Scan barcode
amandag's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Suicide, Addiction, Murder, and Self harm
Minor: Violence, Toxic friendship, Homophobia, and Alcoholism
lemonboyandme's review against another edition
4.0
4.5
I loved this book so much though it is very slow paced. So much happened in it and I’m still really confused about the ending.There were so many disturbing things in this books that I’ll never forget. But I’m happy that I didn’t leave this book halfway through when it was slow. It’s My favorite read of this year so far.
I loved this book so much though it is very slow paced. So much happened in it and I’m still really confused about the ending.There were so many disturbing things in this books that I’ll never forget. But I’m happy that I didn’t leave this book halfway through when it was slow. It’s My favorite read of this year so far.
aporteous's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
second audiobook!
so good, kinda different but very interesting and so well-written
so good, kinda different but very interesting and so well-written
babyslayer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
i fear the most long-lasting effect this book has had on me is the francis-charles dynamic
eva__t's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
zara93's review against another edition
5.0
January 2023, Re-read:
Re-reading The Secret History was inevitable, and I took my sweet time with it because who knows when will I be able to re-read it once more, even though I kinda want to do it right now!
But what a delight it has been!
I wasn't able to write a coherent review the first time i read it, and I'm still not sure I can now. I mean how do you even begin to do that? I'm speechless yet again.
I'm in this beautiful state of finding myself staring at nothing and just thinking about this book, and these characters who I don't even like yet somehow I can't help but to be fond of at least some of them. I have so many thoughts that I find very hard to put into words. This book makes you feel conflicted, it shocks you and disturb you but then it also leaves in awe. It is so atmospheric, intricately crafted and mesmerising.
I'm not sure if this was the case but I think I might enjoyed it even better this second time around. Before picking it up for the second time, I remembered I found some parts tedious and hard to get through, but this time I enjoyed every single page thoroughly. Donna Tartt had me hanging on her every word regardless of the fact that I already know the main details (though I'm not going to pretend that I remembered every single detail, there were some important plot detail that I had completely forgot about, or remembered differently, which part of me finds frustrating but the other part is somewhat delighted because this is the closest thing to experiencing this brilliant book for the first time!)
This book leaves you with such lingering feelings, days and weeks after finishing it. Can't help but to go back and think about it.
March 2020, First Read:
This is a difficult book to review, and this is not a review by all means.. more like some random thoughts if you will.
I don't know what to say.. my thoughts are all scrambled all over the place.
This was defiantly a work of art. The writing was so exquisite. I was absorbed though it took me like 80 pages to really start to enjoy it. The story was a tragic.. one of those that make you go "if only they would do this" or "this could be so different if they didn't do that!". I didn't even like these characters to begin with.. but I still cared for some reason. I feel sad for them. They are such a complicated group of characters, so flawed in the most poetic way, you just can't but feel for them and at the same time disgusted by them!!!
I had the most unique experience while reading this book. It was so unsettling and I was actually afraid.. It's not a horror yet it unnerved me.. (I was reading after midnight and it was very windy and noisy outside which defiantly added to it!)
Honestly, I've just finished it and I have this heavy feeling in my chest.
I think i'll be thinking about this book for a while.
Re-reading The Secret History was inevitable, and I took my sweet time with it because who knows when will I be able to re-read it once more, even though I kinda want to do it right now!
But what a delight it has been!
I wasn't able to write a coherent review the first time i read it, and I'm still not sure I can now. I mean how do you even begin to do that? I'm speechless yet again.
I'm in this beautiful state of finding myself staring at nothing and just thinking about this book, and these characters who I don't even like yet somehow I can't help but to be fond of at least some of them. I have so many thoughts that I find very hard to put into words. This book makes you feel conflicted, it shocks you and disturb you but then it also leaves in awe. It is so atmospheric, intricately crafted and mesmerising.
I'm not sure if this was the case but I think I might enjoyed it even better this second time around. Before picking it up for the second time, I remembered I found some parts tedious and hard to get through, but this time I enjoyed every single page thoroughly. Donna Tartt had me hanging on her every word regardless of the fact that I already know the main details (though I'm not going to pretend that I remembered every single detail, there were some important plot detail that I had completely forgot about, or remembered differently, which part of me finds frustrating but the other part is somewhat delighted because this is the closest thing to experiencing this brilliant book for the first time!)
This book leaves you with such lingering feelings, days and weeks after finishing it. Can't help but to go back and think about it.
March 2020, First Read:
This is a difficult book to review, and this is not a review by all means.. more like some random thoughts if you will.
I don't know what to say.. my thoughts are all scrambled all over the place.
This was defiantly a work of art. The writing was so exquisite. I was absorbed though it took me like 80 pages to really start to enjoy it. The story was a tragic.. one of those that make you go "if only they would do this" or "this could be so different if they didn't do that!". I didn't even like these characters to begin with.. but I still cared for some reason. I feel sad for them. They are such a complicated group of characters, so flawed in the most poetic way, you just can't but feel for them and at the same time disgusted by them!!!
I had the most unique experience while reading this book. It was so unsettling and I was actually afraid.. It's not a horror yet it unnerved me.. (I was reading after midnight and it was very windy and noisy outside which defiantly added to it!)
Honestly, I've just finished it and I have this heavy feeling in my chest.
I think i'll be thinking about this book for a while.
sjnastri's review against another edition
5.0
jaw dropping. could not put it down. the prologue had me by the throat and legend says it always will
i love being convinced by the masses of the internet to read the most chaotic, tragic, beautiful, deeply horrifying stories.
i love being convinced by the masses of the internet to read the most chaotic, tragic, beautiful, deeply horrifying stories.