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dancingwithourhandstied'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
4.0
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Suicide, Death, Incest, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, and Car accident
Minor: Rape, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Self harm, and Death of parent
nadia_luq'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
2.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Murder, Islamophobia, Alcoholism, Incest, Physical abuse, Racism, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Suicide, Addiction, Gun violence, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Body horror, Animal death, and Blood
tea_kettle'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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Incest, Alcohol, Drug use, Gun violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, and Suicide
Moderate: Misogyny, Classism, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Eating disorder, Death of parent, Infidelity, Sexual content, Animal death, and Antisemitism
alexandrabelze'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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Classism, Drug use, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Suicide, Violence, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Body horror, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Confinement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Stalking
Minor: Ableism, Fatphobia, Rape, Cancer, Death of parent, and Eating disorder
ambdocksey22's review against another edition
- 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
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
micromedbh's review against another edition
- 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
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
noo's review against another edition
- 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
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
mirivii's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I don't know what Donna Tartt laced these pages with ... probably cocaine? I could not put this book down. Had me reading at night, which has not happened since I was a teenager 🥴
The plot was beautifully built and her way of writing it's so captivating. Her views on how to build suspense are refreshing, and the fact that this is a 1992 novel speaks for itself.
Much like the main character Richard, the first half of the book is set up on adoring this clique of literary and elitist students. You want to (want to) be them, with them, as erudite as them. As their flaws come to light they are viewed as whimsical and exciting, just to add to the mystic aura that they project.
What I really liked: the disenchantment of Richard in the second part of the book – the way the spell was broken and just like an addict that stopped being elated by their presence, he sees the mess all around and within them. The god-adjacent portrait of the chosen humans; the analogies to classical myths; how Bunny flew too close to the sun and his fall.
What I wish we saw more of: The twins' psychology – they were both lambs until one of them turned wolf almost inexplicably. What really happened during the bacchanal and what is up with Julian.
For what concerns the bacchanal, I could even live without knowing what went down. As Richard says in the book, when he reads biographies of serial killers, they tend to fixate on the most mundane things instead of the villainous acts and desires. It could be kind of the same here – I admit that the whole bacchanal ordeal was far more fascinating to me than the murder.
Something that I cannot get over is Julian Morrow, described as this wise whisperer that fascinates the smarts and eludes the mundanes. And yet we see that he is merely a human too. How could Henry be so violently attached to such a haughty person? He could have surely seen beyond Julian's most superficial attitude and his pride. Is Julian supposed to be seen as the Christians' almighty God? Above everything, interested in nothing, incapable (or unwilling) of aid.
Anyway, glad that I stumbled upon the BBC's Donna Tartt interview as hearing her speak was what made be grab the book from my to-be-read shelf.
Graphic: Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug use, Death, Gaslighting, Incest, Suicide, Classism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Homophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Racism, and Racial slurs
Minor: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Car accident
jessfastlane'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
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Death, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Alcohol, Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Violence, Vomit, and Drug use
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Islamophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, and Drug abuse
Minor: Antisemitism, Death of parent, Incest, Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Domestic abuse
rosaleekarisma's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Suicide, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Death
Moderate: Racial slurs, Gaslighting, Antisemitism, Grief, Homophobia, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Addiction, Incest, Medical content, Violence, Religious bigotry, Racism, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Self harm, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Rape, Toxic relationship, Blood, Car accident, and Death of parent
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