Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - Jumalat juhlivat öisin

Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Jumalat juhlivat öisin by Donna Tartt

270 reviews

mel_s_bookshelf's review against another edition

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dark mysterious 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

3.5

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hannahlberg's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

Loveable characters? No

4.0

I hated this book. I hated it so much I loved it.

It took me 3 tries to actually start reading it, and even then I had to talk myself into finishing it, but also as soon as I got 30% in, there was no way I couldn’t not finish it.

I'm very glad I did finish as I feel I have climbed up a very impressive mountain.

The reason this book was so unbelievably difficult for me to sift through was because Richard and co are the most pretentious elitist d*ckwads I've ever willingly read about. and since he is the narrator, it's not like you ever escape the mindset for even a moment -

I think this rage I felt about the characters is both the reason why I kept wanting to dnf and had to force myself to finish and also the reason I HAD to finish, HAD to see it through.

If you ever were a part of a cohort in school, especially one in the arts, read this- it will give you war flashbacks.

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stierwood's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense fast-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

4.0

Lots of highlights and low points, including but not limited to the 2 dimensionality of the only female character, the page-turning aspect, the dialogue & prose being both incredibly descriptive/beautiful/smart & pretentious/awkward at the same time, the sharp and interesting (except for camilla) and highly dislikeable characters, and the incest 😟 much to unpack. Deeply disturbed

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vnfhcxksiw's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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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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