The Talented Mr. Ripley (the novel) has some of the meanest insults ever put on paper. A few of my favourites... “The sooner he could forget Marc’s stupid, piglike eyes, his massive jaw, his ugly hands with the gaudy rings... the happier he would be.”

“McCarron looked like a typical automobile salesman, or any other kind of salesman, Tom thought—cheerful, presentable, average in intellect, able to talk baseball with a man or pay a stupid compliment to a woman."