The talented Mr. Ripley ; Ripley under ground ; Ripley's game

A beautiful edition if you like Ripley. I didn't, first time around, but will keep this around to take another crack at this series.

The Talented Mr. Ripley is the best. I was sucked right in and couldn't wait to see what sinister scenarios would come next. And, of course, I rooted for him all the way. He'll always get away with it. Thank goodness.

Ripley is one of the great crime characters. He is at once repulsive and attractive. The stories are told from Ripley's viewpoint. He is the hero of an adventure story and it is hard not to wish him well

I think everyone has seen the 1999 movie, but here is a brief overview: Tom Ripley reminds me of Iago in Shakespeare's Othello in the way he is able to manipulate any situation to his advantage. Tom comes from poverty and loneliness having grown up without parents. His formative years were shaped

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by an overbearing aunt who belittled him at every opportunity. Tom learned early on he would need to con his way through life in order to survive it. When the IRS begins to close on him concerning a check cashing scheme, Tom is approached with a business proposition by the wealthy father of an acquaintance he cannot refuse. The opportunity is simple: Mr. Greenleaf has hired Tom to travel to Italy to convince his son, Dickey, to come home. He pays all of Tom's expenses for the trip including an allowance. Only, Dickey has no intentions of ever coming home. Realizing he has failed, he can longer be of use to Mr. Greenleaf and the money will soon dry up, Tom decides he needs a new angle - to steal Dickey's identity. Tom is a strangely likeable character. Told from his point of view, you can't help but root for him. He's not a psychopath because he has the ability to imagine the suffering of others but he thinks nothing of killing someone if it is the only way to get out of a jam.

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Not much mystery in these tales. But it is fun watching Mr. Ripley and friends get in and out of some serious scrapes. Never really satisfies as he never pays for the sins he's committed.

I really enjoyed these 3 Tom Ripley books. Patricia Highsmith has such an easy to read writing style.. hard to put the books down..I want to know each detail of what he's up to next!