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The Secret History
ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 BEST MYSTERY AND THRILLER BOOKS OF ALL TIME • INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • A contemporary literary classic and "an accomplished psychological thriller ... absolutely chilling" (Village Voice), from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Goldfinch.
One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years
Under the influence of a charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at a New England college discover a way of thought and life a world away from their banal contemporaries. But their search for the transcendent leads them down a dangerous path, beyond human constructs of morality.
“A remarkably powerful novel [and] a ferociously well-paced entertainment . . . Forceful, cerebral, and impeccably controlled.” —The New York Times
One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years
Under the influence of a charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at a New England college discover a way of thought and life a world away from their banal contemporaries. But their search for the transcendent leads them down a dangerous path, beyond human constructs of morality.
“A remarkably powerful novel [and] a ferociously well-paced entertainment . . . Forceful, cerebral, and impeccably controlled.” —The New York Times
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Readers say *The Secret History* is a dark, atmospheric novel with rich, complex characters and a compelling, tragic storyline inspired by Greek trage...
3.5 stars because I feel so guilty.
I haven't been this upset that I didn't love a book in a long time. The Secret History is one of my daughter's favorite books, some of my favorite authors love this book, so why didn't I love it?? I really don't know. I really liked The Goldfinch and I fully expected to like this one even more, but it just didn't happen. I feel like The Goldfinch was more tightly executed, the plot more defined. With The Secret History I felt... held at arms length?? Which I know is the point. I think I just wanted more answers, more intimacy with the characters. I didn't care that they were all horrible; Wuthering Heights is one of my favorite classics. I love a good book with despicable characters. I don't know. Maybe I never will.
#popsugarreadingchallenge2019 (prompt #17)
I haven't been this upset that I didn't love a book in a long time. The Secret History is one of my daughter's favorite books, some of my favorite authors love this book, so why didn't I love it?? I really don't know. I really liked The Goldfinch and I fully expected to like this one even more, but it just didn't happen. I feel like The Goldfinch was more tightly executed, the plot more defined. With The Secret History I felt... held at arms length?? Which I know is the point. I think I just wanted more answers, more intimacy with the characters. I didn't care that they were all horrible; Wuthering Heights is one of my favorite classics. I love a good book with despicable characters. I don't know. Maybe I never will.
#popsugarreadingchallenge2019 (prompt #17)
I don't know if I'll ever return with a long review (perhaps a paper or two I might end up publishing), given there's plenty, but I will say: this book has changed my life, and funnily enough, I read it after The Goldfinch, and didn't particularly like it. This was because I had read them too close together and had expectations. Becoming aware of this unconscious act, I took a break and shook off those comparisons I'd found myself making to let this story be separate and bloom in its own right. After doing so, that's when I became just as immersed in it as I had with The Goldfinch. Now, I find myself embracing myself more fully, and right after reading it, becoming indulgent with my interests in writing, reading, philosophy, and the Classics, I found my calling as well as myself, fully, and accepted all. Not many novels can help us in such life-changing ways, but this one absolutely calls us to examine ourselves and the world, honestly, and because of this, it does just that, changes the reader, that is, if we're bold enough to accept that call to adventure.
If you love this book and Homer, I highly recommend "Why Homer Matters" by Adam Nicolson! If Henry could have read it, I think he would have enjoyed it a great deal.
This book has become a favorite of mine, which I've read a few times over now as a comfort in changing seasons spiral into excessive thinking. It somehow both excites and soothes me.
If you love this book and Homer, I highly recommend "Why Homer Matters" by Adam Nicolson! If Henry could have read it, I think he would have enjoyed it a great deal.
This book has become a favorite of mine, which I've read a few times over now as a comfort in changing seasons spiral into excessive thinking. It somehow both excites and soothes me.
Embodied exactly what I love about dark academia. Pretentious and obsessive characters. Dark story line. Constantly unsure of the direction of the book.
Gorgeously written and engrossing story that builds up suspense and drammatic tension. One of the most compelling and engrossing books I’ve read in years.
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