Book Review: The Secret History by, Donna Tartt

In today's video I'll be reviewing The Secret History by, Donna Tartt.
The Secret History Written Reviews:
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[@EveningReader]

I grew up in Texas but was never a football fan. I moved to Amsterdam six years ago, and my neighbors across the road had a projection TV where they would watch American football, and in that first year I'd find myself gazing lovingly, tearfully out the window at those games. If only I could have heard the music, too! 🤣 I love The Secret History, but I don't love that it's been so closely aligned with the dark academia trend.

[@robinkirk1821]

The way you knocked that book on the ground. “girl, bye.” Had me rollin’ 🤣

[@alanaestelle2076]

@@robinkirk1821 BYE 🗣️🤣

[@alisaroz5149]

Yes!!! 🙌🏻 so excited to hear your thoughts on The Secret History! I just picked it up again this past week. You’re right; the book is such a vibe! Donna Tartt’s writing is so hauntingly beautiful.

[@alanaestelle2076]

@@alisaroz5149 Patiently waiting for Tarttt to grace us with the next one. 🤣

[@TheBookThing]

Read this for the first time this year. Really enjoyed it. I thought Tartt did a great job of building up all of the characters into a point where murder was the only option they could see. A minor criticism I had was there were several instances where the other characters referenced events that Richard was around for but didn’t see the whole picture, I feel that they would have worked better with done foreshadowing seeing Richard’s perspective at the time and then revisiting it later in the narrative. But that’s a very minor criticism for a thoroughly enjoyable book. Great review as always

[@robinkirk1821]

“Sit and stare at a wall and process some stuff.” 😂 Yes! I get that! Same girl!

[@alanaestelle2076]

@@robinkirk1821 🤣🤣listen. Sometimes you just gotta stare into space to get your mind right

[@robinkirk1821]

@@alanaestelle2076 🤣😂😂

[@kerncarter]

I love the perspective of the students being actors in their own tragedies. So true.

[@alanaestelle2076]

@@kerncarter thank you! The epitome of taking an aesthetic too seriously lol

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

I really need to reread The Secret History. I read it years ago and found it a perfectly alright book, but I didn't really get what all the hubbub is about with it. But given its perennial influence and the aesthetic which it seems to have promulgated, I think I ought to give it another go sometime.

[@alanaestelle2076]

@@TH3F4LC0Nx it’s definitely an aesthetic haha

[@taravincent9699]

TSH was a fantastic novel!! Your review is spot on. Donna Tartt’s writing is amazing and I cannot wait for her next release.

[@alanaestelle2076]

@@taravincent9699 I hope she relseases one soon. It’s been a decade 🤣

[@444Raine]

Yes, I read it and love it with all of my heart. This was a fun review to watch. I just plain like hearing what you think about books.

[@willynick]

The stars aligned. Yesterday I was hearing the audio sample for The Secret History and I'm obsessed with the premise. And you uploaded this today!! Do you suggest hardback or paperback? I like hardbacks when i know the story is going to be special to me but i like paperbacks when im going to annotate and study it viciously.

[@alanaestelle2076]

@@willynick perfect timing :) I mainly read from paperbacks because I have tiny hands and hardbacks are just so … big lol

[@bobbeduran9277]

Love you reviews and you always make me laugh. Enjoy your next read and have a great day and week ahead.

[@alanaestelle2076]

@@bobbeduran9277 thank you! I’m glad they make you laugh :)

[@NerdyNurseReads]

You looked so happy about The Secret History I had to click and watch lol

[@alanaestelle2076]

@@NerdyNurseReads 🤣🤣🤣

[@robinkirk1821]

Alana, I’m going to be honest. The Secret History intimidates me. But when you said “if you’re a fan of that Academic, New England, University setting…” I’m drooling. 😍 I’m scared of the dark feel I heard it has but I am thirsty for anything with academic aesthetics. So, I guess I’m torn about whether this book is for me or not?

[@alanaestelle2076]

@@robinkirk1821 its not dark as in scary because I don’t do scary 😮‍💨

[@leafsonata]

So excited for this! Thanks for reviewing. *Drama*😂

[@davidbucci973]

Yes Alana!!! Premier League!!!!!

[@alanaestelle2076]

@@davidbucci973 yaaaas ⚽️

[@drainel9707]

Just bought this book. Gonna come back to the vid when i finish it

[@alanaestelle2076]

@@drainel9707 🙌🏼

[@stephenn3727]

Thank you Alana!

[@anamoralsb]

the Bacchanal scene was life changing

[@alanaestelle2076]

@@anamoralsb can’t remember that scene 😫

[@biancasbookishadventures]

TSH is my favorite book. it inspired me to write my first novel. no one does it like ms. tartt

[@alanaestelle2076]

@@biancasbookishadventures that’s amazing! :)

[@gabriellehowie5791]

have you read the bell jar? i’d love to hear your thoughts.

[@alanaestelle2076]

@@gabriellehowie5791 read it a while ago, before I had a channel! Perhaps I could do a review on it!

[@MrUndersolo]

Okay, I work near the Bell Centre and can tell when the Montréal Canadians are in town. You are invited to see a hockey game with me whenever you want.

[@SheanaJo]

😊

[@alanaestelle2076]

@@SheanaJo 😊

[@JohnSeney-t1i]

I was expecting you to hate it based on your expression in the still 😸😆 but your view was very balanced 👍

[@leopercara3477]

I hated it. It was very metaphysical and played with genres. All that is fine, but I was so bored. Also I don't think Tartt knows how to write men, at least in this book, they didn't behave, talk, or think like dudes. Specially bros in college. SPECIALLY like men in Greek plays. I don't know about the ladies, I just found everyone annoying. I didn't like Babel either, and I didn't try other dark academia novels. Chikorita is my favorite pokémon 🌱

[@Tinahgirl83]

They weren’t meant to sound like typical frat boys, though. They weren’t meant to sound normal. They were meant to sound like bored, played out aristocrats who had never been around actual aristocracy so it comes off wrong. They were meant to be pretentious snobs who think they’re better than anyone /anything else. They were meant to be effete, and they were. Frat boys (aka typical college dudes) can be fun and likable and popular. All of these characters were meant to be icky and off-putting, unless you were attracted to fakeness and the illusion of superiority, which Richard was. I think she captured the type of man (and they do exist in real life) she was writing very well. However, I fully understand your not liking either this or Babel. I loved TSH but haven’t read Babel yet. Also, if you don’t like these two, never let someone give you If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio. It’s basically TSH but with everyone quoting Shakespeare constantly.😂

[@leopercara3477]

@@Tinahgirl83 Easton Ellis does the same thing with his characters, but I like it in a couple of his novels.

[@Tinahgirl83]

@@leopercara3477 Totally fair. I haven’t read any of Ellis’ work. They ran in the same set though, if I remember correctly. Were Ellis’ males of that type more masculine? (Genuine question, as I really don’t know.)

[@leopercara3477]

@@Tinahgirl83 Yeah, they behave like dudes. They're absolute c*nts aswell, though.

[@leopercara3477]

@@Tinahgirl83 Some of them are.