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Title: The Boy Who Followed Ripley by Patricia Highsmith ISBN: 0-679-74567-X Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 02 November, 1993 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.74 (19 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Entertaining but not the best of the Ripley series....
Comment: I suspect that author Highsmith was feeling more comfortable with expressing her own sexuality by the time she wrote this entertaining little mystery, as the homoeroticism is downright blatant! However, I think I preferred it more subtle for the charismatic Tom Ripley. I mean, having him revel in going in drag to a gay bar seemed extremely out of character, if not downright ridiculous. Otherwise, it's a fun chance for Ripley fans to spend more time with this fascinating felon.
Rating: 1
Summary: Suffers from sequel syndrome.
Comment: I've read 4 Ripley books, in order.
I have found the quality tails off as you read through the series, finally hitting rock bottom with the Boy who followed Ripley. To be fair the second and third are perfectly readable, just not as good as the first. The Talented Mr. Ripley deserves all the credit it gets, it is a well written and attention grabbing tale.
The plot is reasonably straightforward, but I get the feeling that much of the substance remains in the authors head - there are many instances of unlikely events that Tom for some unfathomable reason imagines will happen, and lo and behold, they do. He instantly recognises who the boy is, with little evidence. He immediately comes to the conclusion for no apparent reason that certain things will happen to the boy (I won't spoil it), they all happen. These in our world are called coincidences, in Ripleys world we are expected to swallow them one after the other.
I found myself skimming paragraphs, as I knew what would happen, because Tom had thought about it happening 10 minutes before.
The character of the boy himself is woefully undeveloped. The premise of the boy 'worshipping' Tom Ripley is thought sufficient to explain why the boy meekly does everything Tom tells him to, whether or not it makes sense.
Still, I'm not going to give it no Stars at all. I did manage to finish the book, and I certainly couldn't do any better!
This is not her best work. I found myself turning to my wife and saying 'Boy, this book is boring'. A first for me.
Rating: 5
Summary: The Boy
Comment: This book is definitely my favourite of the Ripley novels. Patricia Highsmith has an incredible ability to detail the touching relationship between Tom Ripley and Frank Pierson. Ripley remains a murderer who sees his dark deeds not as crimes but as necessary steps or precautions. His regret, for instance, when recalling his murder of another character in a previous book is cold-hearted and very funny: he remembers murdering the man by hitting him on the head with some wine. He then recalls that the wine was a good quality product, and he regrets having chosen that particular bottle to commit the deed.
Oh how I love Tom Ripley novels!
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Title: Ripley Under Ground by Patricia Highsmith ISBN: 0679742301 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 01 September, 1992 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith ISBN: 0679745688 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 02 November, 1993 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: The Talented Mr. Ripley, Ripley Under Ground, Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith ISBN: 0375407928 Publisher: Everyman's Library Pub. Date: 12 October, 1999 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
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Title: The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith ISBN: 0679742298 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 01 September, 1992 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith ISBN: 0393321983 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: August, 2001 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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