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A review by louisar
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
First reading: Intriguing. I don’t have the thumb strength to say anything here other than that this book invented tumblr “dark academia” and Donna Tartt’s voice and writing are like smooooth honey. Eerie, thought-provoking, enigmatic. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.
Second reading:
This book makes you feel trapped, as if you have to keep reading to see whether or not you, the reader, who alongside Richard so badly wants to fit in with these elite, erudite people, will accomplish this—belonging. And, you don’t. The genius of this book is that you find out just how superficial you yourself, the reader, truly are, as layer by layer, the characters are peeled back, revealing underneath their polished, sophisticated veneers how haunted and flawed they truly are. In the end, you are achingly disappointed—with them, with richard and, by extension, yourself, tempted to flip back all the way to the beginning, to the shine and luster and beauty of “before”. I will never not want to read this book, and discover everything all over again, to be captivated by the mystique and desire to adhere to it.
Second reading:
This book makes you feel trapped, as if you have to keep reading to see whether or not you, the reader, who alongside Richard so badly wants to fit in with these elite, erudite people, will accomplish this—belonging. And, you don’t. The genius of this book is that you find out just how superficial you yourself, the reader, truly are, as layer by layer, the characters are peeled back, revealing underneath their polished, sophisticated veneers how haunted and flawed they truly are. In the end, you are achingly disappointed—with them, with richard and, by extension, yourself, tempted to flip back all the way to the beginning, to the shine and luster and beauty of “before”. I will never not want to read this book, and discover everything all over again, to be captivated by the mystique and desire to adhere to it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Incest, Islamophobia, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Antisemitism, and Classism