Scan barcode
annwithane's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
umrah's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This review is so very overdue, but every passing day was fuel to my mind's procrastination. But finally today, I sat down, took a deep breath and dared to write some notes, which in turn, enabled me to hyper-focus and here we are now!
The Secret History was everything: it was beautiful, terrifying, heartbreaking, majestic, disgusting. It had truly everything, and I was so immersed in it. The insanity of the book probably was a reason in where I couldn't even comprehend of a review.
Let's first get started with the characters. They were all quite messed up in their own ways - their images were like a kind of glamour, how there's this layer of mystery on them, of perfection and beauty. It was interesting to see that layer slowly crumble, the symmetrical, the absolute, fading away slowly but surely.
The book was written in the perspective of Richard Papen. However, it is heavily implied that he was an unreliable narrator, as he himself wrote in the first page, about how he tends to lie a lot, and also about his "fatal flaw", his morbid love for the picturesque. This consideration makes the book even more blurry and unbelievable. For all we know, this never happened, or is a completely different story, to what Richard wanted us to believe. He views most things as romanticizations - kind of trying to forget how human and messed up his contemporaries really are. How imperfect, how unstable their minds actually are. For example, he views Henry as a god or a deity in some way. Richard is too trusting and weak.
Henry Winter. Like the chilly flakes of snow in his namesake weather, cold. And frankly, he gives me this feeling of a sociopath. While I was reading the book, several thoughts came into my mind of how "Sherlock Holmes" he feels. So incredibly intelligent, knows Homer to a tee, yet is ignorant socially. He also didn't know it when the moon landing happened. It gives the same feeling as when Sherlock didn't want to believe about the orbit of the Earth around the Sun.
Francis Abernathy was an interesting character, and he's probably one of the least messed-up character of the group. He is also homosexual, hinting towards being in love with Charles, and trying to hook up with Richard. Also, he sounds quite hot, don't come for me, please.
Charles and Camilla are twins, and highly interesting individuals. Their relationship is very toxic, and Camilla is often abused by her twin. Incest is also present between the two. Their situation gives a nod towards the Greeks, an example of their obsession with the "traditional," the old.
Bunny Corcoran is a difficult character, very difficult indeed. I don't know what to think of him. Was he truly as insufferable as to deserve death? I don't know. Was he not a bad person, just anxious, terrified, and confused? Probably. It's just so hard to believe anything in this book. That's partly why I adore it. Although, the homophobia is quite uncalled for, wonder if it's internalized homophobia . . .
Donna's writing was absolutely exquisite. The descriptions were so vivid and beautiful!
"Beauty is terror. Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it." - I feel like this book was the perfect description of this quite. So utterly beautiful, yet terrible.
""Are you happy here?" I said at last. He considered this for a moment, "Not particularly," he said, "but you're not very happy where you are, either."" - This quote always stuck with me. The Secret History always will give you something otherworldly when you thought everything was resolved. It is bittersweet in a way.
"There's nothing wrong with the love of beauty. But Beauty - unless she is wed to something more meaningful - is always superficial."
What makes this book fascinating for me are definitely how blurry, how atmospheric, and how uncertain everything seems to be. How we won't be able to know the full story. We wouldn't ever know if Bunny deserved it. We wouldn't ever know about anyone's mindset, aside from Richard's. The Secret History indeed.
The Secret History was everything: it was beautiful, terrifying, heartbreaking, majestic, disgusting. It had truly everything, and I was so immersed in it. The insanity of the book probably was a reason in where I couldn't even comprehend of a review.
Let's first get started with the characters. They were all quite messed up in their own ways - their images were like a kind of glamour, how there's this layer of mystery on them, of perfection and beauty. It was interesting to see that layer slowly crumble, the symmetrical, the absolute, fading away slowly but surely.
The book was written in the perspective of Richard Papen. However, it is heavily implied that he was an unreliable narrator, as he himself wrote in the first page, about how he tends to lie a lot, and also about his "fatal flaw", his morbid love for the picturesque. This consideration makes the book even more blurry and unbelievable. For all we know, this never happened, or is a completely different story, to what Richard wanted us to believe. He views most things as romanticizations - kind of trying to forget how human and messed up his contemporaries really are. How imperfect, how unstable their minds actually are. For example, he views Henry as a god or a deity in some way. Richard is too trusting and weak.
Henry Winter. Like the chilly flakes of snow in his namesake weather, cold. And frankly, he gives me this feeling of a sociopath. While I was reading the book, several thoughts came into my mind of how "Sherlock Holmes" he feels. So incredibly intelligent, knows Homer to a tee, yet is ignorant socially. He also didn't know it when the moon landing happened. It gives the same feeling as when Sherlock didn't want to believe about the orbit of the Earth around the Sun.
Francis Abernathy was an interesting character, and he's probably one of the least messed-up character of the group. He is also homosexual, hinting towards being in love with Charles, and trying to hook up with Richard. Also, he sounds quite hot, don't come for me, please.
Charles and Camilla are twins, and highly interesting individuals. Their relationship is very toxic, and Camilla is often abused by her twin. Incest is also present between the two. Their situation gives a nod towards the Greeks, an example of their obsession with the "traditional," the old.
Bunny Corcoran is a difficult character, very difficult indeed. I don't know what to think of him. Was he truly as insufferable as to deserve death? I don't know. Was he not a bad person, just anxious, terrified, and confused? Probably. It's just so hard to believe anything in this book. That's partly why I adore it. Although, the homophobia is quite uncalled for, wonder if it's internalized homophobia . . .
Donna's writing was absolutely exquisite. The descriptions were so vivid and beautiful!
"Beauty is terror. Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it." - I feel like this book was the perfect description of this quite. So utterly beautiful, yet terrible.
""Are you happy here?" I said at last. He considered this for a moment, "Not particularly," he said, "but you're not very happy where you are, either."" - This quote always stuck with me. The Secret History always will give you something otherworldly when you thought everything was resolved. It is bittersweet in a way.
"There's nothing wrong with the love of beauty. But Beauty - unless she is wed to something more meaningful - is always superficial."
What makes this book fascinating for me are definitely how blurry, how atmospheric, and how uncertain everything seems to be. How we won't be able to know the full story. We wouldn't ever know if Bunny deserved it. We wouldn't ever know about anyone's mindset, aside from Richard's. The Secret History indeed.
knevins's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
catherineannecarr's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favourite books ever. Can't even guess the number of times I've read this since I first discovered it when I was 18. It nearly derailed my end-of-school exams that year, I was so obsessed!
lizmorano's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Recommended by Mitchel and Marley. Very dark (like the Goldfinch) A poor student attends Vermont College for rich, privileged kids. Winds-up in a classics course with eccentric group of 5 students. Accidental death of a local leads to plotted murder of one of the students.
joannestbr's review against another edition
dark
slow-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
3.0
i hate modern classics
darya_dash's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
ingeborgkorme's review against another edition
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? No
3.0
litzy221's review against another edition
Did not feel in the right mood to continue this book
readingrabbit28's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.25