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Original poster

The Secret History, Donna Tartt... I thought it was about time travel

60 replies

HarperFrannie · 29/01/2018 14:19

Blush I suspect it's not though...

Richard has just joined Julian's classes and they're having terribly clever discussions about Greeks and Romans, but no time travel has occurred - I thought he'd join this secretive group only to discover they go time travelling. It's starting to dawn on me that this book isn't going to involve any time travel is it?

What an idiot. I think I've got confused with the Jodi Taylor books Grin

Anyway, I hate it so far, but everyone raves about it. Stick it out?

OP posts:
Hassled · 31/01/2018 21:58

I adore the Secret History. Richard isn't a particularly likeable, or even reliable, narrator though, is he? I think that's why some people struggle with it.

And then The Goldfinch is even better. That's my Desert Island book, right there.

codswallopandbalderdash · 31/01/2018 21:53

It was a complete and utter waste of my life. I kept thinking it would get better. It didn't. pretentious twaddle with a completely predicable plot. Grr. This thread has brought back bad memories

mamamalt · 31/01/2018 12:58

Ohhhh one of my favourite books since I was much younger!! Grin definitely a bit darker than time travel though! In the words of Leonard Cohen.. you want it darker?!
It’s a brilliant book. Enjoy!

mynameisnotmichaelcaine · 31/01/2018 12:50

I love The Secret History. I've never got past the first few pages of any of her other books though.

catlover1987 · 30/01/2018 20:45

This book is one of my faves. I'd stick with it. Weirdly, I have tried to read another one of her books 'the little friend' about 3 times and keep giving up. Just couldn't get in to that one.

Riverside2 · 30/01/2018 20:42

OP sorry this really made me lol.

I loved the book though.

EachandEveryone · 30/01/2018 20:41

Oh I hated it I only read it to impress a bloke.

Room101isWhereIUsedtoLive · 30/01/2018 20:39

lastqueen that quote is one of the quotes that ended up in my book of quotes that I had when I was young and had far more free time than I do now.

Toomuchsplother · 30/01/2018 20:35

I have failed to get more that 25% of this read at least 3 times. Might give it one more go...

ShimmeringIce · 30/01/2018 20:10

Think I must be due another read, I can't place that quote!

allegretto · 30/01/2018 14:09

Stick with it! (I thought the novel Middlesex was a history of the county until I actually got round to reading it - I thought it was strange that it was so popular).

HumphreyCobblers · 30/01/2018 14:03

To be fair, that is an EXCELLENT quote lastqueen!

calmandbright · 30/01/2018 13:21

Read this recently - it’s fantastic! Couldn’t put it down Smile

lastqueenofscotland · 30/01/2018 13:00

The "be still says my heart, I am a solider and I have seen worse sights than this"
Thankfully the guy I'm seeing also loves books and doesn't think I'm tragic Blush

ShimmeringIce · 30/01/2018 09:02

I loved it too, still do. It may be that I was a similar age to Richard when I first read it though.

Yes, please tell us which line LastQueen! I painstaking transcribed one of the final paragraphs onto a duvet cover with fabric marker 😁

IWouldBeSuperb · 30/01/2018 07:30

Ooh...which line queen?

Sounds like something teenage me would have done without my crippling needle-phobia! Smile

Original poster
HarperFrannie · 30/01/2018 06:18

I read a bit more last night & it's getting going a bit now, although I still don't love it. I'll stick with it a bit longer I think. Shame there's no time travel though - the author missed a trick there Grin

OP posts:
ScreamingValenta · 29/01/2018 22:36

I really enjoyed it the first time I read it, but it didn't stand up particularly well to a re-read, and I couldn't get into any of Donna Tartt's other books.

lastqueenofscotland · 29/01/2018 22:34

I adore this book. I have a line from it tattooed on me... 21 year old me thought that was an excellent idea...

pontiouspilates · 29/01/2018 22:20

I loved this book when I read it back in the 90's. I'm really hoping it has stood the test of time. Keep on with it OP!

Lazylouse · 29/01/2018 22:06

I read this for my book group recently. We were underwhelmed and a couple of people who had loved it years ago couldn't quite remember why, as on rereading it hadn't impressed them.

GeorgeTheHamster · 29/01/2018 22:05

It's one of my favourites too.

no time travel 😄

HumphreyCobblers · 29/01/2018 22:05

I loved this book. But it grabbed me from the word go, so maybe it is not for you? I read it when I was the same age as the protagonist, so I think I got sucked into the world along with him.

I would also like to read the book you thought you were getting OP.

SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 29/01/2018 22:02

It's one of my favourite books, it's really very good. Stick with it.

MozzchopsThirty · 29/01/2018 21:57

Hideous book, don't waste your time, life's too short

I took 5 books on holiday, read all the other 4 but after getting maybe a third through this I just gave up