Reviews

Die geheime Geschichte by Donna Tartt

juumg's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

little_bliss's review against another edition

mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

michaeldonald's review against another edition

5.0

So cosy and so comfortable!!! I felt like I was drinking hot chocolate and in a warm blanket the whole time I was reading it. I am completely obsessed with how insanely human these characters are it’s creepy.

aproposofnathan's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

laura_christina97's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

4.0

reangelic's review against another edition

3.0

Let me tell you, the first 300 pages of this book were UNBEARABLE. It was extremely slow paced, filled with flashbacks and lengthy descriptions of places, and its language was hard to grasp at first. I was genuinely forcing myself through it and was on the verge of dropping it until I decided I’ll take a break at page 300… but I didn’t end up doing that. After half of the book, things started getting heated and I found myself on the edge anticipating for more. I felt curious to see how the characters will cover up for themselves, what are they gonna do next, what have they done, where some certain characters are, etc.. I felt the creepy vibes and what Richard was feeling in certain circumstances. also, after going on Tiktok too see related video about the book after I finished it, I realized I might have interpreted some certain things differently from people. I just followed along with the perspective of the narrator, however I found several speculations about what Henry whispered to Camilla, and what was going on between Henry and the professor. I was definitely thinking about such things but seeing other people’s thoughts about them was interesting. Definitely a good book, I would have loved it more if I was a historical literature person or if it had a shorter writing way.

lucym80's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

almabritta's review against another edition

4.0

This book is so insane that it both draws you in and freaks you out at the same time. The plot line and characters are so nuanced and complexed that they almost become an ethical question too.

It is a book where so much happens yet nothing seems too happen. It’s so weird and creepy yet so good.

So yeah I’m a fan!

laurasauras's review against another edition

4.0

Really back and forthed there between 4 and 5 stars! I really liked this, it was an incredibly addictive and engaging book, and it's definitely going to stay with me for a while. It had a bit of a Great Gatsby vibe to it, where none of the characters are good and the main character is just so incredibly passive and swept along with the other characters, and there was a bit of that decadence to it as well. It was fascinating in that the major plot point was "spoiled" in the prologue, and that just meant that in every line I was looking for reasons why it would happen and coming up with theories. And then when it did happen, there was so much of the book left over and I was again full of theories as to what possible conclusion it was driving towards. I think there's a price to be paid for such a detached protagonist though; because he kept so much of himself hidden and recounted the events from a distance, it was difficult to *feel* that he loved the other characters, even though he did say he did.

ina707's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

even though a lot of people call this book pretentious or boring, I have never had a book alter my brain that much and still keep me coming back to it after almost a year and a half of reading it. the characters are so WELL WRITTEN it's insane. though I do have to agree that this book is definitely not for everyone, it has a pretty slow pace at times I do have to agree but for me it was for from boring. the way donna tartt left a lot hidden meanings with certain chapters is one of my favorite part, because it may seem that it's a random filler chapter but actually it does a lot to shape the whole plot and even feeling of it. I especially love the way that Richard is portrayed. He's made to be easy to relate to and I find it very fun to read books like that because I can emerge myself into it easier even though I don't always agree with his decisions.

Also one of my favorite things about this book is that we don't even find out as much about everything that was going on between the friend group as Richard was left out A LOT and Its interesting to think about what the book would be like if it was written from henrys or bunnys perspective