Review

An excellent book. The prose just pulls you in. I decided on a whim to try this one after hearing it repeatedly recommended by Brittany Broski (Broski Nation!). I don't know that my taste always aligns with hers, but I saw that another of Donna Tartt's novels (The Goldfinch, which I know I will be getting to it at some point) was on a list of modern classics. So I knew this author was in fact good and there might be something here.

And there was! It's impressive how naturally we lead to the murder every step of the way. You can see the many inflection points, where things could have gone differently. But what happens is, unfortunately, just the most natural thing that would happen in those circumstances. Poor Bunny. The little bastard. It's so interesting being inside Richard's mind. The extent to which we are led towards killing Bunny, particularly in those last couple weeks is so well-done. Because we the reader can stop and say "What the fuck is happening?" We know Bunny is not really in the wrong. His friends did something unspeakable and he knows that! He should be sprinting to the police. But the shellacking of Bunny's character that we see from Richard's point of view in those weeks is so effective. You do start to just see the absolute inevitability of it.

I really enjoy how much of a bastard everyone is. You couldn't suffer these people to live. The idea of being around them for any length of time in real life is unthinkable. But they so effectively pull you in with their little rituals. Every time we get a bit of Judy Poovey or any of the other students, I want to scream at Richard to make some new goddamn friends. But they're so...pedestrian aren't they? Don't you want to hang out with the cool rich people? The ones that drive nice cars, wear suits, go to exclusive clubs, and quote the Greeks (not really, but for the purposes of a novel, absolutely)?

The plot is generally quite interesting, but it's the actual writing that puts Secret History a step ahead. It's so musical, each sentence flows beautifully into the next. There's so many little moments. It's a great novel if you want to just sink into a moment and really feel it. Highly recommended.