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A review by whatkatisreading
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
‘A Secret History’ by Donna Tartt, published in 1992, is credited with birthing dark academia. As a fan of the genre, experiencing this tale of eccentricism, class, charisma, ancient languages, divinity and warped morality was long overdue! I listened to the audiobook which was read by the author.
The good:
- The characters were all unique, distinctive and intriguing. I found Julian captivating, Richard relatable and Bunny excruciating
- The vibes were so dark and strong throughout
- The New England setting was beautiful, intensely described and impactful to the story
- Having read this so late, I saw the inspiration for so many parts of some of the tremendous books that live rent-free in my head… from recent read ‘The Four’ by Ellie Keel to one of my all-time faves ‘The Likeness’ by Tana French
The “meh”:
- This book was LONG… finishing it definitely felt like a marathon; the slow burning mystery was not suspenseful enough to have me sprinting through
- The narration on the audiobook could have been improved - I found some of Tartt’s interpretations of the characters’ vocals very distracting and wish I had read on kindle instead
The conclusion:
The influential nature of this book and the lyrical, transcendent writing style mean it was ultimately a four star read for me!
The good:
- The characters were all unique, distinctive and intriguing. I found Julian captivating, Richard relatable and Bunny excruciating
- The vibes were so dark and strong throughout
- The New England setting was beautiful, intensely described and impactful to the story
- Having read this so late, I saw the inspiration for so many parts of some of the tremendous books that live rent-free in my head… from recent read ‘The Four’ by Ellie Keel to one of my all-time faves ‘The Likeness’ by Tana French
The “meh”:
- This book was LONG… finishing it definitely felt like a marathon; the slow burning mystery was not suspenseful enough to have me sprinting through
- The narration on the audiobook could have been improved - I found some of Tartt’s interpretations of the characters’ vocals very distracting and wish I had read on kindle instead
The conclusion:
The influential nature of this book and the lyrical, transcendent writing style mean it was ultimately a four star read for me!