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A review by buthainna
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this is one of the best books I have ever read.
God, it was dark. the heart-achingly type of painful and beautiful dark.
I probably could never reread this book again, ever, just because there's no way to look at these characters with an innocent look. I just can't, not after learning their true inner selves.
the brutality and vast darkness of mankind shines disgustingly bright.
the descent into insanity is slow, but once you get to the last page, it feels like only 5 minutes have passed since you started reading.
i will be thinking about richard and everyone else for a long, long time.
my opinions on some of the characters
I fucking hated Julian from the start. he has always been sketchy, the way he monopolized his students, distanced himself from them. i never trusted that facade.
as for Henry, I appreciated his intelligence but after Charles ratted him out I got so fucking mad, to have been played by him. I'm glad he was eventually out of the picture, but I hate how he thinks himself a hero.
Charles is just sad.
Camillia is a manipulative bitch, who insisted on staying miserable until the very end.
As for Francis, I really felt bad for him. He's my second favorite after our protagonist.
Richard's my favorite, since he's the one we know the most about obviously. I saw myself relating many times to his loneliness and melancholy. That is not to say he was a good person by any means, it's just that he was the most fleshed out since he's the one writing this whole thing. There are already so many analyses of his character out there that I don't have anything to add further. Francis is the next best written character I think.
One question remains in my mind now: who is Richard writing this entire book to?
God, it was dark. the heart-achingly type of painful and beautiful dark.
I probably could never reread this book again, ever, just because there's no way to look at these characters with an innocent look. I just can't, not after learning their true inner selves.
the brutality and vast darkness of mankind shines disgustingly bright.
the descent into insanity is slow, but once you get to the last page, it feels like only 5 minutes have passed since you started reading.
i will be thinking about richard and everyone else for a long, long time.
my opinions on some of the characters
as for Henry, I appreciated his intelligence but after Charles ratted him out I got so fucking mad, to have been played by him. I'm glad he was eventually out of the picture, but I hate how he thinks himself a hero.
Charles is just sad.
Camillia is a manipulative bitch, who insisted on staying miserable until the very end.
As for Francis, I really felt bad for him. He's my second favorite after our protagonist.
Richard's my favorite, since he's the one we know the most about obviously. I saw myself relating many times to his loneliness and melancholy. That is not to say he was a good person by any means, it's just that he was the most fleshed out since he's the one writing this whole thing. There are already so many analyses of his character out there that I don't have anything to add further. Francis is the next best written character I think.
One question remains in my mind now: who is Richard writing this entire book to?