A review by cyan_altaria
The Secret History by Donna Tartt

dark reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

     The biggest problem with The Secret History is the pacing.  It was really slow, and the chapters felt padded.  The last three were especially long.  Chapter 6 & 7 could have easily been cut in half, and chapter 8 could have been cut down by a third.  The characters all felt too similar.  The only one of the main 6 who had distinct dialogue was Bunny.  The narration often felt rather pretentious, and it diverged to musings completely unrelated to the plot too many times.  The set up (ch. 1-3) also took a bit too long, but it wasn't as bad as the second part was.  
     The best part was ch. 4 & 5.  These chapters were honestly really engaging.  Alas, ch. 6-8 were a slog to get through.  Seeing the character's warped philosophy is what would've made the book shine, and ch. 4 & 5 are where it comes though the clearest.  In the end, this book was honestly not that good.

Who do I recommend this for? People who like very philosophical books, and die-hard fans of the dark academia genre
Who should consider giving this a pass? People who dislike books with obscure words, people who like fast paced books, people who need the main characters to be likeable, and people who hate over-description
Will I read more books by Donna Tartt? No.  This book was too slow and overwritten for my taste, and I'm not interested in giving her another shot.
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