Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

30 reviews

njesenicka26's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• 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? No

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Islamophobia, Alcohol, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Racism, Violence, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Incest, Suicide, and Murder

Minor: Chronic illness, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, and Grief

zoehakim's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Bullying, Car accident, Classism, Cursing, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Antisemitism, Confinement, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Animal death, Grief, Murder, Outing, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Vomit, Body shaming, Suicide, Violence, Ableism, Blood, Child death, Gaslighting, Gore, Islamophobia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Alcohol, Body horror, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Xenophobia

readinghavoc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

I really enjoyed this book – it was dense at times and intimidatingly long, but the pay-off is well worth it. Kept me on the edge of my seat and continuously shocked me. The first hundred pages dragged and I almost put it down, but I'm so glad I didn't. The last 100 pages alone more than make up for it. The characters were hard for me to connect to because they were so pretentious but as you progress through the book it becomes clear that that serves its own purposes in the story. Super bizarre story, would recommend it to someone looking for a really thoroughly laid out thriller who doesn't mind making the investment for a big thrill. Interested to read some of Tartt's other work (after some easier, quicker reads lol).

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Violence, Addiction, Body horror, Incest, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexual content, Cursing, Suicide, Gore, Mental illness, Gun violence, Alcohol, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, Classism, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Sexism, and Infidelity

Minor: Animal death, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Outing, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Toxic friendship

natw3's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

The main character, Richard, goes away to college in Vermont. He wants to study Greek but isn’t allowed to at first because the Greek professor Julian Morrow only takes on a few pupils at a time. After proving his worth he joins the classes. The other students are Henry, Edmund (Bunny), Francis, Charles, and Camilla. The other students put it in their mind to invoke Dionysus, one of the wildest gods in any pantheons.

They leave Bunny and Richard out of this and the other students end up killing a man. Bunny holds this over their heads until they end up killing Bunny because they were afraid he wouldn’t keep his mouth shut. The first half up the book was leading up to them killing Bunny and the second half was them trying to get away with the crime and the aftermah. Charles becomes and alcoholic. Harry and Camilla become romantically involved. Charles threatens Harry with a gun and ends up shooting Richard (who survives) and Harry shoots himself but survives for a few days in the hospital. In the end they all go their separate ways but continue to suffer from their actions in the past. Hints are given that Harry could possibly be alive or it is just their brain playing tricks on them.

I dislike that the chapters were so long and it took forever to get it going. I think that the book could’ve been way shorter. Even though I admire the authors writing and comprehension of Greek it was very intense to read.

Quotes

Beauty is terror. whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it. pg 42

 I suppose there is a certain crucial interval in everyone’s life when character is fixed forever. pg 84

It had the quality of a memory; there it was, before my eyes, and yet too beautiful to believe. pg 102

Love doesn’t conquer everything. And whoever thinks it does is a fool. pg223

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Suicide attempt, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Bullying, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Suicide, Animal death, Blood, Car accident, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Incest, Rape, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship

liaandersson's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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

I really enjoyed reading this book. I had heard great reviews and plenty of recommendations from friends with similar taste to mine. I can not claim to be disappointed in the least. I listened to the audiobook and was completely submerged into this world, this life. I truly understand the common sentiment that this is considered a dark academia classic.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Physical abuse, Blood, Confinement, Grief, Homophobia, Incest, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Abandonment, Antisemitism, Classism, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Stalking, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Violence

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual content, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Medical content, Murder, Abandonment, Addiction, Confinement, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Incest, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse

tinylittlerat's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

one of my favorite books, characters are unlikable but in a likable way, ending was so unexpected but perfect, i think a lot of people miss the point of this book - it’s a critique of white new england college kids and how they can be so oblivious to actual world issues. this book is over 500 pages and i finished it faster than I've ever finished a book before, the writing draws you in and leaves you in suspense.  the book was written in the nineties so there are some problematic parts - n word, predatory characters, characters not being able to consent to activities, but overall it was pretty good. i think this book gave me a superiority complex but honestly it’s worth it, i don’t think i’ll read a book as good as The Secret History for a while.

also did not expect the incest

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Classism, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Murder, Racial slurs, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Violence

Minor: Addiction, Blood, Chronic illness, Misogyny, and Rape

kellyesposito's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Physical abuse, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Animal death, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Rape

flamingxgirl's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Murder, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

not_machiavelli's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

My first (and favourite) Donna Tartt novel -- it still astounds me that the woman who wrote this also wrote The Goldfinch. The two attract such different crowds, in my experience. This novel has inspired me in so many ways, and it continues to provide relief from the real world whenever I read it. Julian is, to me, the best worst character there is.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Incest, Misogyny, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Antisemitism, Body horror, Homophobia, Islamophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Sexual violence

Minor: Biphobia, Cannibalism, Car accident, Chronic illness, Cursing, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Gun violence

tori214's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Oh.... uh.... alright. 

 

Well then. I don’t really know how to articulate my thoughts on this well, so I’ll do it in the simplest possible terms. 

 

I thought the story was enjoyable and interesting but the characters were extremely unlikable.

I really only liked one (and a half) character(s), but he didn’t even get a happy ending. None of them did really,

and my dislike of this book might also be due to the fact that I’m finishing this the day after Christmas and I’ve simply been in the mood for something upbeat and warm. 

 

The writing style was dense and definitely and acquired taste, but I personally really, really enjoyed it. However, the timeline was a little messy at times. There was this one thing Tartt did an astonishing amount where she would have the characters say “Remember when {this thing} happened?” but it wouldn’t be something that had previously been explained to the reader. The characters would have a conversation about it, AND THEN she would explain the event to the reader, instead of just letting us know when it happened in the first place and calling back to it later. 

 

Not to mention the fact that the last 100 pages or so where very repetitive, but then there was the final couple pages and the epilogue that was sort of a reprieve. 

 

It was alright. There were a few things I really enjoyed but there were too many flaws for me.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Violence, and Islamophobia

Moderate: Body horror, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Suicide, Islamophobia, and Incest

Minor: Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Excrement, Grief, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Violence