Reviews tagging 'Rape'

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

437 reviews

moony_277's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

The book starts very slow paced. After about 100 pages it gets a little faster and easier to read. The charcters are complicated and some are very weird. The plot is complex.

Henry and Camilla do not fit together. Charles and Camilla neither. wtf. I expected that Julian would play a bigger part in the story and was kinda disappointed that he didnt. I love the unreliable narrator trope and how you only get that Richard is probably lying about a lot of stuff if you think about it. Most characters are very interesting even if theyre not really good people. The book is very well written and I love the little sentences in greek or latin.

In general its a really good book and i would recommend it to people who like darker themes and vibes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Homophobia, Incest, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Vomit, and Religious bigotry

abigailhaagen's review

dark mysterious

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Story was incredibly well-told, the characters very fleshed-out, and I was engrossed and read almost 400 pages in one day. However, it also romanticized a lot of unhealthy behaviors, which probably wasn't great for me mentally (no, Abigail, you can't return to college to study Ancient Greek while drinking bourbon and smoking cigars

and plotting murders

smh)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, and Vomit

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Antisemitism

emilysacharow's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

Moderate: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Vomit, Murder, and Outing

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, and Drug abuse

avesmaria's review against another edition

dark funny reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

5.0

Absorbing, intricate, incredibly good read. Tartt is a master craftsperson with words here.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Gore, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Animal death and Rape

_david_'s review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I somewhat enjoyed the book. 

I liked the niche approach of student choice: the outgoing introverted dark academia type of students of classic languages. This is a group which I can recognise in fellow students from my high school days, who coincidentally also studied classic languages. 

The plot is interesting to me. It's a very believable story of a group of people who make very bad choices which seem the easiest to them in the moment, but which have long lasting consequences.  

One thing I wish the story improved is character depth. The main character and Henry are interesting. Bunny is interesting but not very rounded. But Charles, Camilla and Francis are underdeveloped eventhough they were part of the main cast of characters. The main character's crush on Camilla also made my eyes roll. It was very over the top and often distracted from whatever she was doing. Her appearance got mentioned waaaaay too often. I'd rather have known more about her personality. 

Somewhere around the halfway point the story becomes very slow. You might have to push through long paragraphs about seemingly unimportant details. There shouldn't have been much more of it or I would've dropped the book. Speaking of Tartt's writing style: either do not mind having to look up words or be accepting of only understanding the general gist of a word/foreign sentence and moving on. 

The ending was very satisfying to me. The effect of the events in the story are different per character. I found this very interesting to read about. Something clicked when the main character described that the main cast is a group of naturally insecure people who have been taught to feel superior instead. This explains a lot of the behaviour shown.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Car accident, and Classism

Drunk driving/drunk drivers/driving under influence Description of thoughts of raping a woman

hollyatree's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Drug abuse and Incest

Minor: Homophobia and Rape

justcarolinerose's review against another edition

dark reflective tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Incest, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Rape

genhol's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

• 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

This book was beautifully written, heartbreaking and repulsive all at the same time. The beginning is quite slow and seems very peaceful but do not let that fool you. It is not a peaceful book. Twists and turns are well spaced out and surprised me throughout the book, although I am impressed how upon reflection they were incredibly well foreshadowed. It certainly keeps you guessing until the very end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Incest, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Grief, and Gaslighting

Minor: Eating disorder and Rape

smallpanini's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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

4.25

"The Secret History" by Donna Tartt is a masterful exploration of dark academia, blending psychological depth with a haunting narrative. Tartt's prose is elegant and gripping, pulling the reader into the twisted world of a close-knit group of college students whose intellectual pursuits spiral into moral decay. The characters are complex, with the enigmatic Henry and the vulnerable Richard standing out, though some might find the pacing deliberate. The novel's atmosphere is immersive, and its themes of guilt, beauty, and corruption linger long after the last page. It's a nearly flawless read, only slightly marred by its slow middle section, yet it's a modern classic with a lasting impact.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Suicide, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, and Incest

Minor: Animal death, Rape, and Suicide attempt

laurakehl's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, and Incest

Minor: Homophobia and Rape