Secret history, Donna Tartt, does it get better?

[cheeseisthebest]

I feel like I should love it but struggling to get into it and wondered if it's worth persevering with?

Ooh I'm interested in the replies to this as I'm in the same position

Yes!! A thousand times yes. It’s absolutely brilliant. Need to read again and have done so several times!! Stick with it!

One of my favourite books. But I was young when I read it….

I think it was a bit of a trailblazer and a lot of books since have copied it to varying degrees - so it may feel a cliche when it actually was a bit if a groundbreaker at the time

I read it a few years ago. Persevered with it. Struggled with it. Finished it and just couldn’t understand the number of people praising it 😬

I loved it! How far have you got?

I gave up on the Goldfinch about 60 pages in. That's probably as much as I'm willing to try.

I read it as a university student and loved it. Three decades later I reread it and found it tedious. I just wanted to slap every character. They were all irredeemably awful.

If you’re 20ish, it’s probably worth persevering. If you’re middle aged, I’d give up on it

It's a fabulous book - stick with it. One of my favourite novels.

Did not get on with it. Not a clue what it’s about other than posh Americans at college?

And I have a Lit degree 🤷‍♀️

I loved the Goldfinch but never managed to get into the Secret History.

Wow, I was sucked in on page 1.
Found her later book took longer to get in to.

Interesting. I was in my 20s when I read it.

I'm old! I've read about 80 pages.

It's reminds me of Prep by Curtis Sittenfield which I liked even though not much happened.

I liked it. But didn’t think it lived up to the hype.

@Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies I couldn't agree with you more.

I got it on recommendation from MN.
I gave up about 3/4 of the way through. Just couldn’t get on with it and have no idea why it’s raved about.
I am super fussy about books though.

Never got beyond halfway. But yet loved The Goldfinch

I read it in the 90s when I was doing A Levels and thought it was amazing. Maybe it isn't now!!!

I read it and couldn’t understand the hype either 🤷🏼‍♀️ kept waiting for it to get better, and it just didn’t.

What's the goldfinch about

Just looked it up, that and the little friend sound like better plots.

I quite liked it, but I couldn't really believe in the central Big Thing that caused all the trouble. It didn't seem at all likely.

I hated this book, but everyone at my book group loved it. Bit like marmite, if your not enjoying it please don't waste anymore of your precious time, wish I'd given up at page 80!

I enjoyed Secret History but I preferred The Goldfinch. The Little Friend not so much.
The Goldfinch was published nearly 10 years ago so I hope Donna Tartt has got another one in the pipeline.
Zoe Heller is another wonderful writer but she also has long gaps between her books so maybe I’ll be reading bother these authors’ next novels in a Celestial kindle.

I didn't like it , but enjoyed Goldfinch.