety of Henry James and the self-reflexive irony of Vladimir Nabokov. Like the best modernist fiction, Ripley works on two levels. First, it is the story of a young man, Tom Ripley, whose nihilistic tendencies lead him on a deadly passage across Europe. On another level, the novel is a commentary on fictionmaking and techniques of narrative persuasion. Like Humbert Humbert, Tom Ripley seduces readers into empathizing with him even as his actions defy all moral standards." (Amazon.com review)

"[Highsmith] has created a world of her own - a world claustrophobic and irrational which we enter each time with a sense of personal danger." (Graham Greene)

"One of our greatest modernist writers." (Gore Vidal)

Movie was better

What did you like best about The Talented Mr. Ripley? What did you like least?

The narration was excellent, and kept me involved in this rather dated story. It is very much a piece of its time. Well written but slow paced. It was interesting to compare to the movie version and it was one of the rare instances where the movie was better (IMHO)

Tightly wound tension & anxiety you can feel

The narrator was absolutely perfect. His tone and inflection set the mood at every turn exactly. The tension and anxiety as the story progresses is almost palpable and you can hear it in his voice, feel what Tom Ripley feels. I made the mistake of listening to this book in my car each day and getting so caught up in the story that I actually felt nervous when a police car passed me!

This is a look at a man with zero compassion or concern for anyone other than himself and his own desires. A look at the interior thoughts and machinations of a selfish, narcissistic, lazy young man who wants the easy, carefree life style of the sons of wealth around him. He spends his days mooching off the rich social set, over staying his welcome & over stepping until they run him off. Greed and humiliation compel him finally, to murder and assume the identity of these young, rich playboys.

I loved the mid 1950s setting and view of Italy. The descriptions are gorgeous and the writing quite simply sweeps you away to another time and slower, gentler place. The movie with Matt Damon is a mere sample of the story when compared to the book. I will add the sequel to my to be purchased list.

Rip up Ripley

Mr Ripley moves through this book with the maudline self pity of an F Scott Fitzgerald drunk. I selected to listen for 2 reasons the first the different perspective of listening to the story from the 'bad guys' point of view and the second the other reviews. I remove myself from the crowd with this listen. Ripley is looking for a hand out, he uses or kills everyone who does anything remotely nice for him, he is a true taker. While it would be interesting to listen to more of the series to see if and how he is finally caught it is not worth the time or the $$.

Good story bad narration

Great book...only complaint is that the narrator should learn how to pronounce foreign words if they appear in the book they are reading...anyone who speaks Italian will cringe when they hear this..

Porca miseria

Would you try another book from Patricia Highsmith and/or Kevin Kenerly?

I would certainly try another Patricia Highsmith book but if the setting were Italy I would avoid Kevin Kenerly who seems unfamiliar with the Italian language. One would think that the producer of the recording would have either found someone who could speak Italian or have given the narrator some tips. It was the same as finding a printed text full of typos.

What other book might you compare The Talented Mr. Ripley to and why?

Strangers on a Train or any of her stories are worth a try.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Kenerly's a fine reader, except for his Italian. This was just a bad match.

Could you see The Talented Mr. Ripley being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

It was a film.