Patricia Highsmith è stata una romanziera americana rinomata per i suoi thriller psicologici di genere poliziesco. Le sue opere esplorano in profondità gli aspetti più oscuri della psiche umana, affrontando spesso il fascino del male e dell'amoralità. Highsmith intreccia magistralmente suspense, ambiguità morale e colpi di scena inaspettati, trascinando i lettori nei mondi inquietanti dei suoi personaggi. Il suo stile distintivo e le sue eccezionali rappresentazioni dei personaggi la affermano come una voce di primo piano nel genere.
Nuova edizione, arricchita da una prefazione inedita di Andrea Camilleri, per il manuale di scrittura giallistica di Patricia Highsmith: il testo è un vero e proprio vademecum del thriller, che insegna a tessere la trama di una storia da brivido, ma è anche un manuale di scrittura di più ampia portata. La giallista americana svela come è strutturato un thriller, anche attraverso l'analisi di uno dei suoi stessi romanzi, "L'alibi di cristallo".
Since his debut in 1955, Tom Ripley has evolved into the ultimate bad boy sociopath, influencing countless novelists and filmmakers. In this first novel, we are introduced to suave, handsome Tom Ripley: a young striver, newly arrived in the heady world of Manhattan in the 1950s. A product of a broken home, branded a "sissy" by his dismissive Aunt Dottie, Ripley becomes enamored of the moneyed world of his new friend, Dickie Greenleaf. This fondness turns obsessive when Ripley is sent to Italy to bring back his libertine pal but grows enraged by Dickie's ambivalent feelings for Marge, a charming American dilettante. A dark reworking of Henry James's The Ambassadors , The Talented Mr. Ripley —is up to his tricks in a 90s film and also Rene Clement's 60s film, "Purple Noon."
La storia segue David Kelsey, un giovane scienziato ossessionato dal conquistare Annabelle, una donna sposata. La sua ossessione lo porta a creare una vita ideale per entrambi, completa di una baita che ha arredato per lei. Mentre naviga tra le sue illusioni e desideri, la narrazione esplora le profondità dell'ossessione umana e le lunghezze a cui si può arrivare per amore. Highsmith indaga abilmente le complessità del cuore umano, rendendo questo un racconto avvincente di desiderio e illusione.
In una notte d'inverno a Zurigo, un ragazzo viene accoltellato da due balordi, un atto di violenza che segna l'inizio di un racconto minimalista. La morte di Petey, un ventenne omosessuale, dà vita a una narrazione che ruota attorno a tre protagonisti: Rickie, un grafico quarantenne amante di Petey; Luisa, un'apprendista sarta innamorata di lui; e Renate, la datrice di lavoro di Luisa, afflitta da una fobia ossessiva verso gli omosessuali. Il bar-ristorante Jakob’s, noto anche come “G minuscola”, funge da punto di incontro per questi personaggi, riflettendo una varietà di estrazioni e preferenze sessuali. La storia si sviluppa in una breve estate, tra routine quotidiana e drammatici eventi che alterano le vite dei protagonisti. Sullo sfondo di una Zurigo apparentemente ordinata, l'autrice delinea ritratti indimenticabili di un'umanità in crisi, intrappolata in una “ordinaria follia” che la rende insensibile al delitto e apatica nei confronti della vita. Questi personaggi, incapaci di fare scelte autentiche, si lasciano vivere in una realtà che sfida la loro esistenza.
"Strangers on a Train" racconta la storia di Guy Haines e Charles Anthony Bruno, due passeggeri di un treno. Haines è un architetto di successo in fase di divorzio, mentre Bruno è un misterioso parlatore affascinante che gli propone un piano sadico: uccidere la moglie di Haines in cambio dell'assassinio del padre di Bruno. Mentre Bruno porta avanti il suo piano contorto, Guy si ritrova intrappolato nel mondo pericoloso di Highsmith, dove, nelle giuste circostanze, persone comuni possono compiere crimini straordinari. Ispirato al classico film di Alfred Hitchcock del 1951, "Strangers on a Train" ha segnato l'inizio della prolifica carriera di Highsmith, dimostrando la sua maestria nel ritrarre le forze inquietanti che si agitano sotto la superficie della vita quotidiana.
Elsie, una delle migliaia di ragazze che arrivano a New York in cerca di fortuna, è giovane, vitale, ambiziosa, una specie di calamita che attira gli sguardi di uomini e donne. Ralph Linderman, un missionario, solitario e fanatico, se ne innamora. Jack Sutherland, un illustratore di libri, aiuta Elsie a diventare modella e si innamora di lei. Per le strade del Village si svolge una lotta invisibile tra Jack e Ralph, tra lucidità e paranoia, classe e volgarità, bene e male. Come sempre nei romanzi della Highsmith, però, ogni manicheismo è fuori posto e l'ambiguità della scrittrice si rivela in un finale che è un'assoluta sorpresa.
Riferimento venditore: NA10470 Autore: Highsmith Patricia Argomento: Titolo Libro: Gente che bussa alla porta Sottotitolo Libro: Introduzione: Collana: Best thriller. N. 31 Editore: SuperPocket Luogo di Edizione: Milano Anno di Edizione: 2002 Formato: in 16° Volume: Lingua: Italiano Numero delle Pagine: 330 Legatura: Brossura editoriale illustrata Illustrazioni: Particolari: Difetti: Bibliografia: Note:
Il talento di Mr.Ripley non e solo quello di uccidere, ma anche di aiutare a superare i sensi di colpa per avere perpetrato un delitto. E cosi tenta di fare con il giovane Frank, che e convinto di avere provocato la morte del padre invalido.
Il trapestio dei passi sui ponti di Venezia, gli echi di una città che dissolve ogni ricordo, le ombre che si materializzano nelle calli: è questo lo sfondo del duello che contrappone due uomini precedentemente legati da un vincolo di parentela. Ed Coleman, pittore americano cinquantenne, e Ray Garrett, mercante d'arte ex genero di questi, si fronteggiano con la feroce intenzione di annullarsi a vicenda e di sfuggire alla realtà che li ha coinvolti in una sfida senza appello. A innescare la miccia di questo odio smisurato è il suicidio di Peggy Coleman motivato, a detta del padre, dalle distrazioni e dalle pressanti esigenze di Ray. E la perdita di quell'unico legame scatena in Ed un irrefrenabile desiderio di vendetta
Due amici. L'amante di entrambi. Un omicidio. Ramon, fanatico cattolico, ossessionato dall'idea di peccato, e Theo, generoso, responsabile, razionale, sono due amici che, oltre ad aver condiviso mille avventure, dividono la medesima amante, Leila, creatura libera e selvaggia, riluttante a qualsiasi legame stabile. Tornando da un viaggio, Theo trova Leila assassinata e sfregiata. L'accusa ricade sul suo amico Ramon che, inspiegabilmente, confessa il delitto. Ma la polizia non appare convinta della confessione di Ramon e Theo si rende presto conto dell'assurdità della confessione dell'amico. In un Messico assolato e ambiguo, l'autrice costruisce una trama fitta di colpi di scena, affondando la propria penna nelle pieghe più intime dell'animo umano.
The diaries of Patricia Highsmith offer an intimate glimpse into the mind of one of the 20th century's most complex novelists. These writings reveal her struggles, thoughts, and creative processes, providing a unique perspective on her life and the literary world. As a significant literary event of 2021, this collection promises to engage readers with Highsmith's conflicts and insights, showcasing her profound impact on literature.
Exploring the universal nature of secrets, this book delves into the hidden aspects of human experience that everyone grapples with. Through candid reflections, it reveals personal truths and shared vulnerabilities, inviting readers to confront their own secrets. The narrative unfolds in a straightforward manner, emphasizing the importance of honesty and self-acceptance. It offers a unique perspective on the complexities of identity and the connections formed through our hidden lives.
Essential for understanding Patricia Highsmith’s transgressive life and prophetic work, this volume is also “one of the most observant and ecstatic accounts . . . about being young and alive in New York City” (Dwight Garner,― New York Times ). Before Alfred Hitchcock adapted her debut novel, Strangers on a Train , for the big screen; before her suave and sociopathic Thomas Ripley snaked his way into the canon of psychological suspense; and before The Price of Salt became a cult classic of romantic obsession, who was Patricia Highsmith?Focused on her formative years in Manhattan, this condensed edition of Highsmith’s monumental Diaries and Notebooks reveals “Pat” at her most passionate and florescent. Beginning in 1941 at Barnard College and encompassing the Texas native’s adventurous twenties,? The New York Years intertwines scenes from her dizzying social life―rife with sleepless nights barhopping in the queer underground Greenwich Village scene, always juggling too many lovers―with an intimate self-portrait of a young artist who by day dispassionately wrote comics for a paycheck. Amid all the hangovers and the breakups, she read voraciously and honed her craft with verve. Laid bare in this perennial reader’s edition are the bold, hilarious, romantic, tragic, and maddeningly contradictory observations of one of “our greatest modernist writers” (Gore Vidal).
NOW A MAJOR NEW NETFLIX SERIESTom Ripley wants money, success, and the good life - and he's willing to kill for it.Struggling to stay one step ahead of his creditors (and the law), Ripley leaps at the chance to start afresh on a free trip to Europe. But when his new-found happiness is threatened, his response is as swift as it is shocking.Now a[Bokinfo].
WITH NORTON'S PUBLICATION OF "Slowly, Slowly in the Wind and "The Black House, Patricia Highsmith's entire body of work is now back in print. First published in 1970 and 1981, respectively, these two volumes are among Highsmith's must nuanced and psychologically suspenseful works. "Slowly, Slowly in the Wind gathers stories that explore the hypocrisies or the Catholic Church, the writing life, Poe-like horror fantasies, and more. The stories in "The Black House mine classic Highsmith Terrain as they sketch the lives of suburban dwellers that appear quite normal at first but unravel to reveal their proximity to the macabre. Both collections are perfect examples of Highsmith's view of human nature and a fitting capstone to the reintroduction of one of the twentieth century's greatest writers.
Published to celebrate the centenary of one of the twentieth century's most
influential writers, this is the most comprehensive volume of Highsmith's
short fiction. Includes two newly discovered stories.
In this collection of stories, the author demonstrates through a wide variety of themes how obsessions devour their victims. The threat comes from within, often barely acknowledged and then only when it is too late.
Under the hot desert sun nothing is quite as it seems. Howard Ingham, an American writer, is sent to Tunisia to gather material for a movie, a love story too sordid to be set in America. But his director fails to arrive as scheduled and the erratic mails bring news of infidelities and suicide. Ingham, for reasons obscure even to himself, decides to stay on and work instead on a novel. Gradually, however, a series of peculiar events, a hushed-up murder, a vanished corpse, and secret broadcasts to the Soviet Union, lures him inexorably into the deep, ambivalent shadows of this Arab town; into deceit and away from conventional morality. And when Ingham finds an accomplice to murder, or perhaps something more, what is in question is not justice or truth, but the state of his oddly quiet conscience.
O terceiro romance da série é um dos mais matizados em termos psicológicos - particularmente memorável pelo seu humor negro -, tendo sido aclamado pela crítica pela sua capacidade de manipular as regras do género.
With carefully adapted text, new illustrations, language practise activities and additional online resources, the Penguin Readers series introduces language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction. The Talented Mr Ripley, a Level 6 Reader, is B1+ in the CEFR framework. The longer text is made up of sentences with up to four clauses, introducing future continuous, reported questions, third conditional, was going to and ellipsis. A small number of illustrations support the text. In the 1950s, Tom Ripley travels from the United States of America to Italy, to find Dickie Greenleaf and bring him home to his father. But when Tom sees Dickie's money and relaxed way of life, he becomes jealous and begins to make other plans.
Patricia Highsmith's "The Animal-Lover's Book of Beastly Murder" explores the dark side of animals, portraying them with human-like murderous thoughts. Stories feature a truffle-hunting pig and a disillusioned circus elephant, showcasing animals as powerful beings capable of chaos, transforming them from pets into agents of destruction.
Set in 1950s suburban America, this gripping tale weaves a sinister narrative filled with madness, dread, and murder. The story delves into the dark undercurrents of seemingly idyllic life, exploring the psychological complexities of its characters. With a reputation as a master of crime fiction, the author crafts a chilling atmosphere that keeps readers on edge, revealing the hidden horrors lurking beneath the surface of suburban tranquility.
Sechs spannende Stories der »mistress of suspense«: The Terrapin - The Button - A Shot from Nowhere - Broken Glass - Mrs Afton, Among Thy Green Braes - The Fully-Licensed Whore - The Wife. Texte in der Originalsprache, mit Übersetzungen schwieriger Wörter am Fuß jeder Seite, Nachwort und Literaturhinweisen.
In a small Pennsylvania town, Robert Forrester is recuperating from a nasty divorce and a bout of psychological trouble. One evening, while driving home, he sees a pretty young woman framed by her bright kitchen window. Soon, he can't keep himself away. But when Robert is inevitably discovered, obsession is turned on its head, and he finds himself unable to shake the young woman, nor entirely sure whether he should. Recently made into a major motion picture starring Julia Stiles and Paddy Considine, "The Cry of the Owl" is essential Highsmith, a modern classic ready to be reborn.
Remember Dickie Greenleaf? Tom Ripley killed him. The only thing is he keeps ringing Tom up. Enough to make even a cool cucumber like Ripley uneasy. This book immerses the reader in Tom's world at Belle Ombre with the lovely Heloise and the very shadowy world of art forgery and murder.
Traditional Chinese edition of Ripley Under Ground, a Patricia Highsmith novel that portrays a talented murderer. The 2nd of the Ripley novels. In Chinese. Distributed by Tsai Fong Books, Inc.
Rife with overtones of Dostoyevsky, "The Glass Cell" combines a quintessential Highsmith mystery with a penetrating critique of the psychological devastation wrought by the prison system, offering a bleak and compelling portrait of daily prison life that is, sadly, as relevant today as it was when the book was first published in 1964.
The Blunderer was written by Highsmith in between Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr Ripley. The novel follows the young, successful and handsome, Walter Stackhouse who seems to have it all, that is, until the day his wife's body is found at the bottom of a cliff. Under the intense scrutiny of the investigation he commits one mistake, then another, until - in true Highsmithian fashion - Walter finds his perfect life derailed. Now Walter is running from the obsessions of the murderer, and the suspicions of the lead cop, not to mention his own increasingly life-threatening blunders.
To everyone around them, Melinda and Vic Van Allen are the perfect couple -
young, wealthy and attractive. But when their love sours, their mind games
reach a twisted, dangerous climax
The great revival of interest in Patricia Highsmith continues with this work that reveals the chilling reality behind the idyllic facade of American suburban life.
There are women who destroy their men and women who destroy themselves; girls who notch up their conquests and girls who go too far. From 'Oona, the Jolly Cave Woman' to 'The Fully Licensed Whore, or, The Wife', seventeen ironical, bizarre and sophisticated stories. With an eerie simplicity of style, Highsmith turns our next-door neighbors into sadistic psychopaths, lying in wait among white picket fences and manicured lawns. In the darkly satiric, often mordantly hilarious sketches that make up Little Tales of Misogyny, Highsmith upsets our conventional notions of female character, revealing the devastating power of these once familiar creatures"The Dancer," "The Female Novelist," "The Prude"who destroy both themselves and the men around them. This work attesets to Highsmith's reputation as "the poet of apprehension" (Graham Greene).
Three of them are waiting. Rydal Keener is waiting for something exciting to happen in his grubby little Athens hotel. At forty-odd, Chester MacFarland has been waiting much longer, expecting his life of stock manipulation and fraud to catch up with him. And Colette, Chester's wife, is waiting for something altogether different. After a nasty little incident in the hotel, they all wait together. As the stakes, and the tension, in their three-cornered waiting game mount, they learn that while passports and silence can be bought, other things can cost as much as your life.
Highsmith blends a savage humor with brilliant social satire in this dark tale of a highminded criminal who hits a wealthy Manhattan couple where it hurts the most when he kidnaps their beloved poodle.
Contemporary / American English (Available April 2008) Guy Haines is travelling through Texas on a train when a stranger invites him to share a meal. But the stranger has a terrible plan. You murder my father, and I'll murder your wife,' he suggests. So begins Guy's journey into a world of madness, lies and death.
Like the film, The Talented Mr. Ripley, a young working-class man creates multiple identities in order to become part of the wealthy elite – and kills to keep his lies a secret. New Copycat Killers podcasts drop each Thursday. Next week, Forensic Psychologist Dr. J. Buzz Von Ornsteiner and the experts analyze the gruesome murder inspired by the movie, Primal Fear. Like what you hear and want more true crime and mystery? Go to See Privacy Policy at and California Privacy Notice at
Barcelona. 21 cm. Encuadernación en tapa dura de editorial ilustrada. Colección 'Obras selectas de Patricia Highsmith) (Obras maestras del crimen y misterio', numero coleccion(5). Highsmith, Patricia 1921-1995. Ripley's game. Patricia Highsmith traducción, Jordi Beltrán. Traducción del inglés. Beltrán, Jordi. 1941-. Crímenes imaginarios. El juego del escondite .. Este libro es de segunda mano y tiene o puede tener marcas y señales de su anterior propietario.
The Borrowers are tiny people who live under the floor of the Lender family's house. A nasty lawyer, Ocious P. Potter, wants to pull down the Lender's home, but young Peter Lender meets Arrietty Clock, a Borrower, and they join forces to try and stop him.
Diese Auswahl umfasst fünf Short Stories der Psychologin Patricia Highsmith, die eindrucksvoll zeigt, dass es für die Erkundung seelischer Untiefen keinen Mord braucht. Mit unerwarteten Wendungen und tiefen Einsichten ins Allzumenschliche beleuchtet der Erzählband eine besondere Facette der Autorin.
Cizinci ve vlaku -- Houkání sovy -- Posedlost láskou.
Protagonisty všech tří románů jsou lidé charakterově slabí, nervově labilní a někdy dokonce na pokraji duševní choroby, přesto jsou to však lidé, kteří by své potíže bez podnětu okolí nikdy neřešili vraždou. Stačí však souhrn náhod a vnější impuls, aby své konflikty řešili promyšleným zločinem.
Tři detektivní romány, v nichž autorka klade důraz na psychologickou motivaci jednání lidí labilních, charakterově slabých až psychicky nemocných.
Composé de 20 nouvelles inédites représentant 50 années de création highsmithienne (1938-1982). Portrait incisif de l'Amérique et témoignage du cheminement de l'auteur, ce livre illustre ses thèmes de prédilection en mettant en scène des personnages à la psychologie fragile ou d'autres encore, plus proches de la caricature.
Mit diesen handlichen Bänden kann sich jeder auf besonders unterhaltsame Weise in der englischen Sprache fortbilden. Weniger bekannte Vokabeln sind erläutert.
Patricia Highslith L'Empreinte du faux Lorsque le jeune romancier hA(c)ros du livre dA(c)barque en Tunisie, oA il doit tourner un film, sa vie lui paraA(R)t totalement rA(c)ussie. Sa carriA]re s'annonce brillante; il ne doute ni de lui-mAame ni de celle qu'il se dispose A A(c)pouser. A A A Or, voilA que tout se dA(c)rA]gle: l'ami qu'il attend n'arrive pas..: Sa fiancA(c)e le laisse sans nouvelles. Et les certitudes font place au doute. II en viendra A se demander sans angoisse, au terme de cette traversA(c)e de la solitude, s'il n'est pas devenu un assassin... A A A A Le meilleur roman de Patricia Highsmith est A mon avis L'Empreinte du faux, et quand on me demande A quoi tient cette prA(c)fA(c)rence, je rA(c)ponds: A l'angoisse qui y rA]gne. . Graham Greene.
İnsanın kaçamadığı talihsizlikler vardır...Maruz kaldığımız, hatta mahkum olduğumuz tuhaflıklardır bunlar... Baykuş Çığlığı, böylesi tuhaf talihsizliklerin uzaklarda değil, hemen yanıbaşımızda yaşandığını gösteren, hatta fark etmeden bu talihsizliklerin aktörleri arasına girdiğimize dikkat çeken bir Highsmith şöleni...Robert, New York'un gürültüsünden, boşanmak istediği karısının şirretliğinden uzaklaşmak için küçük bir kasabaya gelir. Basit ve sakin bir hayat istemektedir. Bir gün Jenny'yi görür; dinginliğinden, evcimenliğinden etkilenir. Geceleri, sanki bir röntgenci gibi, yalnızlığının ve mutsuzluğunun sıkıntısını hafifletmesi için kızı penceresinden seyretmeye başlar: Yemek yapışını, perde dikişini, çiçek sulayışını, toz alışını... Bir gece kız, adamı görür ve sakin bir hayatın mekanı sanılan kasaba, kendi "kara ayrıntılar"ını yaşamaya başlar... Sakin kasabalarda "masum günahlarla" yaşamanın zorluklarını anlatan buruk, ama aynı zamanda heyecanlı bir roman.
Die hier unter dem Titel Die stille Mitte der Welt vorgelegten Texte aus dem Nachlass sind keine Suspense- und keine Tiergeschichten, sondern psychologische Erzählungen. 14 Stories über moderne Großstadtmenschen in Not, über wissende kleine Mädchen, traumversponnene Liebende und ältere, vom Leben gerupfte Frauen und Männer. Die Geschichten gehorchen keinem Muster und keiner einheitlichen Methode, sie verraten noch nicht einmal in allen Fällen dieselbe Hand als hätte die junge Patricia Highsmith mit jeder Geschichte einen eigenen Modus erfinden und das Verhältnis zur Welt neu festlegen müssen. Dabei sind die Verzauberung durch erhoffte Seelenverwandtschaften, die betäubten Schritte einer in die Trauer entlassenen Figur und das Zermürbende des Lebenskampfes mit viel Takt, enormer Anteilnahme und großem Sinn für die sprechenden Details eingefangen."
From Guided Reading to Autonomy - Anglais - Livre de l'élève - Edition 2000
128pagine
5 ore di lettura
Le plaisir de lire en V.O.Ce recueil de 10 nouvelles anglaises et américaines d'auteurs contemporains (R. Dahl, P. Highsmith, I. Asimov, etc.) et de genres très divers a pour but d'aider les élèves à lire de manière autonome en anglais.Les premières nouvelles sont accompagnées d'une aide à la lecture importante, qui va décroissant alors que les élèves gagnent en confiance.- Chaque nouvelle est suivie d'une fiche de lecture qui aide à la compréhension du texte et propose des activités et des exercices.- Les nouvelles choisies reposent toutes sur une intrigue qui incite l'élève à aller jusqu'au bout de l'histoire.
Zbiór siedemnastu opowiadań, w których autorka, mistrzyni obserwacji, burzy
konwencjonalne opinie o „słabej kobiecie”. Ironizując, z lekkim dystansem, nie
boi się powiedzieć wprost tego, na co innym brakuje odwagi w czasach
politycznej poprawności: kobieta potrafi być potworem, sadystką, cyniczną
intrygantką, a wszystko po to, by... pełnić rolę przypisaną jej w świecie
rządzonym przez mężczyzn. Bo też ogólny wydźwięk tych opowiadań to gorzka,
choć niepozbawiona elementów humorystycznych, ocena obu płci. Nigdzie w
twórczości Patricii Highsmith nie występują bardziej zjadliwie prześmiewcze
szkice postaci niż te, które składają się na Jeszcze raz znalazła
potwierdzenie opinia Grahama Greena o kunszcie Highsmith – to „poetka
zrozumienia”. „Patricia Highsmith jest często nazywana autorką kryminałów, co
brzmi trochę tak, jakby Picassa nazywać kreślarzem” „Cleveland Plain Dealer”
Zawarte w tej książce teksty łączą zaskakujący motyw: zbrodnie popełniane przez zwierzęta. Autorka ukazuje, że nawet spokojne psy, koty czy chomiki mogą stać się niebezpieczne, gdyż ich działania są wynikiem ludzkiego postępowania. To nie zwierzęta są okrutne, lecz ludzie, którzy traktują je instrumentalnie, jako źródło dochodu lub rozrywki. Słoniowi i kozłowi ciężko znieść bezdusznych opiekunów, a wieprz, poszukujący trufli, nie godzi się z zachowaniem gospodarza. Stary pies, po śmierci pana, staje się monetą przetargową w rękach nieprzyjemnego osobnika, a młody kot dostrzega prawdziwe oblicze kochanka swojej właścicielki. Również szczur w Wenecji, kury w klatkach nowoczesnej fermy czy karaluch obserwujący upadek hotelu, doświadczają zagrożeń. Książka wciąga jak narkotyk, a czytelnik poddaje się mrocznemu nastrojowi, ambiwalencji moralnej i specyficznemu humorowi autorki. Patricia Highsmith, opisując codzienność, nadaje jej cechy koszmaru, budząc niepokój pytaniami o istotę człowieczeństwa i granice zbrodni. Graham Greene określił ją mianem „poetki strachu”, a „Time” podkreśla, że nikt nie dorównuje jej w ujawnianiu zagrożeń w znanym otoczeniu.
Ripley voulait tout, l'argent, le succès, la belle vie. Il était prêt à tuer pour obtenir tout ça... Second roman de Patricia Highsmith, Monsieur Ripley est l'acte de naissance d'un des plus extraordinaires personnages de roman policier de tous les temps : Tom Ripley, immoraliste aussi séduisant que dangereux, cynique et d'une intelligence hors du commun. Chargé par un richissime Américain de lui ramener son fils parti en Italie, il va bientôt concevoir un projet diabolique : se substituer au fils prodigue, et vivre à sa place une vie dorée... Ce livre " superbement amoral " (The Times), Grand Prix de littérature policière en 1957, a été porté à l'écran à deux reprises. En 1959, par René Clément, avec Alain Delon dans le premier rôle, sous le titre Plein soleil. En 2000, par le réalisateur anglais Anthony Minghella, avec une pléiade de jeunes acteurs américains, parmi lesquels Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow et Jude Law, sous le titre Le Talentueux Mr. Ripley.
Ehe Patricia Highsmith durch ihren ersten Roman ›Zwei Fremde im Zug‹ über Nacht berühmt wurde, schrieb sie psychologische Stories. Über entwurzelte Einwanderer, tapfere Liebende, wissende kleine Mädchen und Jungen und vom Leben gebeutelte Frauen und Männer. Damals erschienen ihre Stories nur verstreut in Schul- und Frauenmagazinen. Umso schöner für uns, nun dürfen wir sie neu entdecken.
