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starryybella's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I feel like this book has single-handedly made me want to study the Classics in college or at least get back into Latin after losing motivation during COVID. Now, I am applying to be a Classics major after more consideration. At least I won't fall into the temptations of murder like these classics students did though.
Imagine if "Lord of the Flies" met dark academia, a classical tragedy, and Greek antiquity at a New England college.
I ate this book UP. I don't necessarily get intimidated by larger novels but I never have the time to read them, so I put them off. When I was in treatment, I finally had time to read this book after it sat on my shelf for a month at home.
One, the cover was aesthetically pleasing to me, because I strived for a dark academia aesthetic more around sophomore/beginning of junior year and I still admire the aesthetic. Studying antiquity at a small liberal arts college in Vermont? Say less.
Two, I'm a SUCKER for psychological novels. I'm not really into mysteries. I never really have been, I hate to say it. "Nancy Drew" wasn't my thing as a kid, I read a few "A to Z Mysteries", but nothing too special, and didn't really ever latch on to what my peers liked about it. I just didn't have the sustained interest in it, and it was probably because of my ADHD.
But something about this book is so captivating and special. Words can't begin to describe it.
This was my first Donna Tartt novel, and I'm definitely going to read "The Goldfinch" or "The Little Friend" now after so many years of people recommending me to her. I fell in love with her writing style - it reinvented English for me and the diction this book has is impeccable. I never had this much admiration for the lexicon in any book until this novel.
The reviews about it were outstanding, and I like reading the reviews, as a reviewer. How many times did I say a word that began with an R?
Back to talking about reviews though. The reviews give me some idea on what to expect from the novel, especially if I know the author or publication that's writing the review.
If I were to ever write a book, I'd want the reviews that "The Secret History" got. Like, helloooo? Are you there, God? It's me, Izzy.
If my comment about "Lord of the Flies" intimidates you, don't let it. I hated that book too. I thought it was so absolute in its judgment of a person's innate capability for evil and savagery, as if that's our ultimate nature, which I disagree with. I had a lot of moral objections to that book and I consider myself the president of the "Lord of the Flies" Hate Club. My least favorite book I've had to read, to say the least.
No offense to those who liked it or took meaning out of it - go enjoy your 12-year-olds killing each other on an island.
But I'll explain my reasoning for my comparison later, without giving away too much about the book.
The book follows the perspective of Richard Papen, a transfer student from California to the elite Hampden College in Vermont. He describes the very exclusive class of classics Professor Julian Morrow, and the eventual fall from grace of the students. He's writing this from years in retrospect, looking back at events leading up to the murder of Bunny, one of the classmates in Morrow's class, and the blurry, unbearable days following the murder.
The common theme in my recommendations: Did it catch me from the first page? Answer: YES. This book absolutely caught my attention from the first page.
It was slightly haunting to read the prologue, and I immediately fell in love with the book with the prologue's last poetic parts: "...Though I only remember too well the long terrible night that lay ahead and the long terrible days and nights that followed, I have only to glance over my shoulder for all those years to drop away and I see it behind me again, the ravine, rising all green and black through the saplings, a picture that will never leave me. I suppose at one time in my life I might have had any number of stories, but now there is no other. This is the only story I will be ever able to tell" (4).
The reason I absolutely devoured this book is because of the inverted murder mystery model and the ominous tone the book sets right in the prologue. It's sustained throughout the book through the characterization of the six students and their professor.
The epilogue after the main story sent me for a loop after the ups and downs of the main story, and after I finished the book, I felt empty. To say I was in awe is a grievous understatement. I would read it again and again and never get bored of it. I went to the length of looking up if there was a movie adaptation of it so I could devour it again.
I've known people who read parts of books in the middle or the end. I'm guilty as charged sometimes. I try not to do it all the time, but that's what always ruins mysteries for me on top of reasons I stated earlier.
However, I didn't with this book because I was so invested in the story. It takes a LOT of self-restraint but when you dive into a story and absorb yourself in it, you forget that it's ever going to end. That's how this book made me feel. It was at a good pace and was both lyrical and suspenseful. Erudite is often the word reviewers used and I have to agree - there was a level of sophistication to this book that doesn't make it unreadable. It adds this flare that no book I've ever read has.
At times, I couldn't put this book down. I just loved reading it, sipping on a warm cup of coffee with a little bit of sweet cream. Dimmer lighting might be a better match to the vibe of this book - this is definitely a book to read by candlelight. The vibes, needless to say, are immaculate.
Imagine if "Lord of the Flies" met dark academia, a classical tragedy, and Greek antiquity at a New England college.
I ate this book UP. I don't necessarily get intimidated by larger novels but I never have the time to read them, so I put them off. When I was in treatment, I finally had time to read this book after it sat on my shelf for a month at home.
One, the cover was aesthetically pleasing to me, because I strived for a dark academia aesthetic more around sophomore/beginning of junior year and I still admire the aesthetic. Studying antiquity at a small liberal arts college in Vermont? Say less.
Two, I'm a SUCKER for psychological novels. I'm not really into mysteries. I never really have been, I hate to say it. "Nancy Drew" wasn't my thing as a kid, I read a few "A to Z Mysteries", but nothing too special, and didn't really ever latch on to what my peers liked about it. I just didn't have the sustained interest in it, and it was probably because of my ADHD.
But something about this book is so captivating and special. Words can't begin to describe it.
This was my first Donna Tartt novel, and I'm definitely going to read "The Goldfinch" or "The Little Friend" now after so many years of people recommending me to her. I fell in love with her writing style - it reinvented English for me and the diction this book has is impeccable. I never had this much admiration for the lexicon in any book until this novel.
The reviews about it were outstanding, and I like reading the reviews, as a reviewer. How many times did I say a word that began with an R?
Back to talking about reviews though. The reviews give me some idea on what to expect from the novel, especially if I know the author or publication that's writing the review.
If I were to ever write a book, I'd want the reviews that "The Secret History" got. Like, helloooo? Are you there, God? It's me, Izzy.
If my comment about "Lord of the Flies" intimidates you, don't let it. I hated that book too. I thought it was so absolute in its judgment of a person's innate capability for evil and savagery, as if that's our ultimate nature, which I disagree with. I had a lot of moral objections to that book and I consider myself the president of the "Lord of the Flies" Hate Club. My least favorite book I've had to read, to say the least.
No offense to those who liked it or took meaning out of it - go enjoy your 12-year-olds killing each other on an island.
But I'll explain my reasoning for my comparison later, without giving away too much about the book.
The book follows the perspective of Richard Papen, a transfer student from California to the elite Hampden College in Vermont. He describes the very exclusive class of classics Professor Julian Morrow, and the eventual fall from grace of the students. He's writing this from years in retrospect, looking back at events leading up to the murder of Bunny, one of the classmates in Morrow's class, and the blurry, unbearable days following the murder.
The common theme in my recommendations: Did it catch me from the first page? Answer: YES. This book absolutely caught my attention from the first page.
It was slightly haunting to read the prologue, and I immediately fell in love with the book with the prologue's last poetic parts: "...Though I only remember too well the long terrible night that lay ahead and the long terrible days and nights that followed, I have only to glance over my shoulder for all those years to drop away and I see it behind me again, the ravine, rising all green and black through the saplings, a picture that will never leave me. I suppose at one time in my life I might have had any number of stories, but now there is no other. This is the only story I will be ever able to tell" (4).
The reason I absolutely devoured this book is because of the inverted murder mystery model and the ominous tone the book sets right in the prologue. It's sustained throughout the book through the characterization of the six students and their professor.
The epilogue after the main story sent me for a loop after the ups and downs of the main story, and after I finished the book, I felt empty. To say I was in awe is a grievous understatement. I would read it again and again and never get bored of it. I went to the length of looking up if there was a movie adaptation of it so I could devour it again.
I've known people who read parts of books in the middle or the end. I'm guilty as charged sometimes. I try not to do it all the time, but that's what always ruins mysteries for me on top of reasons I stated earlier.
However, I didn't with this book because I was so invested in the story. It takes a LOT of self-restraint but when you dive into a story and absorb yourself in it, you forget that it's ever going to end. That's how this book made me feel. It was at a good pace and was both lyrical and suspenseful. Erudite is often the word reviewers used and I have to agree - there was a level of sophistication to this book that doesn't make it unreadable. It adds this flare that no book I've ever read has.
At times, I couldn't put this book down. I just loved reading it, sipping on a warm cup of coffee with a little bit of sweet cream. Dimmer lighting might be a better match to the vibe of this book - this is definitely a book to read by candlelight. The vibes, needless to say, are immaculate.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Animal cruelty, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Gaslighting, Incest, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, and Antisemitism
kynajayne's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-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
4.0
This is an interesting book concept, centred on a singular event (which is told in the prologue). Very much about the journey and not the destination, but still managed to be very engaging.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Physical abuse and Sexual violence
fjerda's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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? Yes
4.75
I feel punch drunk after reading this book. The Secret History is rotten on the inside and I am in absolute awe of it. Tartt is truly, inexpressibly talented.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Murder, Addiction, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Self harm, Alcohol, Blood, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Sexual violence, Mental illness, Incest, Suicidal thoughts, and Rape
Minor: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Forced institutionalization
lydiavsbooks's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think this jus scraped a 4 star for me. Its a long book and I have a lot of thoughts and feelings so its difficult to sum up in one rating.
I gotta start by saying that it took me a while to get into. Although I know its kinda the point, I found it difficult and frustrating to read because of just how pretentious and arrogant every single character is. If I could list 'rich people' as a content warning I could, that shit was triggering.
But then the plot kicks in and takes a dark turn. It becomes exciting, tense, intriguing, and it just feels a lot more fun to read the deeper you get into all the messed up shit. There were however several moments throughout the book where it returned to the very slow drawn out day to day events. I get that this may have been done to establish the characters more in order to make later events more impactful, but I didn't really get much from these sections and for me it just made the book feel longer than necessary.
I also wish we'd got a little more from our main character, Richard. He just felt a little lacking in personality, and seemed to only exist as a narrator, without an active role in even his own life. There were times it was a little frustrating at how blatantly unaware the main character was, and how the other characters would have to spell things out for him to even question anything. I would've liked to see more from inside his head.
I found myself being very overly critical and nitpicky when reading this, so I think that and the insane amount of hype this book gets may have contributed to my experience. I think sometimes its easier to explain criticisms than it is to explain what I enjoyed. But, I still really did enjoy this, its absolutely a fun dark twisty plot that feels very rich, with some very atmospheric writing. Definitely one that I think will stay with me, and I'm glad I read it.
I gotta start by saying that it took me a while to get into. Although I know its kinda the point, I found it difficult and frustrating to read because of just how pretentious and arrogant every single character is. If I could list 'rich people' as a content warning I could, that shit was triggering.
But then the plot kicks in and takes a dark turn. It becomes exciting, tense, intriguing, and it just feels a lot more fun to read the deeper you get into all the messed up shit. There were however several moments throughout the book where it returned to the very slow drawn out day to day events. I get that this may have been done to establish the characters more in order to make later events more impactful, but I didn't really get much from these sections and for me it just made the book feel longer than necessary.
I also wish we'd got a little more from our main character, Richard. He just felt a little lacking in personality, and seemed to only exist as a narrator, without an active role in even his own life. There were times it was a little frustrating at how blatantly unaware the main character was, and how the other characters would have to spell things out for him to even question anything. I would've liked to see more from inside his head.
I found myself being very overly critical and nitpicky when reading this, so I think that and the insane amount of hype this book gets may have contributed to my experience. I think sometimes its easier to explain criticisms than it is to explain what I enjoyed. But, I still really did enjoy this, its absolutely a fun dark twisty plot that feels very rich, with some very atmospheric writing. Definitely one that I think will stay with me, and I'm glad I read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Classism, Misogyny, Murder, and Homophobia
Moderate: Suicide, Sexual violence, Addiction, and Self harm
gracer0sew's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Suicide, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Self harm, Physical abuse, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Rape, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Racism, Racial slurs, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Incest, Drug use, Cursing, Addiction, Animal death, Alcohol, and Blood
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
cecilyroseceillam's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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? Yes
5.0
Will always remain one of my favourite books of all time, beautifully written and harrowing, I’ve read it so many times that it feel s almost nostalgic in a sense. I love the atmosphere the most, it feels like I’m reading a Greek tragedy and I love how she writes the corruption and evilness of each character. Would highly recommend even though it has some huge content warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Gun violence, Homophobia, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Classism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Incest, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
victoriak1197's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
This book was very different than I thought it would be. It was a lot slower, with the murder mystery it was always advertised to me going very different than it typically would. A lot of this book is just theme and character exploration, as well as just vibes (mixed with foreshadowing). This book is not just a vibe, it is a state of mind. I was completely absorbed into this book, captivated by the romantic and gothic imagery and prose. My only criticism for this book is that i wish that Camilla and Francis got a happier ending. I mean, Francis, although marrying someone boring who he won't love, is rich. it's just kinda unfair that Charles got a happier ending than Camilla. I also feel like Camilla could've married Francis, just so Francis didn't have to marry the blonde woman. I know that she didn't marry Richard because she loves Henry (although maybe it was because she just didn't like Richard enough, remember that Richard does describe her as an actress and is harsh to her after he finds out the Charles abused her), but she could've married Francis because it would be different. But I get that unhappy endings are part of this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism and Drug use
Minor: Classism, Blood, Suicide, Islamophobia, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Xenophobia
ramireads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Hmm - I can see why people like this book, but I can't see why they love it. I found the characters completely hate-able and they genuinely made me uncomfortable. The pacing was very slow and then in the last 20ish pages (excluding the epilogue) made a complete 180.
Despite this, it was an okay read. I found myself wanting to read more and I wanted to know how and why things unfolded the way they did. The second half of the book was not my favourite, in the slightest, but I got through it and it was fine. I was intrigued and I quite enjoyed the writing style.
Despite this, it was an okay read. I found myself wanting to read more and I wanted to know how and why things unfolded the way they did. The second half of the book was not my favourite, in the slightest, but I got through it and it was fine. I was intrigued and I quite enjoyed the writing style.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Drug use, Homophobia, Incest, Murder, Racial slurs, Self harm, and Suicide
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Sexual violence
saeruh's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
This is without a doubt the strangest book I have ever read. I did not particularly enjoy reading this as I became disgusted almost every line with everything the characters said or did. All of the characters were just so heartless and lacked any type of empathy. However, this is the best writing I ever seen and while I may not want it to, this novel and its prose will stay me for my entire life.
I really don’t know how to feel about any of the characters since Tartt was so good at making you sympathize with them and then immediately having them do something incredibly rude/perverse/gross. Also I recommend reading a list of content/trigger warnings BEFORE you read this because I did not and oh boy there is so so many.
Overall, I wasn’t really grossed out by the murdering since it wasn’t that graphically described but when it came to the part when Tartt describes the incestuous relationship between Charles and Camilla where Richard watches them kiss, I literally thought I was going to throw up. And it was so fucked up how nobody else in the group really cared/already knew 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮. And then Richard only cares because he wanted to fuck her!!!! what??? There was another scene where you really see how fucked up Richard has become by being involved in all this/maybe it was in him all along when Camilla is in a vulnerable state describing the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse she receives from her brother and the narration is actually something like “I thought I might rape her” What The Fuck man. Who is this dude that we’ve spent so long in ONLY his head actually.
I really don’t know how to feel about any of the characters since Tartt was so good at making you sympathize with them and then immediately having them do something incredibly rude/perverse/gross. Also I recommend reading a list of content/trigger warnings BEFORE you read this because I did not and oh boy there is so so many.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Physical abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Incest, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Cursing, and Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Stalking, Blood, Outing, Suicide, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Antisemitism, and Racism
jbabbm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
To be honest, I wasn't expecting to love–and even enjoy– this book as much as I did. Sincerely, this might be a new favorite of mine. Tartt, in my opinion, did a great job writing the complex group of friends with a somewhat dubious admiration for their professor that would culminate in their inevitable corruption. I honestly can't recommend it enough, a great read, a must read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Alcoholism, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Incest, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Homophobia
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence