Ripley's Game (1974)

This is the third in the Ripley series and my least favorite so far. Tom is less charming and the storyline less believable than The Talented Mr. Ripley and Ripley Under Ground. The writing is good but bringing the mafia into the scenario was a little over the top. Tom a little too casually involves an innocent American in the Reeves mafia scheme by playing a dangerous and psychological game which quickly escalates out of control. Still I'm curious to find out how Ripley fares in the long run so I'll read the last two in the series. ( )

This is more or less where Hannibal Lechter comes from--the tasteful, debonaire guilt-free killer of the rude & crude. An interesting idea that has now been worked to death by others, but a long way from the subtlety of the flawed and weak Ripley of the first book. That Ripley was something like a real person. This Ripley is a vehicle for misanthropic wish-fulfillment. ( )

Tom Ripley is perhaps my favorite psychopath. Even though he is frighteningly amoral, I still find myself somehow rooting for him as he murders his “best friend”, engages in art forgery (and commits murder to cover it up), plays with the lives of others (and murders some of them of course) simply because he feels he was snubbed, indulges in a lot of sexually ambiguous behavior, and generally plays a game of cat-and-mouse with anyone who crosses his path. ( )

Really great. ( )

Another in the series. Ripley, as usualy, gets away with murder. ( )