Ripley Under Water

In her fifth and what was to be her final installment in the novels about Tom Ripley, RIPLEY UNDER WATER, Patricia Highsmith has written a suspenseful page-turner that both shocks and entertains the reader. The talented Mr. Ripley, married to Heloise, now lives in France. He is the perfect friendly neighbor-- although he of course must maintain his distance from others as he is the killer of four people, Dickie Greenleaf, Murchison and two Mafia members. But Tom is no longer completely convinced that he committed all these murders. "Some remembered experiences faded, he [Tom] supposed, such as that of killing. . ." until a strange American Pritchard and his wife show up at the most inappropriate times and disrupt Mr. Ripley's placid existence. Ripley now takes harpischord lessons, listens to Brahms waltzes, drinks gin and tonics and kirs, grows dahlias, watches videos of "Some Like It Hot," and reads Richard Ellman's biography of Oscar Wilde. He is quite the gentleman of leisure. He is also a cold-blooded killer. This writer has the amazing ability to make you root for this psychopath although you know that he possesses few if any redeeming qualities. On the other hand, it's no coincidence that the Iagos of the world are much more fascinating then the Cordelias. The story stops rather abruptly; Ms. Highsmith apparently meant to write another chapter to Mr. Ripley's life. Unfortunately that did not happen. Nevertheless, this novel is entertainment at its best.

This fourth instalment in a series of five novels concerning the criminal adventures, schemes, ploys and cunning machinations of Tom Ripley, ranks as high as its predecessors. Tom Ripley has to be one of the most interesting and memorable characters ever created in modern crime literature. A man born from humble beginnings, he has re-invented himself as a man of refined taste and breeding. Basic manners and knowledge of human nature, combined with a strong will and bloody attitude of mind, he will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. What makes Ripley psychologically fascinating, is his utter lack of conscience. He can murder without a hint of remorse, and has that uncanny ability to compartmentalize his thoughts and memories in order live with his many dastardly deeds. Moreover, Highsmith writes about Ripley entirely from his perspective, giving the reader an inside look at his thought processes, rationalizations and intrigues, creating a sympathy for the man, thus we cheer when he murders and are greatly relieved when he gets away with it. We want Ripley to succeed and he always does. In this story, Ripley's chequered past catches up with him. An American couple, David and Janice Prichard, move into a villa down the way from his chateau at Villeperce. These people know Ripley from somewhere; know aspects about his past that Ripley would soon forget and then begin to relentlessly taunt him. How much do they really know? And how can Ripley handle this strange couple without implicating himself? This book was difficult to put down in many ways. Because Ripley is such a fascinating character, the pages seemed to turn themselves to discover his next move against these people. There is a particular scene in Tangiers at a shady café, where Ripley confronts Prichard, and without warning, in a series of dangerous blows, knocks the vulgar Prichard unconscious. In fact, Highsmith's writing is so good, that I found myself cheering as Ripley pummelled him to the ground. This type of scene, really, has become Ripley's trademark: surprise with lethal violence, applied without mercy or second thought. The Ripley novels are unique in modern crime fiction. Patricia Highsmith was not recognized in her native America, and was forced to move overseas to write, where she became a respected and best selling author. It is only in the last ten years, almost a decade after her death, that she is receiving the acclaim that is so well deserved.

I have read few good reviews for this book, but having read it now, I think very much otherwise.In my opinion, this is the second best in the series - because "The Talented Mr. Ripley" is the best, of course, but also because "Ripley Under Ground" had a few good moments and was otherwise rather flat (4th best to me), "Ripley's Game" had a more good moments, but still didn't reach great peaks of suspense (3rd best), and "The Boy who Followed Ripley" was really pointless, and the core concept had already been done, and a lot better, in "The Two Faces of January." But here, as soon as Tom grows suspicious of the Pritchards, the atmosphere goes very apprehensive. And, as the novel progresses, it turns to a tension - that sweet, magical "oh, don't get caught! Don't get caught!" tension - that only the first one really has. And it doesn't let go. This book is indeed one of the few "unputdownables" that nearly equals Highsmith's best. It's definitely worth it. Read on!

This was the first Ripley book I ever read, and remains my firm favourite - I enjoyed it even more than 'The Talented Mr Ripley', which itself is also excellent.Patricia Highsmith is one of the most effective suspense writers I've come across. I have never been able to put my finger on exactly why - others can do the fancy literary analysis - but you HAVE to keep reading, you feel like you're right there in that place and time, and you feel all of Tom Ripley's worry, relief, triumph and terror as if it was your own.Her books aren't particularly fast-moving or violent, and don't get to the action directly enough for some people. But if her wonderful, evocative prose gets you, Ripley (re-)discovering the single corpse of one of his victims is more horrifying than anything in a dozen splatter books - I was just dreading it, for pages and pages before it happened.Ms Highsmith's talent for building tension, suspense and sheer dread are even more marked in Ripley Under Water because we know what's going to happen - Ripley has done some bad things, and somebody is trying to get him into trouble for them. As a plot summary, that's a non-story, but in the hands of Patricia Highsmith it's a taut and compelling thriller.She gets us right inside Ripley's mind, a place with neither conscience nor much regret about his murders. His privileged existance, thanks to both his ill-gotten gains and the assets of his wealthy wife, is wonderfullyevoked, and we squirm at the creepiness of the Pritchards, his meddling new neighbours.The waiting, while the reformed predator Ripley is himself preyed upon, is almost agonising. If you've seen the movie and don't like books where you know the ending, then start with this one. It'll scare and surprise you, it's simply a marvellous book.

I was never so sorry to say goodbye to a sociopath. As the tale unfolded I was breathless with anticipation as to how Ripley's life would...I was on the edge of my seat, mesmerized from the opening moments to the final words. I wish the tale could have gone on forever. I don't remember the last time my heart raced so from a book. Read this - but save it for last; always save the best for last. Patricia Highsmith did.