alexandrabelze's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Spoiler
okay FIRST OF ALL, the INCEST? mawma i was floored. and camilla refusing to marry richard because she was in love with henry…girl please. be so real. henry’s death was fucking insane. every second of that encounter starting from charles barreling through the door to henry’s body hitting the ground was insane. AND THEN we find out that marion married one of bunny’s brothers!!!!!! stfu!!! and they had a baby!!! and the family decided to nickname it BUNNY. IM SORRY?! and when i read that letter that francis sent to richard my heart STOPPED. i would’ve been so mad at donna had she killed him off istg. he’s my one and only i love him far too much. good god this book. I JUST REMEMBERED the entire ritual that they had? oh my god!!!! donna!!!Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Classism, Drug use, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Suicide, Violence, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Body horror, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Confinement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Stalking
Minor: Ableism, Fatphobia, Rape, Cancer, Death of parent, and Eating disorder
greyyy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Incest, Alcohol, Grief, Blood, Suicide, Homophobia, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, and Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Racial slurs, Racism, and Ableism
roseisvibing's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.0
Also, I find the book's recent BookTok popularity very ironic given its intended message. I've seen people recommending this book because it's very 'dark academia' or 'aesthetic'- people are recommending it based on the aesthetics of the setting and the descriptive writing, which the book absolutely does provide (in an overly longwinded manner). However, the book's intended message is that having an obsession or fixation on aesthetics or outward appearances can lead to people overlooking necessary practical or internal traits. So, ironically, Tartt's text has kind of become exactly the opposite of what she intended, given that most readers' descriptions are reducing it to its aesthetics rather than its actual message and dark themes.
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Drug use, Addiction, Alcoholism, Incest, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexism, Homophobia, Ableism, and Misogyny
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
lou1408's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Murder, Suicide, and Drug use
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Physical abuse, Homophobia, and Incest
Minor: Ableism
random19379's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Gore, Murder, Grief, and Homophobia
Moderate: Incest, Racial slurs, Violence, Xenophobia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Stalking, Ableism, Antisemitism, Racism, Alcohol, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, and Fatphobia
Minor: Rape and Religious bigotry
ritugp01's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
The novel has been described as "a murder mystery in reverse." While this is a perfect description, the book is also a deep look in how easily murder occurs, even in seemingly normal people, as long as one opens themselves to the possibility.
Spoiler
In a tl;dr character analysis: Henry was utterly unhinged and I think I loved him regardless. Richard, the narrator was mediocre but served his purpose as a voyeur to multiple murders. Charles and Camilla? WTF. But also, they both sucked and I cannot decide who was worse. Francis is the only valid character but he's on this ice too. Julian is just Henry but older and willing to fake social skills. Lowkey, Bunny sucked but damn I feel bad he was killed. Like, he was just freaking out that his friends committed MURDER, it's totally understandable he was on the edge of a psychotic break. This book was a lot, and Judy Poovey is the only good person in the whole story.Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Death, Drug abuse, Sexism, Misogyny, Addiction, Cursing, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Car accident, Classism, Gaslighting, Excrement, Murder, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Antisemitism, Self harm, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
taleofabibliophile's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Blood, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Alcoholism, Addiction, Animal death, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Incest, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Misogyny, Racism, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Bullying, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Suicide, and Confinement
Moderate: Medical content and Eating disorder
Minor: Death of parent, Sexual content, Ableism, Vomit, Antisemitism, Infidelity, Car accident, and Cancer
angstifies's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
this book is very dark and twisted, and the characters are so complex it was always so hard to understand everything they did or said.
and i personally love when a book makes me THINK, and develop theories on why the characters in the story are acting the way that they are and stuff like that, i literally could not stop writing my thoughts on the margins of the book. loved it.
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Racism, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Incest, Racial slurs, and Addiction
Minor: Cancer, Car accident, Classism, Xenophobia, Ableism, Cursing, Murder, Rape, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Grief, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Violence
esme_may's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Spoiler
BunnyGraphic: Suicide attempt, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, and Gun violence
Moderate: Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Vomit, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Physical abuse, Ableism, Incest, Mental illness, Antisemitism, Car accident, Bullying, Cursing, Infidelity, and Blood
Minor: Cancer, Kidnapping, Outing, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault
elizabeth_lepore's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Drug use, Sexism, Alcoholism, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Addiction, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Homophobia, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Incest, Ableism, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Rape, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail