The Secret History, The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt

The Secret History, The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt
The Secret History, Donna Tartt

genre: #contemporary #literary
first publication: September 16, 1992, September 23, 2013
my rating: 10/10


Flawed in their plots, flawed in their execution, flawed in their characters and settings, yet Tartt's books are near perfection. Near the flawed and dark perfection.

The therapeutic language guides the reader through the books of 600+ pages, making the words disappear into the dirty veil of the characters' lives. As opposed to the popular opinion, which suggests the size of the novels is rather a graphomania than an actual necessity, will say that were they a page shorter, you would look for the smallest bit of fresh air to get out of the tenseness Tartt creates.

However, I am not sure how to rate Tartt's books; I cannot give them the highest rating, and still, I cannot give them anything else but the highest rating. Revealingly combining ambivalent concepts, the books become an enchanting substance you keep thinking about. They are good, yet bad; beautiful, yet ugly; thrilling, yet boring – full of Heffalump traps (with the question of whom these traps are for)


Subscribe to my newsletter and stay updated.

Don't miss anything. Get all the latest texts delivered straight to your inbox. It's free!
Great! Check your inbox and click the link to confirm your subscription.
Error! Please enter a valid email address!