> Zed Book Club / Great Pretenders: 8 Books about Grifters
Andrew Scott in the grifter role of Ripley, in Netlfix' new adaption of the classic outlaw. Photo: Philippe Antonello/NETFLIX
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Great Pretenders: 8 Books about Grifters
Follow in the footsteps of 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' with true-crime tales and fiction about the long con and faking it ’til you make it / BY Nathalie Atkinson / April 11th, 2024
It’s been nearly 70 years since Tom Ripley made his splashy debut in 1955’s The Talented Mr. Ripley. The first of American author Patricia Highsmith’s five riveting novels follows the exploits of an unassuming con artist who goes to great lengths to assume the identity and luxurious life of a wealthy acquaintance. From René Clément’s first adaptation in 1960, Purple Noon, to the 2023 pop culture saturation of Saltburn, not to mention the slow-burn black-and-white TV series Ripley – in which we see the triumphant return of the interloper played by Andrew Scott – we can’t get enough of grifters. Equal parts envy, entitlement and brittle charm, Highsmith’s clever literary creation is an anti-hero for the ages: Readers root for him, and the dramatic tension lies in whether he can hold onto it all.
There’s only one Thomas Phelps Ripley, but many have followed in his covetous footsteps. Both literature and real life are riddled with similarly charming but slippery arrivistes, because master manipulators – and the people they fool – are great material. These eight notable books on contemporary grifters ask (and sometimes answer) the question Ripley famously posed: “Is it better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody?”
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1Social CreaturePegged as a modern version of The Talented Mr. Ripley specifically for the 21st-century digital age, this darkly engrossing 2018 novel dissects millennials’ obsessive relationship with social media and self-presentation by deconstructing the unequal friendship between have-not Louise and Lavinia (who has it all), and what it reveals about female insecurity in our times.
Pegged as a modern version of The Talented Mr. Ripley specifically for the 21st-century digital age, this darkly engrossing 2018 novel dissects millennials’ obsessive relationship with social media and self-presentation by deconstructing the unequal friendship between have-not Louise and Lavinia (who has it all), and what it reveals about female insecurity in our times.
2The Talented Miss FarwellThis 2020 novel was inspired by the story of Rita Crundwell, who, while working as controller and treasurer for her Illinois town, embezzled more than $50 million over two decades. It vividly renders the seduction of leading a double life in order to own fine art and beautiful things: the reasons an ordinary person would play such a long game of cunning self-invention.
This 2020 novel was inspired by the story of Rita Crundwell, who, while working as controller and treasurer for her Illinois town, embezzled more than $50 million over two decades. It vividly renders the seduction of leading a double life in order to own fine art and beautiful things: the reasons an ordinary person would play such a long game of cunning self-invention.
3The Guest A homeless but resourceful young sex worker, Alex charms her way into elite Long Island society, famously the stomping ground of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s nouveau riche poseur Jay Gatsby. Her observant infiltration of lavish summer homes and extravagant parties in the waning days of the summer season is less about finding belonging than a keenly honed survival instinct, in this 2023 morality tale probing the intersection of precarity and privilege.
A homeless but resourceful young sex worker, Alex charms her way into elite Long Island society, famously the stomping ground of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s nouveau riche poseur Jay Gatsby. Her observant infiltration of lavish summer homes and extravagant parties in the waning days of the summer season is less about finding belonging than a keenly honed survival instinct, in this 2023 morality tale probing the intersection of precarity and privilege.
4The Man in the Rockefeller SuitThis 2011 true crime exposé (by a Vanity Fair contributing editor) charts how 47-year-old impostor Clark Rockefeller moved in exclusive communities and financial circles for more than a decade – even marrying a wealthy Harvard M.B.A., Sandra Boss. She had no idea who he really was – until he attempted to kidnap their daughter and disappear. Of note: This read will be a treat for fans of the recent viral TikTok sensation “Who TF Did I Just Marry?,” in which Reesa Tessa unspools the tale of her deceptive ex-husband’s web of lies in a series of monologues.
This 2011 true crime exposé (by a Vanity Fair contributing editor) charts how 47-year-old impostor Clark Rockefeller moved in exclusive communities and financial circles for more than a decade – even marrying a wealthy Harvard M.B.A., Sandra Boss. She had no idea who he really was – until he attempted to kidnap their daughter and disappear. Of note: This read will be a treat for fans of the recent viral TikTok sensation “Who TF Did I Just Marry?,” in which Reesa Tessa unspools the tale of her deceptive ex-husband’s web of lies in a series of monologues.
5ConfidenceToxic capitalism – and people’s willingness to believe in something against their better judgment – is laid bare in this 2023 novel that follows the travails of scam artists Ezra and Orson after they meet at a camp for troubled teens. One is meek, the other charismatic, but they recognize one another’s talents and over the course of 15 years, work together creating a billion-dollar corporation called NuLife that feeds on the American Dream.
Toxic capitalism – and people’s willingness to believe in something against their better judgment – is laid bare in this 2023 novel that follows the travails of scam artists Ezra and Orson after they meet at a camp for troubled teens. One is meek, the other charismatic, but they recognize one another’s talents and over the course of 15 years, work together creating a billion-dollar corporation called NuLife that feeds on the American Dream.
6My Friend AnnaInstagram influencer Anna Sorokin, also known as Anna Delvey, masqueraded as a wealthy German heiress, established herself in New York society and misled many in affluent circles into picking up her tab. This 2019 account of a complicated friendship by one of the women she duped (who then helped the N.Y. district attorney set up a sting operation), forms the basis for the 2022 Netflix series Inventing Anna.
Instagram influencer Anna Sorokin, also known as Anna Delvey, masqueraded as a wealthy German heiress, established herself in New York society and misled many in affluent circles into picking up her tab. This 2019 account of a complicated friendship by one of the women she duped (who then helped the N.Y. district attorney set up a sting operation), forms the basis for the 2022 Netflix series Inventing Anna.
7Sun DamageIn fine Ripley tradition, this escapist 2023 suspense novel of a dysfunctional relationship (and subsequent battle of wits) between two con artists in the idyllic south of France becomes an exploration of race and class privilege. It’s got a wonderfully awkward power dynamic between the rich family and their enigmatic Provence holiday chef to throw readers’ sympathies off balance, and is also a clever critique of gourmet foodie culture.
In fine Ripley tradition, this escapist 2023 suspense novel of a dysfunctional relationship (and subsequent battle of wits) between two con artists in the idyllic south of France becomes an exploration of race and class privilege. It’s got a wonderfully awkward power dynamic between the rich family and their enigmatic Provence holiday chef to throw readers’ sympathies off balance, and is also a clever critique of gourmet foodie culture.
8How to Kidnap the RichIn 2021, this entertaining state-of-the-nation novel made a splash for being rife with satirical commentary on wealth and class in contemporary India. It’s about an academic fraudster, who grew up in poverty working his father’s tea stall on the streets of East Delhi, making a career as a university exams consultant to the rich. His persona is so convincing he ends up being taken hostage alongside his pupil.
In 2021, this entertaining state-of-the-nation novel made a splash for being rife with satirical commentary on wealth and class in contemporary India. It’s about an academic fraudster, who grew up in poverty working his father’s tea stall on the streets of East Delhi, making a career as a university exams consultant to the rich. His persona is so convincing he ends up being taken hostage alongside his pupil.