EricCWelch

The first Tom Ripley book (I believe) was The Talented Mr. Ripley which has been reprinted in vol. II of The Library of America's magnificent collection of "American Noir" crime novels of the 1950's. Tom begins his amoral life of crime with good intentions, traveling to Europe at the behest of a chance acquaintance to attempt to persuade Herbert Greenleaf's son Dickie to return to the United States. Tom befriends Dickey, but soon in an odd twist, kills Dickey in order to assume his identity (and money). Partly it is because of his jealously of the relationship that has begun to flourish between Dickey and Margie, another expatriate. Soon, however, Tom is forced to kill again in order to protect his new identity when he is recognized in Rome by a mutual acquaintance. The boat that Tom has killed Dickey in is discovered covered with blood, and now the police believe Dickey might have killed Tom. Soon the reader doesn't quite know whom to root for. Tom's credo might be that of modern America: "He loved possessions, not masses of them, but a select few that he did not part with. They gave a man self-respect. Not ostentation, but quality, and the love that cherished the quality. Possessions reminded him that he existed, and made him enjoy existence. It was as simple as that." Highsmith is quite a talent. All the Ripley books are real page-turners.