15 ratings (4.33 avg)
7 reviews

Xan Doane

Add friend

Xan’s Bookshelves

to-read‎ (26)

currently-reading‎ (6)

read‎ (26)

did-not-finish‎ (0)

Stats | More…

Xan is Currently Reading

Xan Doane is currently reading

Dune (Dune, #1)

by Frank Herbert

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Mar 09, 2026 05:10PM

Xan Doane is currently reading

The Secret History

by Donna Tartt

bookshelves: currently-reading

Reading for the 3rd time

read in November 2024

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Xan Doane said:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

" This book instantly hooks you with the death of a man killed by his friends, and instantly I thought this would be an exciting murder mystery type story- why did they kill their friend, and what lead to this? The book got even more exciting as it wen This book instantly hooks you with the death of a man killed by his friends, and instantly I thought this would be an exciting murder mystery type story- why did they kill their friend, and what lead to this? The book got even more exciting as it went on- an exclusive class, an eccentric teacher, interesting characters, and all amazingly written- but instead of excitement and answers this book slowly brings you into the characters slow progression of sin that starts out small but ultimately leads to their ruin. By the end of the book I felt completely empty, like the characters, and I feel like that is the point. A really haunting cautionary tale that disillusions you from getting caught up in the ideologies that the characters did. The main character is an unreliable narrator and his sins start out as small, white lies, and slowly his secret faults lead to the great transgression of murder, and when it comes to it he doesn’t even hesitate to participate, because he didn’t turn bad instantly but had been leading up to this the entire story.

The characters lives are cut short and futures ruined because of this one haunting sin. The prologue concludes with “I suppose at one time in my life I might have had any number of stories, but now there is no other. This is the only story I will ever be able to tell.”

Can’t really rate this, 5 stars for Donna Tart conveying all this so well to the reader but I don’t feel at all happy after reading this book- because in order to convey this the characters do really shockingly disgusting things that I couldn’t believe I’d actually read. But it conveyed the increasing depravity of the characters, and how their little sins of white lies and disagreements showed themselves to be egregious crimes. It’ll definitely be one of those reads that you think about for a long time after.

I truly think she did mean to write this as a cautionary tale because of the tragic endings and ruined lives of all the characters, the only one with any kind of happy ending being Judy Poovey who the main character always thought he was so above, that she was so shallow, yet he and the group proved to be the most selfish and shallow of all, Henry only pointing this out to Richard (the MC) in the end how they were so alike in that they didn’t care for anyone else. Richard denies this but knows it to be true. Ive actually never felt so empty after a book but in a way so inspired to not be like these characters, letting their small seemingly harmless sins lead them down into worst ones.

I think Julian was in on it all from the start. Since Richard’s an unreliable narrator who can’t even bring himself to say anything bad about him I don’t think he realized how he started it all. And how close he was with Henry?? Henry and Julian were CLOSE and I think that’s hugely significant. There was definitely a direct influence. I think every character sucked and Bunny was unfortunately the best of them.

So basically I hated it, loved the writing and felt like the point was amazing? Anyways going to go read some more fun lighthearted stuff before I get into anything this sad again haha ...more "

progress:

(page 430 of 559)
— Mar 02, 2026 08:01PM

Nov 26, 2024 05:11AM · see review