Reviews - The Secret History

61.1k reviews for:

The Secret History

Donna Tartt

4.19 AVERAGE

an0uk0727's review against another edition

4.25

mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

seashelly's review against another edition

3.0

There is a recurrent scene from those dinners that surfaces again and again, like an obsessive undercurrent in a dream. Julian, at the head of the long table, rises to his feet and lifts his wineglass. “Live forever,” he says.
And the rest of us rise too, and clink our glasses across the table, like an army regiment crossing sabres: Henry and Bunny, Charles and Francis, Camilla and I. “Live forever,” we chorus, throwing our glasses back in unison.
And always, always that same toast. Live forever.

Wow, here I go again with a 'no idea how to sort my feelings' review.

First, the thing everyone and their mother knows: this was EXTREMELY well written! Donna Tartt truly has a magnificent writing style that perfectly captured the dark academia setting & the melancholic-but-also-not tone of the book.

Second, the characters. Yes, they were all unlikeable on purpose, but honestly? With Richard's constant idolisation? It didn't come off as strongly. I know they're not super deep, and I wasn't looking for them to be super deep, but I'd have appreciated a better look into their motivations. The fact that Camilla is the only actual main female character (yes, Judy and Marian(? I read this in translation, I don't know how her name is spelled) appear often enough, but they're definitely not main), and she STILL barely gets page time, hurt me. Were so many dudes needed? I couldn't even tell them apart till 400 pages in. Some people say it was written that way to capture how much of a sausagefest academia really is. Others just tell me to view it from a 90s lens. I understand both, but making a little more of a woman character, especially as an author who is also a woman, isn't hard nor would take anything away. Adding to that, their relationships were all kinds of fucked up, especially

Spoiler

when we find out about the incest? I wasn't REALLY surprised but honestly Miss Tartt, why.

and how much money everyone sucks out of each other (unsurprisingly enough, it's always the rich people thinking they're entitled to it).

Third, maybe I just shouldn't have read so much literary fiction close to each other, when I'm usually a genre fiction kinda gal. I spent half my time reading this going 'what is the POINT'. I know not every story has some kind of exact end objective, but it still made me bored out of my mind.

Fourth, I'm all for bystander narrators, I love it when the main character is (or, at least, the character we, the audience, use to see the story through), in a way, an outsider, but coupled with the fact that almost nothing happens in over 600 pages, I don't think it was the best choice for this novel.

I can appreciate this on its own, I guess. But maybe I'd have appreciated it more if I just found a page with quotes from it and had a friend tell me the plot (or what passed as plot). For all the dragging, after finishing it I don't have a bad taste in my mouth, and I could see myself rereading it years down the road. Maybe I'll love it then.

deanagedream's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

joakingaround's review against another edition

3.75

slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

turquoisepearl09's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I've been meaning to read this for so long and was really surprised by it! But I found it powerful and thought-provoking. I'm definitely pleased I read it

13marialorente's review against another edition

2.5

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

lukelee16's review against another edition

4.25

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A good read all round but I felt the pacing was a bit inconsistent. I’d mostly find myself completely locked in and unable to put it down, but there were some parts that felt like a bit of a slog to get through.