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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
Wasn't enjoying it enough, too many characters to keep up with and it was going slow.
As someone who’s been chronically online for years, it was impossible for me to not have “dark academia” floating at the edges of my awareness. I’d seen The Secret History mentioned countless times in connection with this aesthetic but hesitated, fearing it would be all vibes and no substance—a superficial story reduced to aesthetics alone.
Fortunately, I was (mostly) wrong.
This book delivers a story with nuanced characters who, despite being objectively terrible people, still managed to earn my sympathy. I found myself rooting for them, hoping against all evidence for a radical shift. Their selfishness and immorality were tempered by fleeting moments of altruism, intelligence, and warmth. They weren’t anti-heroes or villains in the traditional sense—just flawed, naive, and deeply immature. And that’s exactly what made them believable.
That said, I have to agree with critiques of the book’s lack of specificity. We are often given the impression of deep intellectual conversations but rarely their substance. The focus is on how the characters feel about their own intellectual pursuits rather than what they actually discuss.
To be fair, this fits the book’s framing as a memoir. Richard is an unreliable narrator, recounting events through a fragmented, impressionistic lens. His young mind pieces together a collage of emotions rather than objective facts.
So yes, in the end, the vibes do play a significant role. I would have loved to see Julian and his students engage in real philosophical discussions, but I understand why he remains a god-like figure—worshiped, yet never questioned. Even so, I wish his influence had been fleshed out more; I needed more to fully believe in his students’ unwavering loyalty.
That being said, the prose is undeniably cinematic. The novel has such a strong visual identity that I could see every scene unfold. Which is quite ironic, considering that 30 years later, we still don’t have a film or TV adaptation.
Fortunately, I was (mostly) wrong.
This book delivers a story with nuanced characters who, despite being objectively terrible people, still managed to earn my sympathy. I found myself rooting for them, hoping against all evidence for a radical shift. Their selfishness and immorality were tempered by fleeting moments of altruism, intelligence, and warmth. They weren’t anti-heroes or villains in the traditional sense—just flawed, naive, and deeply immature. And that’s exactly what made them believable.
That said, I have to agree with critiques of the book’s lack of specificity. We are often given the impression of deep intellectual conversations but rarely their substance. The focus is on how the characters feel about their own intellectual pursuits rather than what they actually discuss.
To be fair, this fits the book’s framing as a memoir. Richard is an unreliable narrator, recounting events through a fragmented, impressionistic lens. His young mind pieces together a collage of emotions rather than objective facts.
So yes, in the end, the vibes do play a significant role. I would have loved to see Julian and his students engage in real philosophical discussions, but I understand why he remains a god-like figure—worshiped, yet never questioned. Even so, I wish his influence had been fleshed out more; I needed more to fully believe in his students’ unwavering loyalty.
That being said, the prose is undeniably cinematic. The novel has such a strong visual identity that I could see every scene unfold. Which is quite ironic, considering that 30 years later, we still don’t have a film or TV adaptation.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Cozy/chill book, nothing super exciting happens but at the same time for 90% of the book I didn’t want to put it down except for the funeral part haha found that part kind of boring but the rest was good. Would read again but didn’t like enough to add to my physical book collection (read on kindle)
Equal parts beautiful and harrowing, Donna Tartt's debut novel is worth the look. Her darkly appealing characters are not without their faults. This is what makes the book's turn of events all the more tragically inevitable and, ultimately, wonderfully captivating.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
slow-paced