Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality they slip gradually from obsession to corruption and betrayal, and at last - inexorably - into evil.
My Review:
Well, I guess this is kind of a mixed bag for me. Let's start with some positive first. Donna Tartt's writing style is sharp, lush and beautifully bitter. You could settle down into it like a warm, dark blanket. And the way she describes the emotional & physical states of her characters is incredibly perceptive. In fact, if you were a fan of Fyodor Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" you'll hear echoes of his talent for human psychology in Tartt's writing. Even the premise is similar as she goes into impressive detail over how her characters react/suffer after killing a close friend in their group. The focus of the book isn't the murder itself but what it does to the people who have committed it.
Some things that I wasn't as crazy about were that I had no emotional attachment to any of the characters, especially the narrator. When I come across books like this it takes an extra push of energy to finish them. But that's probably my shortcoming. While I wasn't able to connect with any of the characters, I was still entranced by them and wanted to find out how they would progress through the novel. The second thing I was a bit disappointed with was how small of a role their Greek professor played. When you read the synopsis and then start the book, you're under the impression that Julian is going to influence his students more directly. You expect him to be this sinister element, but he really doesn't show up very often. I feel like he could have had more of a presence, but maybe the author wanted the students to be held responsible for their moral deterioration. The worst of the characters (and the most captivating) is somewhat redeemed at the end, but overall the novel never loses the dark cloud hanging over it.
After going online to find photos for this review, I found quite a following for the book. There are some beautiful photo montages, hopeful cast picks for a movie that has yet to be made, and fan fiction (not surprising in the least).
The Author
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