The Secret History by Donna Tartt - worth persevering?

[cloudsss]

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?

On of the fe books I gave up on half way through. And I read 50-100 books a year.

Just wasn't engaging. And regularly comes up on lists of "gave up on" so clearly a bit marmite.

That would explain a lot!

I was in my 40s when I read it and wanted to give everyone a hearty slap. I resented spending my time with such awful characters.

I couldn’t understand why people raved, but perhaps I’d have raved too, at 20.

Was recommended to me by someone who has fabulous taste so was really looking forward to it. Was disappointed to give up halfway through. Just didn't grab me.

@Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies I think you have nailed it.

Oooooh yes. Loved this so much. I was pretty much hooked by half way so maybe it's not for you though.
I tried and tried with The Goldfinch though. Kept on getting bored by the same place so gave up. Love Secret History though.

I read this last year for book group. We all hated it. Didn’t care about any of the characters at all. I kept thinking it might improve but it didn’t. I’d ditch it if I were you. I took my copy to a charity shop straight after our book group meeting!

I love The Secret History, but currently struggling with The Goldfinch. I agree with others that if it’s not gripping you yet, I’d probably stop where you are

Not read it and doubt I will, mainly because of my hatred of The Goldfinch. That was sitting on my kindle for ages unread, and I finally picked it up because I was recovering from a hysterectomy and had plenty of time on my hands. So, so dull and overrated. If it wasn't for the circumstances at the time I'd have given up. But it's put me off reading any further Donna Tartt.

I was certainly a long way past student age when I read it and I think I had two or three attempts before I got all the way through but I when I did I loved it and re-read it twice more. However if you are halfway through then I suspect it probably isn't for you.

I haven't been able to get on with any of her other books though.

Would love a TV adaptation. I don't think there has been one.

I read this around the time it came out. I was reading Latin & Greek at a private university in the US and am from the East Coast. I imagined my classmates as the main characters (none really quite fit); we discussed amongst ourselves who might be who.

There are some outstanding scenes (the funeral, the replacement professor) and characters (the redneck obsessed with 'promiskitty', Judy Poovey) which left me howling with laughter or shouting Yes!

In the same way that Brat Pack movies (Breakfast Club, etc) capture a certain time, this book NAILS it for private, east coast, liberal arts colleges and universities in the 90s.

I tried some of her other books but did not finish them.

I identify with this, I was drawn in at the beginning but now I think, ok what else for 300 pages?

Thanks so much for your perspectives everyone. Very interesting about having different responses at different ages. The characters are probably people I’d have been impressed by in my late teens/early 20s.

I also read it years ago and loved it but can imagine I might feel different y now I am 40!

I also loved the goldfinch.

I read it when it came out (am old!), and loved it, but I can’t say if I would still enjoy it today. I enjoyed the Goldfinch but found that the middle section was far too long. If you are halfway and not enjoying it, you probably should give up. Life is too short to persevere with a book you don’t like.

This.

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

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

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

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.

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..

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!!

An update, to the least gripping MN thread
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.

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...)

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

You definitely deserve a gold star ⭐️

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.