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krytykesa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I don't understand the criticism. I read in some reviews that outside of Henry and the main characters, others felt plain. Camilla was the only one who I didn't get at all.
And Francis, baby, I'll always care for you.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Homophobia and Violence
Minor: Suicide attempt
lindsfindley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicide, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Islamophobia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Icynthia_wlms's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Car accident, and Death of parent
fantastiskfiktion's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Homophobia, and Murder
oliveslittlelibrary_'s review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.25
Holy sh*t this book is incredible. I have quite possibly never read a work by an author where the prose and pacing of the story was so well controlled. IMHO the only book that rivals how well-controlled this one was is A Little Life (and i may be biased bc that's one of my favorite books of all time, but still). I think the pacing of this book (and the impressive amount of control Donna Tartt has over her craft) was the most admirable thing about it from an artistic standpoint.
You kind of "love to hate" the characters in this book. Our narrator Richard comes from a much more humble background than his peers in the Classics department, so initially he is someone you are kind of rooting for--it's complicated--but as you watch him get so absorbed in the ways of his Hampden peers you question yourself all over again and wonder if you should really be on his side, or anyone's at all for that matter. Though bad things happen in the book, with a specific focus on two distinct acts of immorality by Richard and his peers, a specific "villain" is never really revealed or made obvious. I LOVED that about the book- it suggests that immoral acts are just acts and can be committed by anyone, even people one might not see as "immoral" people.
My critiques and what I would have liked to see more of:
Despite how well-paced and well-controlled the book was, the plot did lull at times. I think this partially just comes from it being such a long story and a deep study of character and scene. I was never tempted to DNF it, not at ALL, but I would say around the 2/3 mark, it lost a little steam. That's really it from me, though, stylistically.
Something i WISH this book did more of was characterize Julian, the Hampden Classics professor, a bit more. This is something I think the author deliberately chose to do--she wanted his background to remain a mystery--but I found myself wanting to understand him a bit more so I could better contextualize the impact he had on the students. I think a character study of Julian could be quite interesting had we had more info on him.
I think anyone who loves academia and morally ambiguous characters would especially love this book, even people fascinated with crime and the motives of criminals may love it too. However I think any reader could find something to love about The Secret History. I can see this book being studied in AP Lit classes in the near future (if it's not already) and being etched into the literary bible as a "modern classic."
Graphic: Drug use and Murder
Minor: Homophobia and Racism
georgialee01's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Blood
roaming_enn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Does such a thing as "the fatal flaw," that showy dark crack running down the middle of a life, exist outside of literature? It used to think it didn't. Now I think it does. And I think mine is this: a morbid longing for the picturesque at all costs.
Beauty is terror. Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it. And what could be more terrifying and beautiful, to souls like t he Greeks or our own, than to lose control completely? To throw off the chains of being for an instant, to shatter the accident of our mortal selves?
Summary:
This book is about a bunch of Ancient Greek undergraduate students and that time they murdered one of their classmates. The one who dies is revealed in the beginning, and it is the HOW they get there that's the real story. The story is told in first-person through Richard Papen's POV, a newest Greek student that the professor accepts, newest member of the group that had been together for longer. He is writing just under a decade after the events of the book.
Thoughts:
I love how academic it was, and it feels like a book written by an academic (which it was) for other academics. The author doesn't hold your hand, assuming you're smart enough to follow the story with what she gives you. There was at least one scene that I thought was entirely unnecessary for the Islamophobia it spewed, and I'm still not sure why it was included. The ending was a little disappointing because I wanted things to be a particular way but they ended up not. I wish it had been more than just a handful of years later when the story is told, rather than Richard still being a young man. But in either case, a lot of people seem to hate this book. I loved it. I don't love the characters, but I found them, and the story, REALLY compelling. And for me, that makes up for not loving the characters.
Be sure to check all the content warnings. I tried to include as many as I could think of in this review.
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Islamophobia
Minor: Cursing, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Vomit, and Antisemitism
thewallner's review against another edition
Moderate: Homophobia and Murder
katieimre's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Suicide and Murder
Moderate: Homophobia, Incest, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
faithemt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Highly literary; quite intellectual yet dark; very slow paced. Characters drove me nuts. I mean come on already!!
https://goldintheclouds-faith.blogspot.com/2024/07/2024-book-review-30the-secret-history.html
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Toxic friendship