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A review by amrita_yadav
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I want to give it a five star but then I also think it became quite sublime after a point so I don't want to give it a five star. The found-family trope is my most favorite trope to read of all time. I just loved the vibes of the first book so much. The getting to know part and hanging out, discussing your first views about each other, and getting over the initial awkwardness; these are all the most favorite parts of mine. I could see myself reading and rereading these books just for those vibes. But the second book just blows that up. You think you can trust these people and believe what you see on the surface? Here see how you like a dark fact about them, which turns out is true, that you couldn't see at first sight. The childish morality/reality the narrator believes in at the times when Bunny was going through a hard time are broken down so systematically in the aftermath. Chef's Kiss.
The second book is like watching a ship sinking. Pure chaos. It is like a web series going into it's subsequent seasons and you think it's going to be a clean slate, everything is going to fixed, wrapped and happy ending. But no, no, no. Everything just goes worse and worse till you have lost all your footing. Previously I used to believe that it is because the writers just want to create something bigger and unforeseen every season but now that I have seen a little more of life's stories, I think it's the fact that you can't get away with anything. You have to face the consequences of each and every action in this very life. If I had to draw it as a picture, I would draw a rope being overstretched so that slowly, one by one, a single thread breaks, then another breaks. At that time it is a minute ignorable change. Then a series of threads break, you panic and try to fix the threads by knotting them so then it stops so you heave a sigh of relief (Stretching didn't stop). Really, though, it is the quite before a storm. Now all of the threads break, all at once, at the same time, and you can do nothing but watch it happen because it is out of your control now.
The amount of times I said "sick", "sickening" is probably a credit to the writer. The piling up of the guilt, one thing after another, is done so exquisitely. Ending of life is not like erasing a mistake. There so many lives connected to it. The way that they think themselves of as masterminds and life is like, "I will show you. you won't get away with this as easily as you think." All of them had these flaws but they thought the bad thing was Bunny pointing them out. Like if only it wouldn't be mentioned everything would go back to normal. Then all of those flaws are magnified and forced to be acknowledged by everyone. I enjoyed every moment of them sweating when they thought they were about to be caught. Even if they weren't caught, they were so restless. It was my guilty pleasure. How can they decide the value of anybody's life and take the decision of ending it? It is like Thanos thinking I should change the world for better by erasing half these people so the other half flourishes. Now we are into this whole multiverse breakdown and incursion and stuff. It is out of control. Let's see what will be left of it (it being the world).
This was hyped so much I thought for sure there is some overwhelming sad ending or big twist. But I can also see why this is Dark Academia and goes on the shelf with books like The Stranger and The Picture of Dorian Grey. Loved it. Enjoyed it. Definitely recommend.
The second book is like watching a ship sinking. Pure chaos. It is like a web series going into it's subsequent seasons and you think it's going to be a clean slate, everything is going to fixed, wrapped and happy ending. But no, no, no. Everything just goes worse and worse till you have lost all your footing. Previously I used to believe that it is because the writers just want to create something bigger and unforeseen every season but now that I have seen a little more of life's stories, I think it's the fact that you can't get away with anything. You have to face the consequences of each and every action in this very life. If I had to draw it as a picture, I would draw a rope being overstretched so that slowly, one by one, a single thread breaks, then another breaks. At that time it is a minute ignorable change. Then a series of threads break, you panic and try to fix the threads by knotting them so then it stops so you heave a sigh of relief (Stretching didn't stop). Really, though, it is the quite before a storm. Now all of the threads break, all at once, at the same time, and you can do nothing but watch it happen because it is out of your control now.
The amount of times I said "sick", "sickening" is probably a credit to the writer. The piling up of the guilt, one thing after another, is done so exquisitely. Ending of life is not like erasing a mistake. There so many lives connected to it. The way that they think themselves of as masterminds and life is like, "I will show you. you won't get away with this as easily as you think." All of them had these flaws but they thought the bad thing was Bunny pointing them out. Like if only it wouldn't be mentioned everything would go back to normal. Then all of those flaws are magnified and forced to be acknowledged by everyone. I enjoyed every moment of them sweating when they thought they were about to be caught. Even if they weren't caught, they were so restless. It was my guilty pleasure. How can they decide the value of anybody's life and take the decision of ending it? It is like Thanos thinking I should change the world for better by erasing half these people so the other half flourishes. Now we are into this whole multiverse breakdown and incursion and stuff. It is out of control. Let's see what will be left of it (it being the world).
This was hyped so much I thought for sure there is some overwhelming sad ending or big twist. But I can also see why this is Dark Academia and goes on the shelf with books like The Stranger and The Picture of Dorian Grey. Loved it. Enjoyed it. Definitely recommend.