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Original poster

The Secret History by Donna Tartt - worth persevering?

64 replies

cloudsss · 20/07/2024 21:39

No spoilers please. I’m nearly half way.

I loved The Goldfinch and this is so raved about I was really looking forward to it and now I’m a bit underwhelmed. Persevere or admit defeat?

OP posts:
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stormy4319trevor · 30/07/2024 20:54

Sussurations · 30/07/2024 20:10

@stormy4319trevor that’s right, he finished it with something like ‘as we leave these chums on the sunny shore of yesteryear’ - and he triple-spaced it and said something like ‘looks kind of like blank verse, doesn’t it’ and one of the others says ‘looks kind of like a menu’. I chuckle to myself about that quite often.

😂Oh dear, I'll be laughing to myself all evening now, while the family wonders if I'm quite all right.

Iamblossom · 30/07/2024 20:14

One of my fave books ever. But I hated The Gold Finch and didn't finish it

Sussurations · 30/07/2024 20:10

@stormy4319trevor that’s right, he finished it with something like ‘as we leave these chums on the sunny shore of yesteryear’ - and he triple-spaced it and said something like ‘looks kind of like blank verse, doesn’t it’ and one of the others says ‘looks kind of like a menu’. I chuckle to myself about that quite often.

WhereAreWeNow · 30/07/2024 14:10

I loved it but I felt a bit unsatisfied by the ending.

stormy4319trevor · 30/07/2024 14:06

@Sussurations I was chuckling to myself the other day remembering the essay's conclusion of the two great friends (who never met?) walking off into the sunset, or something like that! It is about five years since I last read it, so a bit vague on details, but that really stayed with me as a brilliant satire on self delusion.

Sussurations · 30/07/2024 07:29

I think it’s brilliant and have read it several times, but I first read it when it came out and I was young then! I think it’s her best book. It does have moments of over-pretentiousness, but so much to make up for it. I found the story and the character progression absolutely gripping. Agree with pp that the funeral is a highlight, ditto the get-together with the ‘wacky cake’, the essay about Isaak Walton and John Donne - ‘oh Donne, I don’t want to drag him into this’ - so much brilliant dark humour.

forwantofabetterword · 30/07/2024 07:27

HuongVuong3 · 30/07/2024 07:20

I know what you mean.

I rewatched the film 'Failure to Lauxh' recently and am now firmly on the side of Matthew McConaughey character's parents. 😁

Show quote history

😂😂😂

Someone needs to start a thread on this subject. Last thought and then I promise not to derail this one any further:

Sleepless in Seattle. 14-year-old me: this is the most romantic story ever told. 40-year-old me: Tom Hanks needs to get a non-mol.

tootiredtobeinspired · 30/07/2024 07:22

I've just read it recently (based in part on the rave reviews on here) and I thought it was just OK. Beautiful writing but very slow, the characters can be annoying and as someone said upthread its definitely the self indulgent view point of student thinking!

HuongVuong3 · 30/07/2024 07:20

forwantofabetterword · 30/07/2024 07:15

I absolutely loved the Secret History but admittedly it's a good 20 years since I read it and I'm now worried, after reading some of these posts, that if I tried to read it again it would be ruined for me.

Makes me think of Dead Poets Society, which was one of my favourite films growing up. I thought it was sooo inspirational. Watched it recently and my only thought was 'wow, Mr Keating is a really irresponsible teacher.'

The joys of ageing...

I know what you mean.

I rewatched the film 'Failure to Lauxh' recently and am now firmly on the side of Matthew McConaughey character's parents. 😁

forwantofabetterword · 30/07/2024 07:15

I absolutely loved the Secret History but admittedly it's a good 20 years since I read it and I'm now worried, after reading some of these posts, that if I tried to read it again it would be ruined for me.

Makes me think of Dead Poets Society, which was one of my favourite films growing up. I thought it was sooo inspirational. Watched it recently and my only thought was 'wow, Mr Keating is a really irresponsible teacher.'

The joys of ageing...

notatinydancer · 29/07/2024 20:45

It's a massively popular book , I hated it.
I loved Goldfinch though.

PensivePencil · 29/07/2024 20:30

One of my fav books ever!! That being said life’s too short to read a book you’re not enjoying so I would stop!

msmatcha · 29/07/2024 20:24

I think if you don't love it now you should stop. Just not for you right now. Maybe you have to be a student or early 20s to be in that mindset.

mamaduckbone · 29/07/2024 19:43

It's one of my favourite books of all time so yes, I would say persevere. But I don't remember finding it hard work at all, even from the start.

stormy4319trevor · 29/07/2024 19:35

I believe DT is a genius. The work of a genius may take many years to be acknowledged as such, although TSH has been popular for over 30 years, which is good going. Well done for reading it, hope there is benefit to you in the future from it.

Turophilic · 29/07/2024 19:09

cloudsss · 29/07/2024 16:47

An update, to the least gripping MN thread Grin
I took it on a long train journey and got back into it and then stayed up reading to finish. I’m glad I did, I was gripped although still a bit underwhelmed compared to my expectations of the book.

You definitely deserve a gold star ⭐️

LividSummer · 29/07/2024 17:08

Didn’t enjoy it

Don’t remember it other than a load of posh knobheads

No idea what people rave about

Credentials: English teacher with Lit degree

VeryQuaintIrene · 29/07/2024 17:04

Well done for getting through it! It's kind of a ridiculous book IMO but also a page turner. (I'm a classics prof and really mortified about its view of my profession...)

Original poster
cloudsss · 29/07/2024 16:47

An update, to the least gripping MN thread Grin
I took it on a long train journey and got back into it and then stayed up reading to finish. I’m glad I did, I was gripped although still a bit underwhelmed compared to my expectations of the book.

OP posts:
HuongVuong3 · 21/07/2024 13:01

I agree with all of you who found the characters unlikeable, but I was fascinated by them and particularly with their justifications for what they did. I was also fascinated by the hold that Julian had over them all.

And I also love Judy Poovey!!

PeachPairPlum · 21/07/2024 12:57

Secret History came out when I was in my 20s and at the time I thought was good, v readable but overrated. All the characters are unlikeable.
Reread it recently and thought the same thing.

The Little Friend and The Goldfinch are worth a read.

My teen dd has also read SH and teensplained to me that its popular now because Dark Academia is all the rage. I replied that its always been popular..

Magpiecomplex · 21/07/2024 12:49

I picked it up for the first time recently and like OP, got about half way through and am struggling to care about it at all. It's now on the charity shop heap.

StuckintheUSA · 21/07/2024 12:41

No. It's dull. Nowhere as good as the The Goldfinch.

Boredlass · 21/07/2024 12:39

It’s easily my favourite book even though I haven’t read it in a long time.

Ciri · 21/07/2024 12:33

Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies · 21/07/2024 07:38

I’ve said this before on MN. I think The Secret History is a fabulous book if you read it as a student. When you re-read it as a fully fledged adult, you just want to slap everyone.

This.

Completely loved it when younger but now it’s very contrived. I read it again last year and stopped part way through.