zdoublea 's review for:

The Secret History by Donna Tartt
4.75
slow-paced
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
the prose in this book is such a highlight i think! i especially loved the way tartt describes the weather and atmosphe,
there's a point in the book where she uses "foamy" to describe the wind and it doesn't seem like it should make sense but it does
. in general her romantic descriptions at the beginning of the book are beautiful,
and even the stark disillusionment in the second part keeps the pretty writing
. i liked the dialogue as well, i especially noted how she uses italics to show where the character is putting emphasis in certain words, and i thought that was a really nice touch.

i know a lot of people describe the second half of this book as meandering to nowhere, or dull, even if it is on purpose, but i really enjoyed it still! there were some parts directly in the middle that slowed down a bit but overall i think the dissolution of their group was written so well. its really engaging seeing the rosy glasses come off in the second part of the book as everything -- his friends, julian, even the romance of greek and the classics -- takes on a new light. i love reading it from richards point of view, as he comes to new conclusions and perspectives in increments. the first part of the book is so romantic and the second part of the book brings u back to earth in steps and it's so good! i think it's written very well.


the character work is also done so well! richard especially, since it's written in his pov and u can his development, but also what he doesn't realize about himself or about the events of the story. the others were also good, fleshed out over the story. it's really fun to see how they come into focus from romantic silhouettes in the second part of the story. it's honestly not as much about julian as the summary makes you think, really, but richards disillusionment with him is still written really well.


im a big fan of the epilogue! i think it was fun and satisfying, seeing where everyone ended up but especially the remaining four. i like where they ended up, i think it's interesting and makes sense. i also liked their relationship to each other in the end. im glad it left me off on a good note.
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