Ripley’s Game by Patricia Highsmith ***

Reading dates: 19—24 December 2016

I liked ‘Ripley’s Game’ less that any of the others so far but the reason is simple: Tom Ripley shares his protagonist role with someone else who becomes his sidekick but who is not as good as Tom on the page. Yet, from the point Tom appears by surprise on a certain train journey, the whole book changes for me, although I am still not convinced he needs a companion. It may work for Sherlock and Batman, and it does blur Ripley even more, but I am looking forward to selfish Tom looking out for himself and his interests, instead of trying out psychology on his neighbours. On to the next one …