Ripley Under Ground

Even knowing that Ripley must be getting away with it all in order for there to be still three books in the series, the atmosphere remains tense and delicate, with every hastily-made murder plan on the verge of disintegrating at the lightest witness/police probing.

The plot was interesting enough and exquisitely done, with the focus more on the unexpected psychological character studies, as well as some really astute reimagining of events by Highsmith-Ripley to come up with a plausible alibi for Ripley. The most delightful character is Heloise whose temperamental and moral childishness made her a perfect fit for her sociopathic husband. Moreover, in the same way that it's soothing to watch opulent period dramas, it was very wonderful to show more read about Ripley going about his gentleman-of-the-manor hobbies and jetsetting to various of his malevolent designs with no working-life worries. In fact, I'd be happy to read a book of no-murder Ripley just doing some gardening and painting and buying English pyjamas for his wife and going to dinners with his neighbours.

Aside: It's indicated in the book that lots of the interactions were conducted in various levels of French, which makes me wonder how the translator has managed this for the French edition of this book. show less

Better than most of the dreck that comprises this genre. With the Talented Mr. Ripley, Highsmith proved that crime fiction can be elevated to the level of good literature. Ripley Underground is a unique, tightly plotted and elegantly written story, but it is not the masterpiece that the first book was. Ripley's aged, lost a lot of his youthful insecurity. He's a bit to confident and you don't quite have the sense of his soul hanging on the line, as in the first book, where his intense need to connect spiritually with other people led him to acts of physical violence. Here, his main motivation is to avoid prison and his more philosophical inner-monologues, while sort of interesting, are also sort of desultory and contrived.

Tom Ripley is back in this sequel which Highsmith wrote 15 years after introducing the character, thus beginning a cycle which would eventually total five books published over a span of 36 years. You’d hardly notice the gap, as the story has a lot in common with its predecessor and picks right up with Ripley six years later, now married to a rich woman and living in France, having gotten away with murder. While that seems like a nice enough arrangement for him to have retired from grifting, he’s gotten himself involved with an art forgery enterprise, and trouble comes when a buyer suspects the paintings aren’t authentic.

There is a whirlwind of dual/assumed identities in what follows, and great tension as Ripley calculates the show more steps forward in that cold-blooded yet urbane way of his. Naturally, things get increasingly complicated as they go along, and eventually lead to more murder. Pressure comes from the buyer who has deduced something’s amiss and the police of course, but also a visitor from the family of the murder victim of the first book, as well as a wild card in the guilt-ridden artist who’s actually been painting the forgeries.

The book flows quite well and always had me wanting to read the next chapter, despite the logistical details of getting around from place to place, and dealing with things like poor phone call connections. This is also of a generation that was very into smoking and drinking, so that pervades the novel as well. While the events strain credulity in ways that make this a step down from the first book, I thought it was solid and a fine use of a remarkable, memorable character. show less

Another astonishingly twisted tale from Highsmith. Ripley's no simple character. What's the quote? What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive? Or something like that. Ripley's the epitome. He solves a problem by spontaneously killing someone wch leads to even more problems wch lead to even more desperate & complicated solutions. No, no simple character. Ripley's simultaneously sociopathic & full of feeling, of appreciation for culture, of love & sentiment. & yet he kills almost like it's no big deal to solve problems when he can't think of any other way out. Highsmith handles the psychology like someone who's known quite a few extreme people in her time - maybe all w/in herself.

Tom Ripley is now a very contented man, with a beautiful home in the French countryside, a gorgeous and very rich wife, and an excellent art collection complete with very useful contacts in the London art world. But one day an American arrives at the London art gallery, worried that a painting he has bought is a forgery and, since Tom has a couple of paintings by the same artist, the American proposes that they join forces to discover the truth. Tom, of course, already knows the truth and anyway, it’s never ever a good idea for anyone to suggest working together with him…. I think this story is set somewhere in the mid 1960s, or perhaps a bit earlier, and it is full of period details such as the ways in which one made international show more telephone calls (it involves waiting for the callee to call back) and the ease of travel between a number of European countries. As ever with this series, the main character is absolutely enthralling in his utter lack of compunction about anything and his thoroughly sociopathic nature. I still think the first book, The Talented Mr. Ripley, is the best, but this one carries on the tradition nicely. Recommended. show less

In the second of Highsmith's Ripley novels, our boy Tom is wealthy, married, and living outside Paris. Having little conscience is rewarding, at least in his case. (Actually, I prefer to think of him as extreeeemely practical, even Machiavellian, in his self-interest.) At any rate, dear Tom has gotten himself into a pickle with an art forgery scam and goes to great lengths to preserve his income and his lifestyle, not to mention protect his posterior, as the scheme begins to break apart. Multiple passports, impersonation, and murder, naturally, are involved.

One of the things I find most amusing AND horrifying about Ripley is his constant self-analysis and justification -- how he goes about rationalizing within his head, and then making show more the case to any other involved parties, that any given unsavory act is merited under the circumstances. The twists and turns he employs to make his crimes seem logical and acceptable are fascinating. This isn't to say he's a master plotter: he seems to act on impulse most of the time; it's the after-the-fact manipulation of events that is truly extraordinary.

I like Ripley in a novel. I would be terrified of him in reality. show less

Well, lightning don't strike twice, do it? The Talented Mr. Ripley was simply brilliant, a bolt of heaven-sent inspiration...and this sophomore effort, fifteen years in the making, feels like it's a response to requests for more Ripley, more Ripley, from his fans.

It's a fun book to read, don't get me wrong, but it's just...not...there if you know what I mean. Really good writing! Really nicely drawn story! Characters a little bit foreshortened, lacking in a depth that Marge and Dickie and even the tiresome Mr. Miles showed. And Ripley himself is a little more squeamish this time, which frankly made a lot of sense to me as Tom now has a wife and an art collection to defend against intruders like the forger, the copper, and the gallery show more owners.

I wonder if Highsmith thought this book was the equal of the first one...I recommend this as a delightful fall-fire-with-scotch read. Completists *must* read it. The squeamish should stay far away! The law-and-order types are herewith warned: You'll *hate* this book. show less