The Boy Who Followed Ripley
Encyclopedia
The Boy Who Followed Ripley is a psychological thriller
by Patricia Highsmith
, the fourth in her acclaimed series about career criminal Tom Ripley (known as the 'Ripliad'). In this book, Ripley continues living quietly in his French
estate, Belle Ombre, only obliquely involved in criminal activity. His idyll is shaken, however, when he meets a teenaged boy hiding from the police.
Frank soon confesses to Tom that he did in fact murder his own father by pushing him off a cliff. Ripley's interest thereby increases as he now recognizes a kind of kindred spirit in young Pierson. He also discovers that Frank deliberately sought him out for advice after learning of his questionable reputation. Ripley commissions a false passport
for Frank and they travel to Germany
, ending up in West Berlin
, where they stay with a friend of Ripley's erstwhile partner in crime, Reeves Minot.
Frank is kidnapped while strolling through a wooded area in West Berlin. Ripley communicates with the Pierson family and with a private detective the family has sent to Paris
. The Piersons wire the ransom to Berlin, and Ripley takes it to the appointed drop-off point where he impulsively kills one of the kidnappers. The other three drive off. Ripley returns with the money and arranges a rendezvous at a gay bar
, which he infiltrates by dressing in drag
. He identifies the kidnappers, who again leave empty-handed, and follows them back to the flat where they are keeping the boy. Ripley scares the amateur thugs into dashing out of the apartment, and he single-handedly rescues the semi-conscious hostage.
Ripley then dispatches the money back to the Pierson family, encourages Frank to return to his family in New England
and accompanies him there besides. Despite Ripley's coaching and reassurances, Frank is overwhelmed by guilt as well as by his unrequited love for a teenaged girl named Teresa, and eventually commits suicide
by throwing himself over the same precipice from which he pushed his wheelchair-confined father. Shaken and, much to his own surprise, saddened by Frank's death, Ripley returns to Belle Ombre after securing a former possession of the boy's as a memento.
Germany, and the hedonism
of West Berlin, in particular the gay bar scene. Ripley tolerates — and sympathizes with — the gay characters he encounters, in contrast to the self-loathing he felt due to his latent attraction to Dickie Greenleaf in The Talented Mr Ripley. Ripley's efforts in protecting Frank, and that stealing the ransom money does not even occur to him, indicate a form of emotionless compassion lacking in the character's behaviour in earlier books.
adaptation stars Ian Hart
as Ripley, Nicholas Hoult
as Frank and Helen Longworth
as Heloise.
as his "native territory" and then proceeds to describe Boston
as if it were Philadelphia.
Boston and Philadelphia share a Milk Street
, but Bread Street and Independence Hall are in Philadelphia. Broad Street and Faneuil Hall are Boston's equivalent.
At last, instead of Bangor
(five hour's ride), Ripley would be more advised to take his plane for New York
at the Portland-Maine airport, very close to Kennebunkport.
Psychological thriller
Psychological thriller is a specific sub-genre of the broad ranged thriller with heavy focus on characters. However, it often incorporates elements from the mystery and drama genre, along with the typical traits of the thriller genre...
by Patricia Highsmith
Patricia Highsmith
Patricia Highsmith was an American novelist and short-story writer most widely known for her psychological thrillers, which led to more than two dozen film adaptations. Her first novel, Strangers on a Train, has been adapted for stage and screen numerous times, notably by Alfred Hitchcock in 1951...
, the fourth in her acclaimed series about career criminal Tom Ripley (known as the 'Ripliad'). In this book, Ripley continues living quietly in his French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
estate, Belle Ombre, only obliquely involved in criminal activity. His idyll is shaken, however, when he meets a teenaged boy hiding from the police.
Plot summary
A 16-year-old American boy calling himself Billy approaches Ripley in the village, asking for a job. Ripley agrees to give him a small amount of gardening work and puts him up in the guest room, but he believes that he recognizes the youth from a newspaper. Further investigation reveals that 'Billy' is actually Frank Pierson, the son of a recently deceased American tycoon, who has fled the United States.Frank soon confesses to Tom that he did in fact murder his own father by pushing him off a cliff. Ripley's interest thereby increases as he now recognizes a kind of kindred spirit in young Pierson. He also discovers that Frank deliberately sought him out for advice after learning of his questionable reputation. Ripley commissions a false passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
for Frank and they travel to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, ending up in West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
, where they stay with a friend of Ripley's erstwhile partner in crime, Reeves Minot.
Frank is kidnapped while strolling through a wooded area in West Berlin. Ripley communicates with the Pierson family and with a private detective the family has sent to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The Piersons wire the ransom to Berlin, and Ripley takes it to the appointed drop-off point where he impulsively kills one of the kidnappers. The other three drive off. Ripley returns with the money and arranges a rendezvous at a gay bar
Gay bar
A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender clientele; the term gay is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT and queer communities...
, which he infiltrates by dressing in drag
Drag (clothing)
Drag is used for any clothing carrying symbolic significance but usually referring to the clothing associated with one gender role when worn by a person of another gender. The origin of the term "drag" is unknown, but it may have originated in Polari, a gay street argot in England in the early...
. He identifies the kidnappers, who again leave empty-handed, and follows them back to the flat where they are keeping the boy. Ripley scares the amateur thugs into dashing out of the apartment, and he single-handedly rescues the semi-conscious hostage.
Ripley then dispatches the money back to the Pierson family, encourages Frank to return to his family in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and accompanies him there besides. Despite Ripley's coaching and reassurances, Frank is overwhelmed by guilt as well as by his unrequited love for a teenaged girl named Teresa, and eventually commits suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by throwing himself over the same precipice from which he pushed his wheelchair-confined father. Shaken and, much to his own surprise, saddened by Frank's death, Ripley returns to Belle Ombre after securing a former possession of the boy's as a memento.
Major themes
Highsmith sets the novel against the oppressive atmosphere of Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
Germany, and the hedonism
Hedonism
Hedonism is a school of thought which argues that pleasure is the only intrinsic good. In very simple terms, a hedonist strives to maximize net pleasure .-Etymology:The name derives from the Greek word for "delight" ....
of West Berlin, in particular the gay bar scene. Ripley tolerates — and sympathizes with — the gay characters he encounters, in contrast to the self-loathing he felt due to his latent attraction to Dickie Greenleaf in The Talented Mr Ripley. Ripley's efforts in protecting Frank, and that stealing the ransom money does not even occur to him, indicate a form of emotionless compassion lacking in the character's behaviour in earlier books.
Radio adaptation
The 2009 BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
adaptation stars Ian Hart
Ian Hart
Ian Hart is an English stage, television and film actor.-Early life:Hart, the grandson of Irish immigrants, was born in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. He is one of three siblings and was brought up in a Roman Catholic family...
as Ripley, Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Caradoc Hoult is an English actor, best known for playing Marcus Brewer in the 2002 film About a Boy, Tony Stonem in the E4, BAFTA-winning television series Skins, and Beast in the X-Men prequel, X-Men: First Class.-Early life:Hoult was born in Wokingham, Berkshire, the third of four...
as Frank and Helen Longworth
Helen Longworth
Helen Longworth is a British actor. She has appeared in many radio plays including playing Zofia in two series of On Mardle Fen, Susie Dean in The Good Companions and Marina in Pericles...
as Heloise.
Geographical error
An oddity occurs in the first chapter of the text. Ripley refers to New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
as his "native territory" and then proceeds to describe Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
as if it were Philadelphia.
"Boston. The fish market there, Independence Hall, Milk Street and Bread Street."
Boston and Philadelphia share a Milk Street
Milk Street
Milk Street is a street in the financial district of Boston, Massachusetts.Milk Street was one of Boston's earliest highways. The name "Milk Street" was given to the street in 1708 due to the milk market at the location...
, but Bread Street and Independence Hall are in Philadelphia. Broad Street and Faneuil Hall are Boston's equivalent.
At last, instead of Bangor
Bangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
(five hour's ride), Ripley would be more advised to take his plane for New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
at the Portland-Maine airport, very close to Kennebunkport.