Rating: 
Summary: Gripping but flawed
Review: I enjoyed Anthony Mingella's film version so much I decided to investigate its source material. Despite already knowing how the plot would unfold, I found Patricia Highsmith's "The Talented Mr Ripley" a gripping and exciting read. Mingella stuck faithfully to Highsmith's storyline, departing only in his explicit outing of Tom Ripley by inventing a third murder absent from the novel. So barely concealed is Tom's interest in Dicky and distaste for Marge that it seems the most natural thing for Mingella to do....to complete the persona of Tom Ripley by painting in his sexuality, an aspect which the author had (deliberately ?) left us with a question mark. Whilst the novel is highly entertaining, there are gaps in the plot development which strain credibility. The reaction of Dicky's father to Tom's letter concerning Dickie's so-called will is plain absurd. We know Tom is a sociopath but what's unsatisfying is that by the end of the novel, we still don't feel as if we've nailed his psyche down to anything intuitively convincing. Still, the book is a worthy read and recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A chilling glimpse
Review: I read this after seeing both the American and French movie versions, so my reading was colored, but certainly my enjoyment wasn't affected. Highsmith's style is incredibly captivating. Tom Ripley is sent to Europe to coax Dickie Greenleaf home. While there, Ripley becomes enamored with Dickie and his lifestyle, and in a passionate rage, Ripley kills him. Ripley begins living as Dickie, until the police begin circling closer to the truth, and Ripley uses every talent he has to elude them. The precursor to such books as Michael Pye's "Taking Lives", Highsmith's noir thriller is a fascinating character study of a man intent on changing the circumstances of his life at any cost.
Rating: 
Summary: Not worthy of all the high praise
Review: The sole reason I bought and read this book was because Amazon.com ranked it as the #4 mystery of all time. Otherwise I would have just rented the movie, which I have yet to see. I have to agree with the occasional reviewer that says they didn't get what all the fuss was about. The story is admittedly an interesting premise, however I found the story exceedingly drawn out and dry. Admittedly I didn't like Ripley, because I felt that he was emotionally weak and a constant whiner, not due to his evil deeds. I didn't find the story full of suspense, which may be in large part because I knew there were future Ripley books written, but I feel this was a book that was easy for me to put down and when I would pick it back up it would take me several pages again to get interested in the happenings of the story. If you are interested in reading one of the classics, then I guess by reputation this one falls into that category (and I am one of the few that disagrees) however if you are an infrequent reader and are looking for a quick read I would advise you to choose another book.
Rating: 
Summary: A completely absorbing masterpiece.
Review: I hesitate to call this novel a masterpiece, not because I have any doubts, but because I fear it may turn people away from a really enjoyable book. Don't let the critical acclaim scare you off--this is a great read.Tom Ripley is a down and out young American whose prospects are minimal until he is sent to Italy to persuade an old school chum, Dickie Greenleaf, to return home to the United States. Instead of convincing Dickie to return home, however, Ripley finds himself enamored of Dickie's carefree lifestyle and ready access to money. Ripley dreams of becoming a permanent fixture in Dickie's life, but when it becomes clear that Dickie is growing bored with Ripley, Ripley calmly and coolly kills Dickie and assumes his identity. Mr. Ripley's talents, alluded to in the title, include forgery, impersonation, and murder. What makes this book a masterpiece is the way Highsmith draws the reader into Ripley's world. His actions seem not only logical, but also inevitable. The reader is brought to sympathize with him utterly, as we watch him grow (if it can be called that) from a clever but passive misanthrope to a cunningly amoral hedonist. How can you loathe a man who wants to use his ill-gotten gains to start an art collection? The story is told from Ripley's point of view, which leaves the reader with a lot to think about. Ripley's perceptions are necessarily tainted by his own world view, and the book may well be worth a second or third read to try to sort out Ripley's perceptions from reality. Does Dickie love his lady friend Marge, or are they just good friends? What are Dickie's true feelings for Ripley? What brings Ripley to act the way he does? The answers provided in the recent movie based on this novel are rather simple and, ultimately, pedantic (focusing too much on the possibility that Ripley is homosexual). The novel is far more interesting and complex. Don't miss it!
Rating:
Summary: Alchemical Man
Review: The great Patricia Highsmith wrote this riveting psychological thriller. (I didn't see the recent movie based on it, but, from what I've heard, it doesn't do justice to the book.) The book can be read on several levels: A tragicomedy of style over substance; a symbolic, psychodynamic portrait; or a twisted travelogue. At any level, it is an astonishingly gripping suspense, with unexpected but plausible twists and turns throughout. Thomas Ripley is the psychopath who forges an identity by assimilating the envied elements of others. Both his idealized self and his self-loathing are projected onto others, with disastrous results. His "talent" lies in his chameleon-like ability to change his identity. He purges his self-loathing by seeing others as common and mediocre, and becomes a heroic-other through his gift for imitation, deceit, and ingratiation. He is a gifted actor, but acting is his only way of "knowing" himself. This is suspense at its finest. Like a Hitchcock movie, the book has you asking yourself, "What will he do?" and then, "Will he get away with it?" Highsmith, who also wrote "Strangers on a Train," (later made into a Hitchcock film) grabs your attention from page one and never lets up.
Rating: 
Summary: Five stars? Really?
Review: I can't believe I am such a minority here. I have never been so bored or annoyed by a book. I did finish the book, though, sure something spectacular must be coming to somehow justify its publication. Several of the reviewers have complimented the story as subtle. I can only imagine they are only using "subtle" as a euphemism for "boring." Subtle it isn't: a summary: Tom Ripley is physically and mentally soft, weak, and afraid. Then Tom has a brief moment of unbelievable strength, cleverness, and drive. Then he takes a rest. Then repeat. The rest of the book may as well be a series of ditto marks. One review quotes the writer Hightower as saying about herself that her books are considered high literature by European critics. I assume this is Robert Blake-style self-promotion; if not, it is enough to encourage cultural ethnocentricity in the US.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book - Filled with Suspense
Review: This is an exceptional book that I would recommend to anyone. I have had the pleasure of viewing the movie, which is now my favorite, but it is a different animal from the book both in tone and intensity. Read the entire Ripley series to understand this complex character and his complex view of the world.
Rating: 
Summary: Waste of Time
Review: I had only heard positive things regarding this book, but all I can say is that I found it to be an incredible waste of my time. I hated Tom Ripley, not because he was evil or manipulative, but because he was whiny and boring. He complained about the most inane things and if I had to spend any length of time with him, I would have killed myself! I think the basic plot - one man wanting another's life - was original and could have made for an interesting read, but I had trouble staying focused from the beginning. I did not care about any of the characters or their fates. I only finished it because I kept waiting for it to get exciting and, dare I say, dangerous. Tom Ripley is not a frightening psycopath; he is a bore whose life is more uninteresting in fiction than mine is in realtiy.
Rating:
Summary: This Book Is Better Than The Movie
Review: If have not seen the movie of Talented Mr. Ripley and are interested read this book. If have seen the movie and were confused or unentertained read this book. Patricia Highsmith's book is a look into the mind of a young man named Thomas Ripley. He is a criminal and a con artist who goes on a trip to try to bring the rich Dickie Greenleaf back home from Italy. While on the trip Mr. Ripley goes through several episodes of madness. But unlike the movie the book does not present Mr. Ripley as a crazy person. This is a must read for those who enjoy suspense and stories of jealousy.
Rating:
Summary: Childish characters & story - frightening, but childish
Review: I realize the point of Patricia Highsmith's Ripley novels is to make us dislike the character of Thomas Ripley. He is amoral, sociopathic, and quite possibly a psychopath. He has also never quite grown up. And I do dislike Ripley - INTENSELY. But "The Talented Mr Ripley" deals with all its other major characters (with the exception of Dickie Greenleaf's father) in much the same way. They all appear to have a severe case of arrested development, and have never grown up emotionally and assumed the responsibilities that come with being an adult. The impression carries over into Highsmith's writing. I would not care to buy another Ripley novel. I might be interested in purchasing one of her other books, but Thomas Ripley and his world (and the way it's written about) is totally abhorrent to me.
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