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livlivlaliv's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
eirrini's review against another edition
The most boring book I have tried to read
skoltoaletter's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
jovtom's review against another edition
5.0
omg. the last 30 pages of this book have shattered me and broken my heart. i don't know what to do with myself.
this was a dense book with lots of descriptions and inner monologues and observations and i ate it up. i think a lot of the symbolism and metaphors probably went over my heard, but i still found it incredibly fascinating, intriguing and mind-blowing on more than one occasion.
every detail in the book felt completely intentional and like it was serving the story. the characters are sooo well written. you love them all and are annoyed by them all and hate them at times and want to shake them and scream at them or give them a hug. even though they do horrible things (some more than others), you still somehow feel sorry for them and excuse a lot of their behaviors (mainly henry, whoops). overall, it's just a masterclass on writing intricately detailed stories.
the class differences between the characters were so interesting and i felt like certain situations really highlighted the importance in their different social (or financial) statuses, and it was so interesting how richard was so alienated in various ways. it wasn't very on-the-nose, but it was definitely there.
i loved how the second part of the book was an exploration of guilt, remorse, loss and mourning and how the characters navigated those feelings, how they coped with what they had done and how they handled the fact that their worlds were forever changed and shattered. the relationships and the mental stability of the characters really started going downhill in book two and it made the book get progressively more exciting by the page.
i feel bad giving it 4 stars. it's 4.75 ⭐ only because it was so long and dense and a little hard to read at times. but otherwise it's definitely 5-star worthy.
this was a dense book with lots of descriptions and inner monologues and observations and i ate it up. i think a lot of the symbolism and metaphors probably went over my heard, but i still found it incredibly fascinating, intriguing and mind-blowing on more than one occasion.
every detail in the book felt completely intentional and like it was serving the story. the characters are sooo well written. you love them all and are annoyed by them all and hate them at times and want to shake them and scream at them or give them a hug. even though they do horrible things (some more than others), you still somehow feel sorry for them and excuse a lot of their behaviors (mainly henry, whoops). overall, it's just a masterclass on writing intricately detailed stories.
the class differences between the characters were so interesting and i felt like certain situations really highlighted the importance in their different social (or financial) statuses, and it was so interesting how richard was so alienated in various ways. it wasn't very on-the-nose, but it was definitely there.
i loved how the second part of the book was an exploration of guilt, remorse, loss and mourning and how the characters navigated those feelings, how they coped with what they had done and how they handled the fact that their worlds were forever changed and shattered. the relationships and the mental stability of the characters really started going downhill in book two and it made the book get progressively more exciting by the page.
i feel bad giving it 4 stars. it's 4.75 ⭐ only because it was so long and dense and a little hard to read at times. but otherwise it's definitely 5-star worthy.
mizzbooks_'s review against another edition
5.0
This is my favourite book of all time. I’ve never annotated a book so much and I couldn’t put it down for the life of me. I could literally write an essay of probably 25 pages for each of the main characters, the “greek class” if we should call them that. The only thing I would’ve like was having more to read about Camilla. Camilla is important, Camilla is everything and I think who actually read and understood the book will agree with me. When you finish this book you’ll still have a veil of mystery in you and that is why I loooove Donna Tartt. I absolutely love her writing. Would totally recommend this book because it changed my life.
evergreenarbor's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
leilaxx's review against another edition
4.0
Wow.
I thought I was not intellectual enough to pick up such a book. Its content has weighed on my mind all day.
I enjoyed reading this book about unhinged rich, pretentious assholes with drinking problems and murder.
The characters had started as these charming, intellectual, secluded, mysterious people. I admired them and was intrigued by their coolness, just as Richard had been. They were educated in Greek, and all came from wealthy families. Six smart individuals who are part of an exclusive elite class. This allude soon fades after fateful occurrences, and things slowly fall apart. You start to see the true shadows that haunt all of them. We see the spectacle, the loneliness. The maddening of each one, the ugly truths.
True Unhinged characters.
All the more, I'm still in slight shock about Julian. He just dipped, leaving these once devoted students who looked up to him, admired him, and loved him. He inspired their many practices through his passionate teaching. He, who was probably watching everything unfold with his eyes, turned the other way—acting all oblivious and naive. He knew. I think there is more to this book and his character that I, unfortunately, cannot decipher. He was a calculating, secretive character.
I thought I was not intellectual enough to pick up such a book. Its content has weighed on my mind all day.
I enjoyed reading this book about unhinged rich, pretentious assholes with drinking problems and murder.
The characters had started as these charming, intellectual, secluded, mysterious people. I admired them and was intrigued by their coolness, just as Richard had been. They were educated in Greek, and all came from wealthy families. Six smart individuals who are part of an exclusive elite class. This allude soon fades after fateful occurrences, and things slowly fall apart. You start to see the true shadows that haunt all of them. We see the spectacle, the loneliness. The maddening of each one, the ugly truths.
True Unhinged characters.
All the more, I'm still in slight shock about Julian. He just dipped, leaving these once devoted students who looked up to him, admired him, and loved him. He inspired their many practices through his passionate teaching. He, who was probably watching everything unfold with his eyes, turned the other way—acting all oblivious and naive. He knew. I think there is more to this book and his character that I, unfortunately, cannot decipher. He was a calculating, secretive character.
livia_09's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
erottcher's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75