1955
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Patricia Highsmith · 1921–1995 · United States
Why it matters
A charming young man murders his friend, assumes his identity, and starts building a new life on the dead man's fortune and name. Highsmith makes us root for the killer: guilt-free amorality rendered so seductively it implicates the reader.
At a glance
crime & noirpsychological novel
Difficulty 4/10fast pace290 pagesFast, clean prose keeps this psychologically unsettling thriller easy to read.
Deep dive
A poor, resourceful young man is sent to bring a wealthy expatriate home from Italy, and Highsmith tracks exactly how identity envy curdles into something else entirely — a study in charm with the moral floor removed.
Where to go next
Patricia Highsmith · 1950Strangers on a TrainLvl 4Fast paced
Fyodor Dostoevsky · 1866Crime and PunishmentLvl 6Fast paced
Joyce Carol Oates · 1969themLvl 6Medium pace
Donna Tartt · 2013The GoldfinchLvl 5Fast paced
Richard Wright · 1940Native SonLvl 5Fast paced
Truman Capote · 1966In Cold BloodLvl 5Fast paced