Book Review: The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Nothing I can say about this book can possibly do it justice- it is just THAT good. As far as 'mature, adult' books go, this stands as high as His Dark Materials does on the 'young adult/children's' pedestal for me.

The story is a recollection of past events by the main character, Richard Papen whose life undergoes a dramatic change when he enrols in Hampden college, where he enters a Grecian classics class which is, as far as when the story begins, exclusive to only five other people- Henry, the 'leader' of the pack, Francis the metro/homo-sexual, Charles and Camilla who are twins, and Edmund (more affectionately known as 'Bunny'), who is effectively one of the most annoying characters I have ever run across in a novel before. The class is so exclusive that before Richard, their mentor, Julian has never taken in any other students before- not counting the fact that entering that particular class entails dropping every other subject. The main character, who comes from a less-than-wealthy family in California finds himself living a charade, trying to fit in with these intellectual and rich students. This circle of six end up isolating themselves from the rest of the college population, somehow bound together by an invisible thread that starts to unravel the moment murder is brought into the equation.

This is a gripping story of close friendships, betrayal, and the darkness hidden in the human soul. The events in this story are as unpredictable and sudden as life itself, and on the whole it represents the human struggle to escape that degree of 'self', to be free. In an attempt to escape 'themselves' through a bacchanal, they end up unwittingly killing an innocent man, and ironically, they end up writing themselves as characters in what can only be described as a tragedy.

‘Our own selves make us most unhappy, and that’s why we’re so anxious to lose them, don’t you think? Remember the Erinyes?’
‘The Furies,’ said Bunny, his eyes dazzled and lost beneath the bang of hair.
‘Exactly. And how did they drive people mad? They turned up the volume of the inner monologue, magnified qualities already present to great excess, made people so much themselves that they couldn’t stand it.’

The effects of each moment recollected by the narrator is magnified by the masterful language and style of the author. The story varies quickly from being gloomy, vivid, dreamy and ironically funny (though not unappropriately so) at some points. We share the intimate bond the narrator shares with his friends, and yet there is always the underlying reminder that he doesn't really know them at all. They are almost like ghosts, drawn together by a single event which keeps them in its firm grip. There is a sense of disillusionment throughout the book, especially with Henry, which reminds us that in life, we never really know the true motives of the things the people around us do, even if they are our friends.

Later we are witness to the change in their behaviors and the helplessness of anyone to lessen their distress. The power of the Furies is at large, and the forces between them are becoming more and more scrambled. Extreme states of victimisation and paranoia are even reached when friends seem like enemies and shadows lurk where there are none (the secret histories of others). This ties with the central act of the motive for the bacchanal, almost as if the attempt to break the fact of their isolated selves is what entails their downfall, for trying to deny a certain central element in their tragedy.

All in all, this book is a wonderful read. Superbly written and chilling to the core, I give it a perfect score. (ooh, it rhymes!)

Book Review: Broken by Kelley Armstrong

Anyone who remembers 'Stolen' by the same author deserves credit- it feels like an eternity since I first read and reviewed it. Since then, Kelley Armstrong has been on a roll, adding book after book to her 'Women of the Underworld' series, although the series took a departure from the original character, werewolf Elena Michaels to explore the lives of other characters such as the witch- Paige Winterbourne and Savannah's dead mother... I forgot her name. It goes without saying that, purist that I am, I did not follow the books which did not directly involve Elena. So now, four books later, here I am again, picking up the book which chronicles the welcome return of the kick-ass sole female werewolf in Armstrong's dark modern world.

Like the first two books, 'Bitten' and 'Stolen', Armstrong retains her first-person narrative, and it's good to see that Elena is as bitter and sarcastic as ever. The unusual twist this time around is that she is- wait for it!- pregnant! Considering the fact that she's supposed to be the first female werewolf since, ever, it becomes quite a bit of a problem for her. (seriously, how could they not see it coming, considering the ridiculous amount of sex they have? The werewolf pack walks around the house naked for crying out loud. How the other three or four men can control their inhibitions while Clayton Danvers, Elena's lover takes the prize is beyond me)

After dealing with rogue werewolves in the first book, and a secret government operation in the second, the third brings zombies. Yes, zombies. Looking over the list of storyline themes, you're probably thinking that the book series is a bunch of B-grade crap, which admittedly, it is in a sense. But it's good crap, if only because of Elena's sarcastic narration and 'charming' personality. Her pop-culture references are reminiscent of Buffy, to which she is often compared to by critics.

Ah, back to zombies. Yes, this book revolves around Jack the Ripper's 'From Hell' letter, and how when Clayton unwittingly strikes a mosquito with Elena's blood on the letter, a spell is triggered which opens a portal into the nether regions of Victorian London. Toronto may be looking for a new tourism boost, but 'Gateway to Hell' isn't quite the new slogan the city had in mind. As I said before- it's purely a B-movie fest, albeit sexier and wittier. Killer rats, vampires and zombies, oh my. The story has a lot of promise.

Unfortunately, in my honest opinion, it falls quite short of expectation. The lack of a solid villain could be seen as one of the story's main flaws. Most of the time, Elena and co. are dishing out punishment on random things that just come their way without explanation. It doesn't help that the story feels a bit far-fetched as well. (What is Jack The Ripper's 'From Hell' letter doing all the way in Canada, for example?) Somehow the story lacks the drive that was in 'Stolen', despite the fact that secret government operations are really a recycled plot device, namely 'stolen', pardon the pun, from the most hated Buffy the Vampire Slayer season ever to appear on TV.

Somehow, pregnancy also seems to take the fire out of our main character. And the direction Kelley Armstrong is taking her character is also questionable. Are successive stories going to be about Elena making it work as a soccer mom? A person juggling a toddler while battling the forces of darkness? While it would make for some interesting comedy, I can't help but think that the more this progresses, Elena is going to become less and less the self-absorbed, ass-kicking bitch I was first introduced to four years ago.

(sigh)

It shouldn't deter you from reading the book though. It's okay enough. I've seen worse. *cough*TheLightAges*cough*

I give it a 6 out of 10.