• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 02:25
CEST 08:25
KST 15:25
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
Power Rank - Esports World Cup 202553RSL Season 1 - Final Week9[ASL19] Finals Recap: Standing Tall15HomeStory Cup 27 - Info & Preview18Classic wins Code S Season 2 (2025)16
Community News
BSL Team Wars - Bonyth, Dewalt, Hawk & Sziky teams9Weekly Cups (July 14-20): Final Check-up0Esports World Cup 2025 - Brackets Revealed19Weekly Cups (July 7-13): Classic continues to roll8Team TLMC #5 - Submission re-extension4
StarCraft 2
General
The GOAT ranking of GOAT rankings Power Rank - Esports World Cup 2025 What tournaments are world championships? RSL Revival patreon money discussion thread Jim claims he and Firefly were involved in match-fixing
Tourneys
Esports World Cup 2025 FEL Cracov 2025 (July 27) - $8000 live event Master Swan Open (Global Bronze-Master 2) Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament Sea Duckling Open (Global, Bronze-Diamond)
Strategy
How did i lose this ZvP, whats the proper response
Custom Maps
External Content
Mutation #239 Bad Weather Mutation # 483 Kill Bot Wars Mutation # 482 Wheel of Misfortune Mutation # 481 Fear and Lava
Brood War
General
BSL Team Wars - Bonyth, Dewalt, Hawk & Sziky teams BW General Discussion [Update] ShieldBattery: 2025 Redesign BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ Ginuda's JaeDong Interview Series
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues CSL Xiamen International Invitational [CSLPRO] It's CSLAN Season! - Last Chance [BSL 2v2] ProLeague Season 3 - Friday 21:00 CET
Strategy
Does 1 second matter in StarCraft? [G] Mineral Boosting Simple Questions, Simple Answers
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Nintendo Switch Thread [MMORPG] Tree of Savior (Successor of Ragnarok) Path of Exile CCLP - Command & Conquer League Project
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread Vanilla Mini Mafia
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Post Pic of your Favorite Food! Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Russo-Ukrainian War Thread The Games Industry And ATVI
Fan Clubs
SKT1 Classic Fan Club!
Media & Entertainment
[\m/] Heavy Metal Thread Anime Discussion Thread Movie Discussion! [Manga] One Piece Korean Music Discussion
Sports
Formula 1 Discussion 2024 - 2025 Football Thread TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023 NBA General Discussion
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Installation of Windows 10 suck at "just a moment" Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
Ping To Win? Pings And Their…
TrAiDoS
momentary artworks from des…
tankgirl
from making sc maps to makin…
Husyelt
StarCraft improvement
iopq
Socialism Anyone?
GreenHorizons
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 672 users

[PBR] The Secret History

Blogs > Pholon
Post a Reply
Pholon
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
Netherlands6142 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-06-12 17:16:26
June 12 2009 12:12 GMT
#1
[image loading]

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

***
Moderator@TLPholon // "I need a third hand to facepalm right now"
ShaperofDreams
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
Canada2492 Posts
June 12 2009 12:24 GMT
#2
check out The Time Traveler's Wive

It's a bit new age but i really liked it, the themes aren't as strong as 1984 or other novels you mentioned but i still highly recommend it.
Bitches don't know about my overlord. FUCK OFF ALDARIS I HAVE ENOUGH PYLONS. My Balls are as smooth as Eggs.
Empyrean
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
16986 Posts
June 12 2009 12:40 GMT
#3
Is it sad that when I saw the [PBR] tag I thought of Pabst Blue Ribbon?

I don't even drink :O
Moderator
Hittegods
Profile Joined April 2007
Stockholm4640 Posts
June 12 2009 13:55 GMT
#4
The sad thing is that you don't drink.
This neo violence, pure self defiance
arb
Profile Blog Joined April 2008
Noobville17921 Posts
June 12 2009 14:29 GMT
#5
I totally thought this was about professional bull riding ~_~
Artillery spawned from the forges of Hell
Kennelie
Profile Joined December 2007
United States2296 Posts
June 12 2009 14:59 GMT
#6
On June 12 2009 23:29 arb wrote:
I totally thought this was about professional bull riding ~_~


LMFAO I THOUGHT THE SAME THING!
ya had ya shot kid!
Rhaegar99
Profile Blog Joined September 2008
Australia1190 Posts
June 12 2009 15:01 GMT
#7
Lol I thought of Powered By Rice, which was a clan in an mmo I played a while back.
Chill
Profile Blog Joined January 2005
Calgary25980 Posts
June 12 2009 15:09 GMT
#8
I thought this was The Secret, where you can get anything if you believe in it enough.
Moderator
Pholon
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
Netherlands6142 Posts
June 12 2009 17:16 GMT
#9
Three issues and people still don't know Y_Y
Moderator@TLPholon // "I need a third hand to facepalm right now"
zulu_nation8
Profile Blog Joined May 2005
China26351 Posts
March 10 2014 11:52 GMT
#10
great book, the love story was especially moving.
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 4h 35m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
Livibee 254
ProTech79
Creator 1
StarCraft: Brood War
Sea 7980
Nal_rA 2675
ToSsGirL 147
Zeus 110
Backho 77
Larva 72
JulyZerg 53
NotJumperer 2
Britney 0
Dota 2
XaKoH 435
Counter-Strike
Stewie2K1197
Super Smash Bros
hungrybox586
Other Games
summit1g7932
shahzam941
Organizations
StarCraft: Brood War
UltimateBattle 75
Other Games
BasetradeTV29
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 15 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• practicex 76
• davetesta38
• Sammyuel 34
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
League of Legends
• Rush1598
• Stunt774
Upcoming Events
Esports World Cup
4h 35m
Serral vs Cure
Solar vs Classic
OSC
7h 35m
CranKy Ducklings
1d 3h
BSL20 Non-Korean Champi…
1d 7h
CSO Cup
1d 9h
BSL20 Non-Korean Champi…
1d 11h
Bonyth vs Sziky
Dewalt vs Hawk
Hawk vs QiaoGege
Sziky vs Dewalt
Mihu vs Bonyth
Zhanhun vs QiaoGege
QiaoGege vs Fengzi
FEL
2 days
BSL20 Non-Korean Champi…
2 days
BSL20 Non-Korean Champi…
2 days
Bonyth vs Zhanhun
Dewalt vs Mihu
Hawk vs Sziky
Sziky vs QiaoGege
Mihu vs Hawk
Zhanhun vs Dewalt
Fengzi vs Bonyth
Sparkling Tuna Cup
4 days
[ Show More ]
Online Event
4 days
uThermal 2v2 Circuit
5 days
The PondCast
6 days
Replay Cast
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

CSL Xiamen Invitational
Championship of Russia 2025
Murky Cup #2

Ongoing

Copa Latinoamericana 4
Jiahua Invitational
BSL20 Non-Korean Championship
Esports World Cup 2025
CC Div. A S7
Underdog Cup #2
IEM Cologne 2025
FISSURE Playground #1
BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 7
IEM Dallas 2025
PGL Astana 2025
Asian Champions League '25

Upcoming

CSLPRO Last Chance 2025
ASL Season 20: Qualifier #1
ASL Season 20: Qualifier #2
ASL Season 20
CSLPRO Chat StarLAN 3
BSL Season 21
RSL Revival: Season 2
Maestros of the Game
SEL Season 2 Championship
uThermal 2v2 Main Event
FEL Cracov 2025
HCC Europe
ESL Pro League S22
StarSeries Fall 2025
FISSURE Playground #2
BLAST Open Fall 2025
BLAST Open Fall Qual
Esports World Cup 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall Qual
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2025 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.