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midnightstory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Incest, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Medical content, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Antisemitism
pam_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
My one complaint: the second act of this book was underwhelming. The story lost steam and started to feel needlessly drawn out. I’m pretty sure we could have cut 100 pages (at least) and still have included all the necessary plot points to bring about the conclusion of the story.
Other than that, I absolutely loved it.
Graphic: Suicide, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Incest, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
emmakhend's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The characters are genuinely awful human beings—terrible in almost every way. Genuinely. But that doesn’t make them any less enjoyable to read about. What makes this book digestible, despite the characters’ flaws, is that they’re all grounded in reality. If you’ve ever been to a small liberal arts college, you’ve probably encountered a Richard, Henry, Bunny, Francis, Camilla, or Charles.
This is nothing new: coked-out academics and wealthy, apathetic young adults. These are the students you despise when they raise their hands in socratic seminars. They’re the ones who casually quote Greek philosophers in everyday conversation, like it’s normal to wax poetic about Plato over brunch. You know the type—drenched in privilege, floating through life with a kind of ironic detachment, as if they’re above the mundane concerns of the rest of us. But that’s the charm, isn’t it?
So, what happens when these familiar archetypes commit murder? The answer: a complete dissolution of mind and body; self-destruction in its most romantic form.
It’s hard to even say if these friends particularly liked each other. Their friendships seem less like bonds of genuine affection and more like conveniences that teeter on the edge of disdain, held together by a shared pretense of intellectualism and a sense of superiority over the "common people." This is not a book about likable characters or redeeming qualities; it's about what happens when people with far too much privilege and not enough conscience are pushed to the brink.
By the end of this, you realize you’ve been justifying murder for 500 pages. It’s insane but so good.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Drug use, Gun violence, Incest, Blood, and Antisemitism
Minor: Eating disorder and Rape
This book is DARK. But, the narrator's apathy makes it digestible. Richard's blasé attitude towards the events in this book make it easier to read.mariareviews's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Secret History is an extraordinary novel, where the narration immerses you so deeply that it feels like you're right there with the characters—experiencing their panic, paranoia, and the weight of their decisions. it’s definitely a story that lingers long after you've finished it.
that said, it isn’t exactly a book you'd reach for if you're looking for a traditional crime or mystery novel. instead, it’s more suited for those who appreciate deeply layered character interactions. i wouldn't say i necessarily relate to the characters personally, but their paranoia, doubt, and almost impulsive decisions feel incredibly true to the human experience. Richard, Charles, and Francis saw Henry as a kind of Sherlock Holmes—Richard even compares himself to Watson at one point—but in reality, while Henry was undeniably brilliant, he was still just a young adult whose life had spiraled out of control, much like the rest of them.
i feel like i’ll need to reread it to truly grasp everything, but even now, i’m completely captivated by this novel.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Blood, and Alcohol
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Eating disorder, and Death of parent
apersonfromflorida'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
4.5
Graphic: Suicide, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, and Incest
Minor: Animal death, Rape, and Suicide attempt
very_mellifluous'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
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Racism
themis_biblos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
[It was] my own fatal tendency to try to make interesting people good.
The Greeks had a passion for order and symmetry, but they knew how foolish it was to deny emotion, darkness, barbary.
The more cultivated a person is, the more repressed, then the more he needs some method of channeling the primitive impulses he's worked so hard to subdue. Otherwise those powerful old forces will mass and strengthen until they are violent enough to break free, more violent for the delay.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Self harm, Blood, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Car accident, and Death of parent
abernathy_33's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, and Incest
Minor: Animal death, Rape, and Suicide attempt
_meganrose'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
4.0
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
moonagedaydreamer's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail