The Talented Mr. Ripley

By: Patricia Highsmith

Narrated by: Kevin Kenerly

Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Critic reviews

"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)

Loved it.

I love hating myself for loving a book about a sociopath and murderer. Thank you, Patricia Highsmith for writing a thoroughly entertaining and original book!

Really?

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would not recommend it. The 'protagonist' is a very nasty person. It is hard to be sympathetic with or relate to such a person as Mr Ripley, such a capable liar and self-serving cheat. All through, I wanted him to be found out and brought to an accounting of his terrible actions.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The point of this book is that sometimes bad people are rewarded for bad behavior. Life is not always fair.

Which character – as performed by Kevin Kenerly – was your favorite?

Hard to have a favorite character. Tom Ripley dominates this book, and he is contemptable.

Was The Talented Mr. Ripley worth the listening time?

Yes, as a 20th century classic, it was worth the time investment.

Disappointing Narrator

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

The Talented Mr. Ripley is a crime classic and the hard, almost vicious style of Highsmith really brings to life the darkness of Tom Ripley. The only thing that detracted from the audio book was the narrator.

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

There's no con man quite like Ripley, but I would compare it to another Highsmith, Strangers on a Train. The reason why is that there's a real sense of claustrophobia around the characters as the net draws to a close.

What didn’t you like about Kevin Kenerly’s performance?

It was about as good a job as I myself could have done. There's no real variation in voices and frankly, he just doesn't sound at all like I imagined Tom Ripley. His voice is too upbeat or something. It took me right out of the whole thing.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes.

Surprising ending! I am shocked!

I enjoyed this story. However, the voice of the voice of the narrator was not as strong as I would have liked. I was waiting for something to happen any moment to reveal the "bad guy". I was secretly happy with the end!

The subtext makes it work

Tom Ripley lives in a society that would have him kill off part of his personality in order to fit in. It's that mostly-buried truth that gives this story its deeper meaning and a significance that rises above that of the ordinary crime thriller.

Movie is actually better...

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

The narration matched the annoying, unsympathetic Tom very well.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

is this question using the subjunctive mood incorrectly?

Any additional comments?

The movie's better than the book. I found Matt Damon's characterization of Tom elicited some sympathy, and the Tom of the book is insufferable - catty, pretentious, relentlessly selfish, small-minded, delusional (I'd be satisfied if he were caught). The narrator does an excellent job of bringing the irritating Tom to life; I had originally been annoyed by the narrator, then realized that his performance really was a great match for Tom. There are some very similar scenes between the book and film (Matt Damon didn't wear an embarrassingly revealing thong; in the movie, but he did wear a garish suit on the beach), but where they differed, I think it's reasonable to say the film's presentation was just as good, if not better. I don't think there's really any more depth to the book than the film. I might have been more enthralled with the book if I had not been aware of the movie and if I were reading it within 10 years of its original publication.

Fascinating...

This was really great book. I loved it given it was my first time listening to a book of this nature. Highly recommended!

Liked it more than I expected

What made the experience of listening to The Talented Mr. Ripley the most enjoyable?

I saw the movie several years ago and can't remember the ending. I am assuming it is similar to the book. Sometimes when you see a movie before reading the book, it can be disappointing because the movie was altered too much or it is too close there isn't additional background story to be gleaned from reading the book. The book is right there in between. I am looking forward to reading the others in the series to see what dastardly deeds Mr Ripley is up to next.

What about Kevin Kenerly’s performance did you like?

I thought Kevin Kenerly's performance was kind of eerie. The somewhat soft-spoken, even tone seemed to fit the dysfunction and mindful calculations of Tom Ripley to not let emotions trip him up.

Any additional comments?

Even though the book was written about 60 years ago, it does not feel dated.

Hated the ending

Interesting throughout, except the ending. Narrator was perfect for this particular novel; he, like Mr. Ripley, was very talented. And, I don’t think Ripley was all that talented...he was just extremely lucky in the end, unfortunately. This book has held up well throughout the many years since it was published. Recommend, if you don’t mind injustice for your protagonist.

Goes on and on and becomes boring

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

Don't know.

Would you ever listen to anything by Patricia Highsmith again?

Maybe.

Which character – as performed by Kevin Kenerly – was your favorite?

Tom Ripley and DIckey Greenleaf.

Any additional comments?

The book is incredibly slow-paced and I found it pretty boring.