Feb 16, 2018
Review: Donna Tartt’s first novel is an interesting exercise in relationships and academia. While I enjoyed her ability to create a vividly realistic scene, I found myself often bothered by the pretentiousness both of the prose and of the characters. I decided I disliked the novel by about halfway through, but the power of the narrative was such that I still wanted to find out what happened in the second half. It contains several poignant musings and insights, buried as they are by rampant substance abuse and superiority complexes. ⭐️: 3/5 for its ability to leave an enduring impression even on a reader that dislikes aspects of it.
