A review by redflower10
The Secret History by Donna Tartt

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and engaging until the end. I loved the narrator's self-conscious prosaic anxiety. It's timeless - I had no idea it had been released in 1992 (despite being set in the 80s). There were moments of levity and clever humour despite the subject matter being so dark.
Just when things start to get a little sleepy at the end, Tartt tosses in the twincest and suicide(s), seemingly as an afterthought. Something perverse in me wishes she'd written more about the details of the Bacchanalian sex rituals.


A minor gripe, but my edition (bought 2024) was in desperate need of a copyeditor and proofreader! Its hard to believe this novel has been around for so many years with the number of words missing or misused. I could forgive this as a narrative device but it occurs too many times and too sporadically to count. Also, the phrasing starts to get a little repetitive after a while - there's only so many times you can hear about Henry's sweat beading on his forehead or wind gusting through the windows. 
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