Reviews tagging 'Car accident'

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

131 reviews

ambdocksey22's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Drug use, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Death, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Sexism, Alcoholism, Animal death, Antisemitism, Biphobia, Blood, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicide, Car accident, Gun violence, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, and Rape

kelseyr713's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

2.0

I appreciated this on a technical level, but there is so little happening (in terms of plot) from page to page and it’s just not what I’m looking for in the contemporary books I read. I love this level of detail in science fiction or fantasy or speculative novels, but I don’t think it’s necessary here.

It definitely made the English Literature major part of my brain light up again though. I was thinking about essay topics as I read (the amount of character analysis alone…)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Murder, Classism, Racial slurs, and Alcohol

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Xenophobia, Drug use, Abandonment, Incest, Blood, Car accident, Antisemitism, Racism, Rape, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Drug abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Medical content, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Violence

micromedbh's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Classism, Homophobia, Murder, Addiction, Cursing, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, and Violence

Moderate: Grief, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Incest, Mental illness, Racism, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Racial slurs

ximevillarejo's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Car accident, Death, Alcohol, Blood, Murder, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Animal death

hippejulia's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad fast-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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Incest, Sexual violence, Gun violence, and Vomit

Minor: Car accident, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Drug use, Animal death, and Classism

noo's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Incest, Suicide, Grief, Blood, Drug use, Homophobia, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Animal death, Car accident, Classism, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Racism

stvalentine's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

i have been implored for years by my friends to read this book, and i knew why only a few pages. donna tartt's writing style is magnetic - the way that she tells the narrative draws you in, just as richard is drawn into the cult-like friend group (classics students are exactly like that). there are times when the text is indistinguishable between narrative and poetry, and is all the more beautiful for it. i see now why this book is such a legend, has a comfortable, gilded seat on so many essential reading lists, and is endlessly described as having a cult following. creepy, enthralling, intimate, poisonous, life-changing. go read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Grief, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Confinement, Cursing, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Gore, Gun violence, Animal death, Blood, Death, Xenophobia, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Drug use, and Vomit

Moderate: Classism, Confinement, Addiction, and Racism

laina_olive's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Incest, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Death, Suicide, Addiction, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder

Minor: Car accident

vnfhcxksiw's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Classism, Drug use, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Physical abuse

Minor: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Violence, Alcoholism, Animal death, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Incest, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

ritugp01's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• 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

4.75

This novel was lauded as a modern classic from Pulitzer-winning author Donna Tart. I wholeheartedly agree. The disdain that filled me for all the characters in various classics like The Great Gatsby, Giovanni's Room, etc, also permeated throughout the experience of reading The Secret History. I consider this further evidence that it is an exquisite piece of literature.

The novel has been described as "a murder mystery in reverse." While this is a perfect description, the book is also a deep look in how easily murder occurs, even in seemingly normal people, as long as one opens themselves to the possibility. 

In a tl;dr character analysis: Henry was utterly unhinged and I think I loved him regardless. Richard, the narrator was mediocre but served his purpose as a voyeur to multiple murders.  Charles and Camilla? WTF. But also, they both sucked and I cannot decide who was worse. Francis is the only valid character but he's on this ice too. Julian is just Henry but older and willing to fake social skills. Lowkey, Bunny sucked but damn I feel bad he was killed. Like, he was just freaking out that his friends committed MURDER, it's totally understandable he was on the edge of a psychotic break. This book was a lot, and Judy Poovey is the only good person in the whole story.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Death, Drug abuse, Sexism, Misogyny, Addiction, Cursing, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Car accident, Classism, Gaslighting, Excrement, Murder, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Antisemitism, Self harm, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Suicide