Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lahjakas herra Ripley | 1955 | Patricia Highsmith | N/A |
| 2 | The Talented Mr. Ripley | 1955 | Patricia Highsmith | Buy |
| 3 | Il sepolto vivo | 1970 | Patricia Highsmith | N/A |
| 4 | Ripley Under Ground | 1970 | Patricia Highsmith | Buy |
| 5 | Ripley’s Game | 1974 | Patricia Highsmith | Buy |
| 6 | Il ragazzo di Tom Ripley | 1980 | Patricia Highsmith | N/A |
| 7 | The Boy Who Followed Ripley | 1980 | Patricia Highsmith | Buy |
| 8 | Ripley Under Water | 1991 | Patricia Highsmith | Buy |
| 9 | Ripley sott’acqua | 1991 | Patricia Highsmith | N/A |
The Ripley series is Patricia Highsmith’s most famous creation. It begins with The Talented Mr. Ripley (1955), in which Tom Ripley, a charming but morally hollow young man, is sent to Italy to bring back the wealthy Dickie Greenleaf. Instead, Ripley kills Greenleaf and takes over his identity. What makes the series unusual is that Ripley is both the protagonist and the villain, and Highsmith rarely punishes him for his crimes.
The series continued with Ripley Under Ground (1970), Ripley’s Game (1974), The Boy Who Followed Ripley (1980), and Ripley Under Water (1991). Each book finds Ripley living comfortably in France, occasionally drawn back into violence to protect his lifestyle. The novels have been adapted into multiple films, most notably the 1999 version with Matt Damon. The series includes some duplicate editions in other languages listed in the catalog.