Reviews with content warning for Cursing - The Secret History

This book is haunting and well-written. It has a slow build up which is well satisfied. There is so much unexpected yet also known but there is never a dull or boring moment. This book is very well written but may leave you slightly disturbed and puzzled. I think its an excellent read, but not for the feint of heart.

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nenaveenstra's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious 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? It's complicated

2.5

I started reading The Secret History because I wanted to know what the fuss was about, right? It's extremely popular all over bookish Internet and I had to know. Well, after 660 pages of it, I still don't know.

I've seen people talk about this book as if it's a mystery, and as if it's a satirical look at academia and elitism, and I've also seen people talk about this book in the context of its characters. And of course, there is something to say for all of those aspects. To start with the mystery - it's not really a mystery, when you know 'whodunit' from the beginning of the book. It's more of a 'whydunit' for the first half of the book, which was actually quite entertaining; I was curious to find out why they decided to kill Bunny, or rather, what was the straw that broke the camel's back, because Bunny was a prick from beginning until his tragic end. The second half of the book, however, drags on, because there are hardly any consequences for what they've done. All the second half of the book does, in regards to the mystery element, is work up to a climax at the very end of the book - but nothing happens in between.

In regards to the satire in this book, it was very clear that we weren't necessarily supposed to like these characters. The Greek students were all very pretentious and did nothing but study, spend tons of money and plot murder, while all the other students seemed much more fun. For some reason, though, Richard wanted to belong to the rich, pretentious kids, even though that's not at all the environment he comes from. The insertion of Richard felt a bit forced to me, especially at the beginning, and I felt like it could've been utilised better. I think it would've been more interesting if, instead of just being a wallflower annex push-over, he would've given commentary on the students' problematic behaviour.

Now on to the character work. I couldn't help but think about the people on the internet who romanticised these characters' lives and wished to be part of this friend group. To those people I say: you're fucking crazy. Not only were the characters very unlikable, I also found they were quite flat caricatures of what they were supposed to represent. For all the time I spent with them, I still struggle to distinguish Henry from Charles and I remember Camilla only because she was the only girl in the group.

The Internet aside, my main experience with this book is that most of it was boring, but I appreciate what it was trying to do. I think Donna Tartt is a very good writer, there were some beautiful sentences in this book and I really liked the references to literature and pop culture in here, as well as probably some tropes and things that I didn't pick up on. I also thought she was very funny sometimes, although I'm not sure if it was intentional. I just think I would have liked this book so much more if it was a couple hundred pages shorter (and that's from someone who loves big books).

A good start would be to scrap the epilogue. That really would've made the story go out with a bang (pun intended).

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clevermird's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective sad 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

4.25

The latest entry in my quest to read the great classics of Western literature, The Secret History was billed to me as a "modern classic", which often sets me worried - I often do not like "modern classics". But to my surprise, not only was this book not a drag, but I was sucked into the world and found myself really enjoying it.

Eager to get away from his boring, tense home life in California, Richard Papen gets a scholarship to Hampden College and moves to Virginia. There, he joins the Classical Studies program and gets to know the tiny, insular department: charismatic, old-fashioned professor Julian; eccentric genius Henry; anxious, dissolute Francis; friendly, alcoholic Charles; his sister, the cool, enigmatic Camilla; and extroverted freeloader Bunny. But by the very first chapter, we know this story can only end badly as Bunny is murdered by the rest of the students for reasons unknown. The rest of the book elaborates on the situation - what led five seemingly normal college students to commit cold-blooded murder? What other secrets are they hiding? And how will they live with themselves afterword?

There's a lot this book does right. The characters are complex, interesting, and full of very human contradictions. The prose is well-done and enjoyable to read and Tartt makes several jabs at academia that I found amusing as a former member of that subculture myself. However, the book isn't perfect, either. The writing, while overall well done, does feel a bit full of itself at times. Some of that is the narrator's personality, but it does get grating at times. Additionally, the book drags at points, even for a slow-paced character study.

Overall, however, a fascinating look at the dark side of academia, the facades that people put up, and what can drive seemingly normal people to desperate ends.

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melliedm's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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james1star's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative 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? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The Secret History is undoubtedly a very well written and theorised book, Tartt gifts us, in my opinion, the perfect balance of plot and character analysis alongside some truly exquisite passages. Without including many spoilers, all I can say for the plot is we follow the student Richard Papen as he tells the story of his time at Hampden College in Vermont. Not wanting to neglect the Greek he had previously studied, he joins the cohort headed by the odd teacher that is Julian, becoming close to him and his fellow classmates: Henry, Francis, Edmund (Bunny) and the twins Charles and Camilla. This group who I called ‘the Greeks’ in my notes lead fairly strange lives from fellow students at the college but one that certainly intrigues Richard. And then things happen…

This is for sure a Big Brain Energy book: there’s untranslated Ancient Greek, Latin and French in it, multi-syntaxes sentences containing ‘()’s ‘-‘s and lists within, parts inferred and much more. So whilst it’s not the most accessible and definitely makes you think, it’s still an enjoyable reading experience. Some parts went over my head but I did feel a bit intelligent I guess reading it. This may put some people off and I get that but personally I could follow well enough and enjoyed the engagement of my brain at times. The way Tartt pulls it all together with a multilayered plot and very nuanced characters shows her BBE off, she clearly knows her stuff and I guess wanted to show this off - however, the story and flow isn’t negatively impacted in doing so. I absolutely loved how parts were pieced together and everything just clicks in place, so so good!

The characters are primarily unlikable but you get to know them so well and in such depth that at times you do root for them, in essence wanting the baddies to get away with it. But they are jarringgggggggg. Like wow did they annoy me and it does get quite repetitive at points too. I think Bunny was the character I liked least and Francis most but there is nuance for days in this book. The developments, analysis and interactions between the characters is all done very well and intelligently so.

The things I didn’t particularly like all that much was how about the page 400 mark I felt it was at a great ending point but then it kept on going… and going… and going. I still enjoyed these parts in terms of writing style but the actual events weren’t to my taste in all honestly with certain plot points, a major plot twist I didn’t see coming, didn’t really add up all that well. Therefore, the messages the book portrays weren’t the best specifically in terms of suicide and reasons why people are led to it - a bit too much was left to the imagination. I also felt in this final third that I had spent too long with these characters (I’m not accustomed to long books btw) and their annoying qualities shone out a bit too much. I’d say an enhanced epilogue might have been a better solution or thinning out this part of the book I’d have preferred.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book but look into the trigger warnings first as there are quite a few and know it’s written in a BBE pretentious way that might not appeal to everyone. I’m glad I read it and would be one I’d be interested in revisiting in a few years to see if I could get more out it. I’ve also just written this after finishing the book so I might add to this review in the coming days or possibly make a video for my YouTube channel.

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ritugp01's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This novel was lauded as a modern classic from Pulitzer-winning author Donna Tart. I wholeheartedly agree. The disdain that filled me for all the characters in various classics like The Great Gatsby, Giovanni's Room, etc, also permeated throughout the experience of reading The Secret History. I consider this further evidence that it is an exquisite piece of literature.

The novel has been described as "a murder mystery in reverse." While this is a perfect description, the book is also a deep look in how easily murder occurs, even in seemingly normal people, as long as one opens themselves to the possibility.

In a tl;dr character analysis: Henry was utterly unhinged and I think I loved him regardless. Richard, the narrator was mediocre but served his purpose as a voyeur to multiple murders. Charles and Camilla? WTF. But also, they both sucked and I cannot decide who was worse. Francis is the only valid character but he's on this ice too. Julian is just Henry but older and willing to fake social skills. Lowkey, Bunny sucked but damn I feel bad he was killed. Like, he was just freaking out that his friends committed MURDER, it's totally understandable he was on the edge of a psychotic break. This book was a lot, and Judy Poovey is the only good person in the whole story.

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em_gauts's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.5

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greyys_libraryy's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

The Secret history is a book that I didn't enjoy the first time around, but LOVED the second. The premise of the book was interesting, but the execution could have been better done. I think some of the details and scenes in the book were thoroughly uneeded, and give nothing towards either plot not characterization. It does raise an interesting question though would you do something just because you can get away with it? I liked how we s refers learned more about the characters and working dynamics within the group as Richard did, and growing to the same feelings and opinions as him.

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