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A review by kassholla
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
4.0
4/5 stars: only docking a star for writing style/chapter length (a person preference; the sentences and chapters are too long for my liking)
This is one of the most highlightable/quotable books I’ve ever read. I was entranced from the beginning, and have to say that the Prologue and Epilogue are my favorite parts in retrospect. The story beginning with Bunny and ending with Henry is disturbingly poetic.
I did have many mixed emotions reading this. I knew Bunny would die, and I knew it would be at the hands of those he called “friends”, but I still struggled to empathize with him. I actually made a note on my kindle asking when he would die, (he had been making awful remarks about Camilla), and was on my last nerve. I did empathize with him though, after he died. When the details emerged about his neck, shoe, and glasses. When I saw his family mourning. I think the author did an excellent job making me dislike, but still appreciate his character.
I marked Richard as an unreliable narrator from very early on. Richard’s insomnia, drug habit, and excessive drinking make him unreliable even to the events he self-witnessed. I adore this flaw though, because now my mind can run with theories and unanswered questions.
-Did Henry poison Charles?
-What did Henry whisper to Camilla?
-How, exactly, did the farmer die?
-Was Henry plotting from the moment he met Richard, or just the moment the farmer died?
-Did Charles actually hurt Camilla, or did Henry?
The reality this book has left with me is simple: I don’t like anyone by the end. There is no justice, and they don’t deserve peace. They’re all bad people. In some ways the same, and in others different.
I also have to applaud the author for her descriptions of insomnia, depression, and anxiety. As someone who has struggled with all of the above, it’s rare that I find myself able to describe the feeling in words as beautifully and devastatingly as she did. I’ve included some of my favorite quotes in this review.
This is one of the most highlightable/quotable books I’ve ever read. I was entranced from the beginning, and have to say that the Prologue and Epilogue are my favorite parts in retrospect. The story beginning with Bunny and ending with Henry is disturbingly poetic.
I did have many mixed emotions reading this. I knew Bunny would die, and I knew it would be at the hands of those he called “friends”, but I still struggled to empathize with him. I actually made a note on my kindle asking when he would die, (he had been making awful remarks about Camilla), and was on my last nerve. I did empathize with him though, after he died. When the details emerged about his neck, shoe, and glasses. When I saw his family mourning. I think the author did an excellent job making me dislike, but still appreciate his character.
I marked Richard as an unreliable narrator from very early on. Richard’s insomnia, drug habit, and excessive drinking make him unreliable even to the events he self-witnessed. I adore this flaw though, because now my mind can run with theories and unanswered questions.
-Did Henry poison Charles?
-What did Henry whisper to Camilla?
-How, exactly, did the farmer die?
-Was Henry plotting from the moment he met Richard, or just the moment the farmer died?
-Did Charles actually hurt Camilla, or did Henry?
The reality this book has left with me is simple: I don’t like anyone by the end. There is no justice, and they don’t deserve peace. They’re all bad people. In some ways the same, and in others different.
I also have to applaud the author for her descriptions of insomnia, depression, and anxiety. As someone who has struggled with all of the above, it’s rare that I find myself able to describe the feeling in words as beautifully and devastatingly as she did. I’ve included some of my favorite quotes in this review.