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A review by mkmcelroy
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
4.0
This book was a beautifully written story that poses interesting discussions about beauty, aesthetics, and shallow/deep academic pursuits.
My favorite aspects of the book were the atmospheric descriptions and the exploration of the aesthetic of academia. For anyone reading the book purely in search of “dark academia vibes”, you won’t be disappointed. Additionally, I found Tartt’s writing incredibly intentional and full of depth to the point that I will likely reread this book at some point. It’s the kind of book whose themes you could spend hours talking about.
That being said, there were a few aspects of the book I didn’t appreciate. The pacing does drag at some points, particularly for me during the funeral timeframe in the middle part of book 2. Tartt also introduces a side character whose story brings up a strong amount of racism/xenophobia. After having demonstrated the depth and nuance she can bring to issues, her one note handling of the racism made it clear that wasn’t something she was interested in exploring. Which left me wondering why she bothered to include it in the book at all. My best guess is sensationalism.
Overall, the book still pulled me in. Her handling of tension and suspense was strong through most of the book. And her character work left me intrigued and invested despite how terrible these people were. Her strong critiques of academic culture and aesthetics still felt incredibly relevant today despite being published thirty years ago. It’s a strong 4 stars for me.
My favorite aspects of the book were the atmospheric descriptions and the exploration of the aesthetic of academia. For anyone reading the book purely in search of “dark academia vibes”, you won’t be disappointed. Additionally, I found Tartt’s writing incredibly intentional and full of depth to the point that I will likely reread this book at some point. It’s the kind of book whose themes you could spend hours talking about.
That being said, there were a few aspects of the book I didn’t appreciate. The pacing does drag at some points, particularly for me during the funeral timeframe in the middle part of book 2. Tartt also introduces a side character whose story brings up a strong amount of racism/xenophobia. After having demonstrated the depth and nuance she can bring to issues, her one note handling of the racism made it clear that wasn’t something she was interested in exploring. Which left me wondering why she bothered to include it in the book at all. My best guess is sensationalism.
Overall, the book still pulled me in. Her handling of tension and suspense was strong through most of the book. And her character work left me intrigued and invested despite how terrible these people were. Her strong critiques of academic culture and aesthetics still felt incredibly relevant today despite being published thirty years ago. It’s a strong 4 stars for me.