Key themes
- The amoral protagonist — and the reader who roots for him
- Identity theft as a kind of existential freedom
- Class envy and the violence it generates
About this book
A charming sociopath assumes another man's life; cool, amoral suspense you can't look away from.
Published in 1955, The Talented Mr Ripley is the first of Highsmith's five Ripley novels and the one that made her name. It has been adapted for film multiple times. Highsmith said she felt a 'strong affinity' with Ripley.
Discussion questions
- Tom Ripley kills Dickie and assumes his identity without guilt or remorse. How does Highsmith make him compelling despite this — and what does the reader's enjoyment of his success say about us?
- The novel is about class resentment and social aspiration as much as it is a thriller. How does Highsmith develop Tom's hunger for Dickie's life — and is this portrayal sympathetic?
- Tom's homosexuality is never directly stated but clearly implied in the original novel. How does Highsmith encode this — and what does the period's enforced indirection add to the character?
- The Italian setting is essential to the novel's atmosphere. What does Europe represent — and what does it allow Tom and the novel to do that an American setting could not?
- Ripley is one of literature's great anti-heroes. What is Highsmith asking about the relationship between intelligence, morality and survival?
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