Amazon synopsis:
A misfit at an exclusive New England college, Richard finds kindred spirits in the five eccentric students of his ancient Greek class. But his new friends have a horrific secret. When blackmail and violence threaten to blow their privileged lives apart,they drag Richard into the nightmare that engulfs them.
My synopsis:
We follow Richard - who, like John Mulaney would say - 'has the moral backbone of a chocolate eclair' and a tendency to romanticise everything. Richard helps to kill one of his friends. Bunny. Bunny is shockingly,comically, evil. E.g.
'He reached in and pulled out a frozen cheesecake. Taped to the box was a plaintive note: Please do not steal this. I am on financial aid. Jenny Drexler.
''This'd hit the spot about now,'' he said, glancing quickly up and down the hall. ''Anybody coming?''
''No.'' He stuck the box underneath his coat and, whistling, walked ahead to my room.'
It's all just a bit... chaotic.
Thoughts (no spoilers):
Donna Tartt spent nine years writing this book and it shows. Although I finished reading it an hour ago, I know it will stay with me for a long time. Her writing is eloquent, poignant, Victorian-esque. A proper novel-ish novel - if you know what I mean. The characters are all interesting. Not likeable, but interesting.
Thoughts (SPOILERS):
Right.
This next part won't be very structured - and I'm sorry upfront.
There was less murder than I expected.
***
When Camilla got glass in her foot. She said,
'Henry, put me down. I'm bleeding all over you.' Um... what?
I would be flailing like a fish out of water, crying like a baby - and not giving a single ounce of a fuck if I was staining somebody's clothing.
Maybe I just have warped prioritise.
It succeeded in making her appear stoic, I guess.
***
The scene with Bunny's terrible essay. The Metahemeralism - cracked me up so much.
'And as we leave Donne and Walton on the shores of Metahemeralism, we wave a fond farewell to those famous chums of yore.'
***
Charles says, when referring to Bunny's family 'Bunny was the best of them by a long shot', and Henry says when coming clean to Julian 'He was having a lot of personal problems, problems with his family...'
It made me feel bad for Bunny. Sure, he was venomous as hell - but it's weird that they can acknowledge this and still kill him.
***
I did not like him.
He was vapid, annoying, immoral. And this passage...
'I felt a fierce, nearly irresistible desire to seize Camilla by her bruised wrist, twist her arm behind her back until she cried out, throw her on my bed: strangle her, rape her, I don't know what.'
Richard can do one. So can Charles.
Henry was just... an alien.
***
What was the point of those frat boys who were always collecting money?
Did I miss something?
***
Honestly, my favourite character was Judy Poovey.
