Ripley Under Water

By: Patricia Highsmith

Narrated by: Kevin Kenerly

Tom Ripley passes his leisured days at his French country estate tending the dahlias, practicing the harpsichord, and enjoying the company of his lovely wife, Heloise. Never mind the bloodstains on the basement floor.

But some new neighbors have moved to Villeperce: the Pritchards, just arrived from America. they are a ghastly pair, with vulgar manners and even more vulgar taste. Most inconvenient, though, is their curiosity. Ripley does, after all, have a few things to hide. When menacing coincidences begin to occur, a spiraling contest of sinister hints and mutual terrorism ensues, resulting in one of Patricia Highsmith's most elegantly harrowing novels to date.

©1991 Patricia Highsmith. © 1993 by Diogenes Verlag AG, Zurich (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"One of our greatest modernist writers." (Gore Vidal)

Super !

Def a must in the series - chic - twisted - Dandy .. Morocco / tangier -Art
This last Ripley installment is a must ..

best book of the series

I thought this was a thoroughly entertaining series. You can see where in modern times people got the idea for storylines like Dexter, etc. This is as good, if not better than the first book. The narrator, as in all the other books in the series is immaculate. I burned through this series like a fat kid through a candy dish at Christmas.

It’s the last volume of the Ripliad

It’s the last volume of the Ripliad. It has Tom Ripley and it was written by Patricia Highsmith, what’s not to like?

Admittedly, it isn’t as strong as any of the first three volumes. But, I like it well enough that I’ve read it two or three times before listening to it. I’ll be keeping this book and listening to it again in the future, probably multiple times.

I think the voice talent puts in a strong performance.

Goodbye Tom Ripley

What did you love best about Ripley Under Water?

the more Ripley changes the more he stays the same: the same multi-layered characterization of the protagonist, the same mundane sociopathy, the same lucky breaks. In this last story Tom Ripley's self-absorption is more apparent than ever and the reader wonders: what is going on with his wife and her friend? why do other psychopaths fixate on Ripley? when is it all going to catch up with him? But Tom Ripley never does. He is the canniest survivor and one of the most likeable sociopath in literature. It helps us understand why and how we tolerate the sociopaths in our government, our media, and right next door.

What did you like best about this story?

the nuances of the relationship between him and his wife. and the continuing exploration of how far a man can go without a soul.

What about Kevin Kenerly’s performance did you like?

as always subtle and dead on.

Any additional comments?

I wish there were more Tom Ripley but in this last book I sensed Patricia Highsmith was tiring of him. I will have to explore more of her works. There are few of her skill.

Disappointing

This was not up to par with the previous three books in the Ripley series. The story is loosely-woven and the explanations for the protagonist and why he is harassing our "hero" are never given. The motivations for the villain are never explained and make no sense whatsoever.