Die geheime Geschichte

I realize now that I have no idea what #DarkAcademia is as a genre (see my journey in my 2023 reviews feed). This is supposedly the best example. Magic really isn’t part of it.

This book isn’t for me. Outside of my mistaken expectations, the characters are assholes (a requirement!) and it went on way too long. The writing at the start made me take notice—Tartt can write—but I just didn’t care for this world and its people.

Utterly chilling. This story kept me in constant suspense, never sure which characters to trust and thoroughly engaged in the asymptotic quest to find truth in the myriad layers of secrecy. Steeped in endless references to classical literature, I'd guess this would be an exciting read for someone with an extensive literary or Classics background. However, even without being able to appreciate every reference the author used to craft this story, this philosophical and psychological thriller had me tearing through the pages quite hungrily, completely falling for the cold, manipulative genius of the story's charismatic authority as if I were the seventh Classics students at Hampden College. Highly recommended.