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The suspense took its time to build, but now it's edging towards a climax.

I need to not read this book before bed: last night I went down a rabid hole of trying to figure out if I had a copy of Christian Metz's writing from On Language about semiotics in cinema because of it.

Needless to say, this book takes an academic approach to the material, which I greatly enjoy.

I had avoided this novel for awhile because I knew what followed would be horrific, and it was.

Daphne du Maurier knew Bronte style men were garbage yet found them attractive anyway. Unfortunate.

Alfred Hitchcock didn't include the albino vicar in his adaptation.

Not out of the introduction yet, but it's fascinating.

Picked it back up again.

I don't know which is funnier: Achilles pissing off a river, or Hera boxing Artemis' ears.

"How can I be on the epilogue when half of the page count remains?" The appendix of information about films referenced, and films of the theme, takes up the rest of the text editions; making it more like a conjoined twin than an appendix.

The audiobook version ends with the epilogue. It suits the medium better, but it's good to know that text additions have such robust reference material built in.

I wish some goddess would point out to Achilles that both the prolonged war in general, and Patroclus' death in particular are the direct result of his actions.

Granted, I wished that the armies had a moment of clarity during a skirmish where they realize that the cause (or excuse?) of all of this war should have been resolved by single combat between Menaleus and Paris, instead of an international war.

Given all the help Poseidon gives the Greeks, no wonder he's pissed at Odysseus' attitude at the beginning of The Odyssey.

We don't talk about the fact that the Greeks had 2 guys named Ajax battling together during the Trojan War enough.

Tom's love of packing only reiterates his abnormality.

Dickie's murder was premeditated, but half-baked. Freddie's murder was a response to him posing a threat to Tom. In Ripley, they build up the suspense, peril, and clumsiness of Tom trying to deal with Freddie's body. In the book it's far more methodical, but Tom also has better luck.

Ooh, twist!

Part of why I wanted to reread the book after watching Ripley was I couldn't remember how premeditated Dickie's murder was. The mini series makes it appear to be done in a fit of passion. In the novel, it's definitely premeditated, but I haven't gotten to if the exact circumstances were arranged on purpose, or if it was a crime of opportunity.

Are restraining orders not a thing in England? I don't understand why Alys hasn't taken legal action to attempt to stop Catherine's harassment.

Tom's childhood rarely, if never, comes up in the sequels. It's wild that he departed for Europe with a fear of water given what will happen in Italy.

I did not expect to learn so much about American war atrocities committed against the Japanese. The stuff about shrunken heads wasn't too surprising though, after reading "Cannibalism."

I'm so used to Odysseus overly cocky or totally wrecked in The Odyssey, so it's nice to see him being a clever and gutsy strategist.

Be gay, do crimes.

I just finished watching Steven Zaillian's gorgeous mini-series adaptation on Netflix and it made me want to revisit the original novel.

The last chapter definitely motivated me to look up the publication history of "Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure" (AKA "Fanny Hill") by John Cleland.

Achilles continues to be a whiny bitch. Though I don't begrudge him being over 10 unprofitable years of war.

Suspicion and Saboteur. The former should be judged on what it is, not how it could have ended.