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A review by lostlenore_
Η μυστική ιστορία by Donna Tartt
5.0
The definition of tragedy by Aristotle
«ἔστιν οὖν τραγῳδία μίμησις πράξεως σπουδαίας καὶ τελείας μέγεθος ἐχούσης, ἡδυσμένῳ λόγῳ χωρὶς ἑκάστου τῶν εἰδῶν ἐν τοῖς μορίοις, δρώντων καὶ οὐ δι᾽ ἀπαγγελίας, δι᾽ ἐλέου καὶ φόβου περαίνουσα τὴν τῶν τοιούτων παθημάτων κάθαρσιν.» Αριστοτέλης, Περί Ποιητικής
"Αn imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of narrative; through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions"
During your lifetime, if you're an avid reader, you'll get to read many books but few will leave an imprint on your soul. Few will be there to teach you how to write, how to create characters that have an impact, how to think. Few will be there to unravel a whole new world for you and few will be worthy of rereading them.
'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt is the best book I have read in 2021 and most probably, the best of contemporary literature I've read ever. Possibly one of the best I'll read in my lifetime. This is a classic Greek tragedy in its most contemporary form fueled with nostalgia and criticism for the 90s, for the rich descendants and for corrupted academics. It's the melancholia of Twin Peaks that meets the stakes of Latin and Greek tragedies. It's the larger-than-life Shakespearean characters meeting the poetics of Aristotle. It's the dark and twisted fantasy of Chistopher Marlow meeting the ethical dilemmas of Dante.
It's a pure uncut gem of profound psychological characterization, excellent spot-on writing and amazing well-convoluted subtext.
I have literally nothing more to say to urge you to pick up this book. I read it so quickly and I will definitely reread it. Donna Tartt has become one of my favourite authors, if not my favourite, and I admire her high intellect, her ability to create real-life characters and her plot crafting skills. The story is so much more than just a murder mystery. It's what she doesn't tell you, that makes it worth the read.
It's truly a post-postmodernist text that borrows echoes from the past, a pastiche of different voices and experiences trapped by the power of one setting, the idealized college life, and by the power of one person, their mysteriously gifted professor, to lead a life out of a Greek tragedy. I loved it, I loved it so much that I will never forget about it and I will ALWAYS get back to it.
«ἔστιν οὖν τραγῳδία μίμησις πράξεως σπουδαίας καὶ τελείας μέγεθος ἐχούσης, ἡδυσμένῳ λόγῳ χωρὶς ἑκάστου τῶν εἰδῶν ἐν τοῖς μορίοις, δρώντων καὶ οὐ δι᾽ ἀπαγγελίας, δι᾽ ἐλέου καὶ φόβου περαίνουσα τὴν τῶν τοιούτων παθημάτων κάθαρσιν.» Αριστοτέλης, Περί Ποιητικής
"Αn imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of narrative; through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions"
During your lifetime, if you're an avid reader, you'll get to read many books but few will leave an imprint on your soul. Few will be there to teach you how to write, how to create characters that have an impact, how to think. Few will be there to unravel a whole new world for you and few will be worthy of rereading them.
'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt is the best book I have read in 2021 and most probably, the best of contemporary literature I've read ever. Possibly one of the best I'll read in my lifetime. This is a classic Greek tragedy in its most contemporary form fueled with nostalgia and criticism for the 90s, for the rich descendants and for corrupted academics. It's the melancholia of Twin Peaks that meets the stakes of Latin and Greek tragedies. It's the larger-than-life Shakespearean characters meeting the poetics of Aristotle. It's the dark and twisted fantasy of Chistopher Marlow meeting the ethical dilemmas of Dante.
It's a pure uncut gem of profound psychological characterization, excellent spot-on writing and amazing well-convoluted subtext.
I have literally nothing more to say to urge you to pick up this book. I read it so quickly and I will definitely reread it. Donna Tartt has become one of my favourite authors, if not my favourite, and I admire her high intellect, her ability to create real-life characters and her plot crafting skills. The story is so much more than just a murder mystery. It's what she doesn't tell you, that makes it worth the read.
It's truly a post-postmodernist text that borrows echoes from the past, a pastiche of different voices and experiences trapped by the power of one setting, the idealized college life, and by the power of one person, their mysteriously gifted professor, to lead a life out of a Greek tragedy. I loved it, I loved it so much that I will never forget about it and I will ALWAYS get back to it.