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A review by sullivan_reader
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Oddly enough, this feels more like a character study, but where all of the characters are unlikable. And yet, I was still intrigued to see what happens next. Honestly, my favorite character was the cat that shit in the car cause ya they all deserved it. Idk how people like them. For example, they're all murderers. Richard really doesn't care until it's slapping him in the face with the fact that someone's death affects other people, too. Oh and that paragraph where he wanted to rape Camilla, like what a bustard.
Henry was a cold hearted, manipulative, son of a bitch. Charles wasabusive .
Camilla couldn't handle being friends with other girls.
Bunny was racist, homophobic, classist (though they all were), and sexist, to name a few. And there's the theory that Richard exaggerated his bad traits, but personally, I think it shows that people can be terrible, but they still don't deserve to die.
I disliked Francis least of all cause his biggest faults were not being independent enough to voice his own opinions and literally go along with double homicide cause everyone else is too.
Then there's Julian. In my opinion, Julian created and fostered the environment where actions like these were acceptable, and their excuses were justified because of class and intellectualism. But when the consequences of his actions were staring him in the face, he fled cause he didn't want to be associated with it. Which explains why they felt so betrayed. It's like when an adult tells a kid if they tell the truth they won't get mad, then they get mad when they hear it.
Anyway, love the aesthetic, hate the classism and characters. They hated each other too, they’r preverse sense of superiority is the onlt thing tying them together. And I'm not mad Henry did what he did cause I feel like he fancied himself a hero in a Greek tragedy and that's how their story would end.
Oh and the writing was absolutely gorgeous! But it took a long time to be able to sink my teeth into it like other novels. That's not a bad thing though, it made me sit with the book and digest it longer which was most beneficial.
Henry was a cold hearted, manipulative, son of a bitch. Charles was
Camilla couldn't handle being friends with other girls.
Bunny was racist, homophobic, classist (though they all were), and sexist, to name a few. And there's the theory that Richard exaggerated his bad traits, but personally, I think it shows that people can be terrible, but they still don't deserve to die.
I disliked Francis least of all cause his biggest faults were not being independent enough to voice his own opinions and literally go along with double homicide cause everyone else is too.
Then there's Julian. In my opinion, Julian created and fostered the environment where actions like these were acceptable, and their excuses were justified because of class and intellectualism. But when the consequences of his actions were staring him in the face, he fled cause he didn't want to be associated with it. Which explains why they felt so betrayed. It's like when an adult tells a kid if they tell the truth they won't get mad, then they get mad when they hear it.
Anyway, love the aesthetic, hate the classism and characters. They hated each other too, they’r preverse sense of superiority is the onlt thing tying them together. And I'm not mad Henry did what he did cause I feel like he fancied himself a hero in a Greek tragedy and that's how their story would end.
Oh and the writing was absolutely gorgeous! But it took a long time to be able to sink my teeth into it like other novels. That's not a bad thing though, it made me sit with the book and digest it longer which was most beneficial.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Incest, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide