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A review by alexaela
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
dark
mysterious
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
could this have been more concise, shorter? yes. could this have been richer, fuller? also, yes. i think the parts where the book lost me were the ones where most of the pages were filled with dialogues and very few insight into our narrator's inner conflict and observations on his fellow associates. the best parts were filled with quotes on various themes, but mostly, rich in character moments and insight into the complex and messed up nature of their personalities and relationships. i hated all of them, yet found them so scarily humane and fragile.
the seeping horror of this ending and epilogue was what i needed most afterBunny's death , glad we got it for Henry's (he deserved it most) . As much as i loved the supsense, intrigue and thrill of not knowing whether they may or may not get caught by someone else, once the body was found ; what i loved best was the slower moments of dread and despair showcased by each characters once faced with the true horror of their actions. Mr Corcoran's wild displays of grief, Julian's cold and cowardly reaction to the truth, Bunny and Henry's dream like apparitions , those moments, are why i'm glad i stuck through the rougher parts of the story.
I disagree with those who thought Richard to be a boring pov. I felt both so deeply attached and repulsed by him, specifically, because i could relate so much with where he came from and how much his way of seeing and going about things would undeniably lead him to the wrong path. he was so obsessed with his own lacking parts that he latched onto those who had what he wanted most selfishly, and looked down on those who unapologetically displayed characteristics of a socio-economic background he despised, even when they were the only ones who ever thought of him as an equal. Richard didn't want to be respected or even loved, he only ever wanted to be desperately needed, and he got just that, from the worst (beautiful) people he could find. i don't think this theme could have been translated as well, through such out of touch characters as the rest of them.
"unreliable pov"? i don't really see how? was he unaware of a lot? yes. was he often blinded by his own jealousy and fear of abandonment, to admit to himself the true nature of others? also, yes. was his ignorance and blindness, to the complex reality lead bare in front him, ever, not incredibly obvious the reader? no. it can only appear unreliable to those who themselves refuse to see the truth. readers are like Julian and Richard, they want to see the best in the make believe characters of their lives, to see the full beauty of theirs, ignoring that what makes them truly beautiful, truly grand, is that these specific moments of humanity, friendship and humour, one loves to see, can also come from deeply rotten individuals. funny, considering, this obsession with perfect displays of pure beauty, is, in fact, the most rotten aspect of this main cast.
nb : i get serious dorian gray vibes from this side of the story.
this is probably my longest review on a book, and yet, i only gave it a 4, why is that? this felt very academic, in a modern classic kind of way. almost higher than thou. definitely not bad to analyse but hard to feel close to, on a first read. i do think that, if i ever chose to do so, this could become a 5 star, after multiple reads. in the meantime : 'I hope you'll excuse me, but I'm late for an appointment.'
ps : this was my first book, fully, read in english. i'm really happy (and proud) to see i could manage it.
the seeping horror of this ending and epilogue was what i needed most after
I disagree with those who thought Richard to be a boring pov. I felt both so deeply attached and repulsed by him, specifically, because i could relate so much with where he came from and how much his way of seeing and going about things would undeniably lead him to the wrong path. he was so obsessed with his own lacking parts that he latched onto those who had what he wanted most selfishly, and looked down on those who unapologetically displayed characteristics of a socio-economic background he despised, even when they were the only ones who ever thought of him as an equal. Richard didn't want to be respected or even loved, he only ever wanted to be desperately needed, and he got just that, from the worst (beautiful) people he could find. i don't think this theme could have been translated as well, through such out of touch characters as the rest of them.
"unreliable pov"? i don't really see how? was he unaware of a lot? yes. was he often blinded by his own jealousy and fear of abandonment, to admit to himself the true nature of others? also, yes. was his ignorance and blindness, to the complex reality lead bare in front him, ever, not incredibly obvious the reader? no. it can only appear unreliable to those who themselves refuse to see the truth. readers are like Julian and Richard, they want to see the best in the make believe characters of their lives, to see the full beauty of theirs, ignoring that what makes them truly beautiful, truly grand, is that these specific moments of humanity, friendship and humour, one loves to see, can also come from deeply rotten individuals. funny, considering, this obsession with perfect displays of pure beauty, is, in fact, the most rotten aspect of this main cast.
nb : i get serious dorian gray vibes from this side of the story.
this is probably my longest review on a book, and yet, i only gave it a 4, why is that? this felt very academic, in a modern classic kind of way. almost higher than thou. definitely not bad to analyse but hard to feel close to, on a first read. i do think that, if i ever chose to do so, this could become a 5 star, after multiple reads. in the meantime : 'I hope you'll excuse me, but I'm late for an appointment.'
ps : this was my first book, fully, read in english. i'm really happy (and proud) to see i could manage it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Racism and Rape