Ripley Underground

By: Patricia Highsmith

Narrated by: Kevin Kenerly

The Buckmaster Gallery is staging another Derwatt exhibition, but now an American collector claims that the expensive masterpiece he bought three years ago is a fake. It is, of course, and he wants to talk to Derwatt, but Derwatt, inconveniently, is dead. Ripley needs the perfect solution to keep his role in the fraud a secret and his reputation clean, but not everyone's nerves are as steady as his. Especially when it comes to murder.

©1970 Patricia Highsmith. 1993 by Diogenes Verlag AG, Zurich (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Dichotomous

I had opposing thoughts about almost all of the elements of this book.

Story line: I thought it dragged; yet, it had a mesmerizing pace that I wouldn't have wanted changed.

Characters: They were all in the range from full-on sociopath (only the lead character) to amoral to just completely uncaring about anyone but themselves; yet, I wanted to know what happened to them ... in someway I can't explain, I actually cared about how they fared.

Plot premise: It was about the forging of some only slightly noteworthy paintings, as in "why do I care about this?"; yet, I became interested in the nuances of forgery detection and actually was hoping the forger would get away with it.

The ending: In no sense of the word was there an ending, or any sense of closure on the story line; yet, it somehow poetically worked with all the rest of the book.

I kept wondering why I was continuing to listen to this book; yet, I did all the way to the end. And I'm glad I did.

My only non-dichotomous opinion was about Kevin Kenerly's narration: it was superb!

Strangely enough: I recommend this book ... but only if you are committed to this series. As a standalone book I'm pretty sure you would find your credit wasted.

The 2nd Great Ripley Novel

We really enjoyed it and now cannot wat for the next book. The details of getting around Europe are so interesting.

Tom Ripley is Addictive

I enjoyed The Talented Mr. Ripley so much that I decided to try Ripley Underground. I can see where the series might become more and more formula but there is something mesmerizing about Tom Ripley. I will probably purchase the next book eventually for another Ripley fix.
Love the narrator, Kevin Kenerly, he is definitely part of my fascination with listening to this series.

Excellent, excellent,excellent

This is one of those few books that I have read and listened to so many times over so many years that I don’t know how many. I highly recommend it.

Absolutely wonderful

Kevin Kenerly feels like the perfect performer for the magnificent Ripliad, He sees the comedy and explicates it for the listener.

A lot of holes in the story...

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I will parrot Christopher from B.C. in his review...the plot should be more plausible.

Would you ever listen to anything by Patricia Highsmith again?

Yes.

What does Kevin Kenerly bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Kenerly has a great ability to voice specific affect.

Was Ripley Underground worth the listening time?

Yes...but I hope the next installment will be a 'tighter' storyline.

MR. RIPLEY'S AMAZING TALENTS CONTINUE TO IMPRESS

Tom Ripley is something of an amazing, even seemingly impossible, combination: a lovable sociopath, who, in his own way, truly loves and protects the closest people in his life, whilst thinking nothing of bumping off the inevitable person(s) who gets between him and his comfortable, even pampered existence. With a beautiful, enticing French wife, Heloise, who is almost his equal when it comes to dismissing outsiders as mere annoyances, and their spry, sixty-something maid, Madam Annette, who shamelessly spoils the two of them, Ms. Highsmith has built a life for the Ripley's, whose everyday details will fascinate the reader every bit as much as the amazing plot twists of each ensuing Tom Ripley novel. Put all this together with Kevin Kenerly's superb voices and amazing delivery, and you've got five stars across the board!! Trust me: you will love this one!

When gods made Highsmith, they broke the plates.

While I don't believe 'Ripley Under Ground' is quite on the same level as 'The Talented Mr Ripley' it is still amazing to think about on how many levels Highsmith is writing. This novel reminds me a lot of Peter Carey's novel 'My Life as a Fake'.

Both novels explore ideas of art, authenticity, fakery, artistic isolation and basic counterfeits of all forms. What happens when the poseur becomes a greater poet/painter than the original? How do we measure art? How thin is the line between truth and fiction?

Anyway, Highsmith deserves to be recognized not just as a hard-boiled crime writer, but as a literary/genre example of Gresham's law. When the gods of fiction made Highsmith, they broke and buried the plates.

Boring

Would you try another book from Patricia Highsmith and/or Kevin Kenerly?

Yes because I love Tom Ripley

Would you recommend Ripley Underground to your friends? Why or why not?

Only to get the last book

Which scene was your favorite?

When Tom followed Bernard after Bernard thought he was dead. Pretty funny.

Do you think Ripley Underground needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

It does have a follow up. Ripley's Game.

Any additional comments?

A little too far fetched for me

Incredible listen

What a perfect narrator! He delivers the story so well. Incredible writing. Recommend this series!