A review by thegbrl
The Secret History by Donna Tartt

5.0

Donna Tartt’s masterful prose and brilliant characterisation shines with exuberance in this work of art. It is a sublime exploration of the human experience in its most potent, most callous and most refined forms. “The Secret History” is a moving tale of triumph, tragedy, and telestic madness against the backdrop of the sometimes perilous and disconcerting world of academia. Each character was intricate and complex, yet mysterious and alluring, with their motivations and dispositions revealed throughout in an air of subtlety . Tartt’s writing style exhibits an illustrious depth and vivacity, with a certain poetic quality. Tartt utilises “why-done-it” rather than “whodunit” plot, subverting the tropes of the genre to create a character-driven thriller. I consider this book to be formative and a reading experience I will treasure for years to come.