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Ripley's Game
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Plot Summary of Ripley's Game
"I thought I had Ripley's Game figured out from thew beginning...boy, was I wrong! This book shows at first how cold and vengeful Tom Ripley can be, and throughoput the story he reveals his loyal, noble side. Ripley is not present as much in this book as some of the others, but his influence is on every page. "
Lisa West, Resident Scholar

"Tom Ripley, the sociopathic main character of "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Ripley Under Ground" returns for a third entry in the series in "Ripley's Game."

Having recently survived an investigation by the police in regards to a death, a disappearance, and allegations of art forgery, Ripley settles back into his relaxing existence at his villa in south France. Attending a party thrown by Jonathan Trevanny, an English picture-framer dying slowly of leukemia, Tom finds himself insulted by his host's demeanor and begins to plot his revenge.

A few months later, Tom is visited by an old business associate, a gangster and smuggler named Reeves Minot, who operates out of Munich. Reeves has need of an assassin to rid himself of two high-ranking members of the Sicilian Mafia who are infringing on his territory and wants Tom to be it. Tom suggests that Reeves hire Trevanny, who will die soon and will want his family taken care of.

Although it is, at first, difficult for Trevanny to be persuaded, he eventually agrees to kill Reeves's targets. The novel now begins to pick up speed, as more and more people fall victim to Trevanny's gun and Tom's implacable improvisation, finally culminating in a sadly inevitable conclusion, as the Mafia turns its vengeful eye upon Tom and Trevanny's quaint hometown."

James Craver, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Ripley's Game
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 20%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story: - 1930's-1950's
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
The crook is.... - criminals killing each other
Crime Thriller Yes
Mostly a criminal POV story Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - killer - small businessman
Age: - 20's-30's - 40's-50's
Eccentric/Mental: Yes
Eccentric: - eccentric
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How much violence does he/she use? - a little - a significant amount
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings - hard edged
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - average physique - physically sick

Main Adversary
Identity: - an organization
Profession/status: - killer - criminal
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - almost none - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - revenge
The antagonists are: - foreign organized crime

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - France - Germany
Small town? Yes
Small town people: - nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
Misc setting - moving train - fancy mansion

Style
Part of a series? Yes
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths? - 8 or more
Unusual forms of death - asphyxiation - perforation--bullets - blunt clubbing (like seals)
Unusual form of death? Yes
Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog - little dialog
Most similar books to Ripley's Game
The Godfather by Mario Puzo
Bonnie and Clyde by Bill Brooks
Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith
The Widow Ginger by Pip Granger
The Sicilian by Mario Puzo


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Patricia Highsmith Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
James Craver  

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