Hannah Parry's Blog - Posts Tagged "donna-tartt"

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is the second time I've read this book. I read it when it first came out in 1992 and thought then it was one of the best books I'd ever read. At the time I felt the point of the story was about how the main characters could best live their lives like the greeks of old. When I think of the images I took away from the book then, the one of Camilla turning into a deer seemed the most strong. I also remembered Henry as winning the hand of the girl overall and I had completely blanked what happened at the end.
My only criticism might be about the main character's feelings for Camilla - I would have liked to have known why he loved her - at what point does lust morph into love? But maybe that is hard for woman to write about from a man's point of view. I have never tried and I am not sure it's something I'd want to look at, so I will let her off.
On reading The Secret History twenty years later I think I was almost right, although to me the book turned out to be much more about love and 'fitting in' than I had thought at the time. The imagery is beautiful and the writing for more closely edited than the Goldfinch and so is succinct and a pleasure (almost easy) to read. Don't get me wrong - The Goldfish has some beautiful lines in it - but its overall structure is too loose.
I think The Secret History is an amazing book for her to have written at such a young age. I worry what she must have gone through in her youth - though whatever it was, I am grateful she has shared all this with us.




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