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A review by nebyula
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I am relatively new to dark academia, and this was certainly a head-first dive into the genre. Beautiful, dense writing completely submerged me into the story. The characters were so well written with each a fully distinctive personality, but at the same time so infuriating. I found myself bouncing back and forth on whether I was hoping for a happy or sad ending for them.
The downsides. I listened to the audiobook that Donna narrated, and, although it was great hearing the author read their work, it didn't feel like a proper and professional read. I could hear muffling in the background, poorly edited cuts, and sighs where she seemed more tired of reading. That being said, her distinct voices for the characters added so much to the story.
After only reading a few dark academia novels, I come to expect icky themes and characters, and was not at all surprised about that implication being true. These books can and will be f'd up, so just prepare yourself as such.
Lastly, throughout the book I was never sure about the presence of Julien's character, there were times where I was hoping for more from him and wondering if he was really a significant character to the story, but in the end I grew to appreciate this character.
The downsides. I listened to the audiobook that Donna narrated, and, although it was great hearing the author read their work, it didn't feel like a proper and professional read. I could hear muffling in the background, poorly edited cuts, and sighs where she seemed more tired of reading. That being said, her distinct voices for the characters added so much to the story.
After only reading a few dark academia novels, I come to expect icky themes and characters, and was not at all surprised about that implication being true. These books can and will be f'd up, so just prepare yourself as such.
Lastly, throughout the book I was never sure about the presence of Julien's character, there were times where I was hoping for more from him and wondering if he was really a significant character to the story, but in the end I grew to appreciate this character.