The Secret History in DC Public Library

May 11, 2014 Ashley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction-novels-plays-stories, fun

What a wonderful novel-- dark and witty. I think I enjoyed it so much because Tartt's characters are such wonderful, subtle parodies of the types of people that end up at small liberal arts colleges. I couldn't help but imagine that the fictional Hampden College looked a lot like my own alma mater. It's also got that timeless prep-school story down (think of A Separate Peace). The novel itself isn't a who-done-it, instead it's a study of friendship, camaraderie, and ethics. It's a bit long but I ...more

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Apr 20, 2022 Akiva ꙮ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: z-au-w, 3-fmt-f-novel, f-feelings-are-ineffable, f-queer, 3-fmt-audio

Glacially paced, very much with the connotation of being steady and inexorable. (Thank goodness for audiobooks; still, 20+ hours is a lot.) Incredibly campy.

I'm never going to be over the fact that she named the twins (view spoiler) Charles and Camilla. How much of an upper-class twit in-joke was this in 1992?

The teacher, Julian, is a side character at best. His sexuality is lampshaded and played for laughs more than present; (view spoiler) ...more

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Dec 04, 2013 Ruth rated it liked it

Shelves: ebooks, academia

Meh. Maybe I'm just over the appeal of the classics (almost majored in Greek), the elitism/pastoralism of the Vermont liberal arts school (spent significant time at Bennington = the real-life Hampden), and the romanticization of being a professor (it's not very romantic).
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