Reviews tagging 'Antisemitism'

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

301 reviews

amybetch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Moderate: Antisemitism and Suicide

sasquatch_3's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Incest, Gun violence, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual violence, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, Grief, Drug use, Death, Cursing, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Antisemitism, Hate crime, Mental illness, and Vomit

venuslikeidk's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Murder, and Alcoholism

Minor: Antisemitism and Homophobia

camortiz26's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Antisemitism, Grief, Cursing, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Drug use, Racial slurs, Biphobia, Death, Incest, Murder, Racism, Sexism, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Violence, and Abandonment

jcoates's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

This dark academia story didn’t disappoint, though

I expected a cult organization driving Henry and crew into murder (depending on your perspective it might as well be).

 

More than the plot itself, I was drawn to the characters themselves. It was only after

Bunny was murdered, and we meet his family and learn the atmosphere he was raised in, that I felt remorse for losing such a colorful character, despite his shortcomings.

Tartt’s prose is very lyrical which made it easy to enjoy despite the slow pacing of the story. Some descriptions or word choices made me pause, though. Their use IMO are no longer politically correct so coming across them made me wonder what year the novel was written.

Overall, it’s a favorite dark academia novel for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Drug use, Toxic friendship, and Death

Moderate: Murder, Violence, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Antisemitism, Rape, and Incest

carodunn's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

very nihilistic in a satisfying way

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Murder, Toxic friendship, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Cursing, Drug abuse, Homophobia, and Death

Moderate: Racial slurs, Gun violence, Incest, Religious bigotry, Antisemitism, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Sexual violence and Suicidal thoughts

maelikesbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Incest, Addiction, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Violence, Alcohol, Classism, Drug use, Gun violence, Murder, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Drug abuse, Death, and Homophobia

rebekkamafia's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Alcoholism, Classism, Drug use, and Alcohol

Moderate: Incest, Addiction, Blood, Homophobia, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Vomit, Murder, Suicide, Gun violence, Medical content, Physical abuse, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Racism, Antisemitism, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Rape, Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Suicidal thoughts

nleclairdo's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Incest, Racial slurs, Violence, Antisemitism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexism, Murder, and Suicide

marleysclassics's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

If you want to read this for the plot - don‘t. If you want to read it because of the characters … I would recommend this either. At least not, if you want to like them.
Because, though it might seem strange, in my opinion one of the best parts of this book was the developments of the characters in terms of likability. I liked all of them as I didn‘t know them at all and with every page I read I began to detest every one of them a little more. While I wouldn‘t call every single person of in this book a bad person, some certainly are. And I was so here for it, because it felt like hating them more meant understanding them more.

If you want to read this book because of the vibes - definitely. They‘re there, yet I wouldn‘t expect too much of the academia and a little more of the dark aspect. Not to say that academia isn‘t a reoccurring theme, because it is, but there really aren‘t that many lessons or anything. It‘s more about the whole setting, and the motives of the characters yet in a more abstract way.

I also loved the writing, because it is beautiful and meaningful and often SO pretentious - and it knows it is and it‘s okay because it romanticises and critiques its own style and contents at the same time. (I actually think that‘s the essence of the whole dark academia genre.) I flew through the pages, and especially the first part of the novel was SO addictive. You know what‘s going to happen from page one and still you become more interested with every page. And sometimes you can‘t even tell what draws you too the pages, yet there is something. Unfortunately, this lacked a bit in the second half. Especially towards the end, there were some parts which really grabbed me, but there were also long passages which I wasn‘t interested in. At some point, this narrative just turns into a fever dream/nightmare/sequence of drug abuse, and partly this became a tiring. But also not entirely.

I‘m not sure what to think about the ending. I think it‘s quite a realistic one (even though realistic might not 100% mean explainable), especially what is explained in the epilogue. Yet I‘m not really content with it, I would have hoped for something better for them, which is weird because I don‘t like them. But you can‘t just read 600 pages about those people and not foster a certain affection (I don‘t think that‘s the right word) for those horrible human beings. But yes, especially for Francis I just wished for something better. Mmh … But I don‘t think that‘s the book‘s fault.

In the end, I‘m pretty sure I‘ll have to read this again. 

P.S.: I never answered the question „Are the flaws of the main character(s) a main focus of the book?“ more confidently. 
And now I‘ll put this book in my shelf right next to The Picture of Dorian Gray 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Mental illness

Moderate: Gun violence, Hate crime, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide

Minor: Antisemitism, Blood, Car accident, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Animal death, Homophobia, Islamophobia, and Racism