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“Ripley’s Reviews” is an ongoing series where I will review every book in Patricia Highsmith’s “Ripley” Series, as well as multiple screen adaptations of the novels. I will post my reviews on the first Thursday of the month, and delve into the twisted mind of one Tom Ripley and all the various interpretations that he has come to life within.
It’s kind of crazy to think that a little more than a year ago I started my “Ripley’s Reviews” series, and now I am coming to an end with it. I have to say I really had a fun time doing this specialized series on the blog, as Tom Ripley is such an important character for Thriller fiction and creating protagonists out of monsters. Admittedly overall the “Ripliad” was a bit of a hit or miss series for me, as were the film and media adaptations, but it was fun to see where the character has gone and how he has been interpreted. And for my write up to wrap up the review series, I thought I would talk about my favorite book of the series and my favorite adaptation.
Favorite Book: “The Talented Mr. Ripley”
This one was just the blueprint for so much and it was the introduction to the beloved character, and it never got better than this. “The Talented Mr. Ripley” is uneasy and chilling, but we also get to know Tom Ripley so well as the story goes on and he does more and more heinous things in his quest to absorb Dickie Greenleaf’s life and prestige. Highsmith really captured something special with this book, and it has been adapted, retooled, and reimagined in various ways in the decades after its release. I still think fondly of my bunk bed in Capitola, California as I read the book for the first time in high school, and how much it almost assuredly shaped my taste in thrillers for years to come.
Favorite Adaptation: “The American Friend”
It’s so funny. Even when I reviewed this movie in my review series I said that I thought Matt Damon’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley” was my favorite of the film adaptations thus far. But as time went on, and it came time to write up this final thoughts post, I realized that I THINK “The American Friend” actually ended up being my favorite, just barely eeking out the 1999 film. I don’t know if it’s the tragic portrayal of Johnathan by Bruno Ganz, or the gorgeous cinematography that both evokes beauty and tension, or if it’s Dennis Hopper’s unexpected but effective turn as Ripley, but my heart keeps coming back to this film. I am planning on watching it again in the near future, seeing what I can catch and what will stand out on a second round when I’m not thinking of comparing and contrasting the source material with what ends up on the screen.
Best Ripley Overall: Matt Damon
I mean, I feel like Damon really, really captured the heart of the character, so while I was frustrated with some aspects of the 1999 film (justice for Dickie Greenleaf’s characterization!), I think that on the whole and comparing them all, this Ripley was the best one. He’s both horrifying in action but also relatable in his insecurities, and while I don’t want to call him ‘likable’, per se, he’s definitely an anti-hero in that I wanted to keep watching him weasel his way out of everything. At least until the end when he heel turn is fully complete. But Damon really portrays all of the facets that we have come to expect from Tom Ripley, humanizing him in ways without making him a hero or excusing his actions.
And with that, my “Ripley’s Reviews” series come to a close. I’m brainstorming other review series I can tackle in the future, but this one was a treat to take on. So long, Tom Ripley. It was a pleasure.
The Library Ladies 