EPT
![[image loading]](http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/7121/pbrbanner.jpg)
Pholon’s Book Reviews - #3
Donna Tartt – The Secret History
I don’t like recent books. They too often are stamped as “literature” just because they become best sellers. Among the popularist ruble that is Dan Brown and J. K . Rowling I can hardly be arsed to find the certain gems that would in turn only disappoint as I can’t imagine them sparking the same reverence I hold Shakespeare, Milton and Homer in. Besides war novels the latest 20th century literature I read would be the dystopian works by Orwell and Huxley. It is therefore with a wary scepticism that I approached Donna Tartt’s 1992’s The Secret History.
That being said, I found this a very excellent read, indeed, worthy of the title ‘literature’. Tartt writes with a good deal of confidence and is flawless in both wording and style. The book centers around “an elite group of clever misfits”. Richard Papen, protagonist, finds himself taking up Greek in college, sharing his class with only 4 others, all of which are intelligent, but eccentric people. After an unfortunate accident a murderous plot evolves.
What appears to be the climax of the book is right in the middle. The first half of the book works up to this pivotal event and I actually cursed when I promised my mates to “go with them after I finish this chapter”. The second half of the book left me in a state of paranoia (main event is past but 300 pages left…what will happen??) and I’ll only say that the final pages do deliver.
A major theme, the grey area between “the greater good” and concepts of ethics and justice, which, re-emerging now in recent media DeathNote, Watchmen and Seven Pounds, remains an interesting theme to think about. Tartt reinstates naturalism and reminds me of Emant’s “A Confession” be it without the alienation reading a 100 year old book creates. She also shows how scary and wrong it is when people alienated form society deem themselves intelligent enough to be making decisions and taking responsibilities, something I find, painfully, all-too-present in modern day politics.
I’m especially interested in what you guys find of this book. Besides the obvious questions of ‘did you like it?’ I’d be curious to know what you think of justice in this book. Additionally, how did you respond to Julian’s reaction? He was a character I distrusted at first, despite Richard’s fondness of him, but now I’ve come to find him despicable at least, spineless and a bit of a git. Anyway, it’s a great book, pick it up if you have the chance.
Pholon’s grade: 8/10
Next up: Joseph Conrad – Heart of Darkness
Issue #1
Issue #2
