i think one of my favorite things about the secret history is the impact that the story - and the characters - have on people.
everyone i know who has read the book said that reading it made them want to learn latin, study greek, wake up earlier and read/study philosophy. they all felt the urge to adopt the academic style of the characters.
and i wonder, how many other novels have had this kind of impact on people?
there’s something rare about a story that doesn’t just entertain you, but alters the texture of your daily life. after finishing it, you don’t simply close the book and move on (you can’t lol) but you look at the world a little differently. like, even a moodboard on pinterest about dark academia is enough to inspire you because it reminds you of tsh.
i’ve seen so many people online changing their routines because of it; the way they study more diligently, the way they decorate their rooms, even the books they begin to read are different because they want more knowledge, they want to be close to what donna tartt wrote about her characters being.
and to me, maybe that’s the most fascinating part ; the way fiction can awaken a longing. not just for knowledge, but for depth, for discipline and specially for the kind of beauty that feels intellectual and slightly unattainable. it makes you crave something different, something profound.
it makes me think that the true power of certain novels isn’t in their plot twists or shocking moments, but in the atmosphere they create. some books build entire worlds and others build identities. they give readers a version of themselves to aspire to; maybe more cultured, more curious, more deliberate.
and when a book can do that, when it inspires people to wake up earlier just to read philosophy or attempt a new language, it stops being just a story. it becomes a catalyst, it becomes a quiet revolution in someone’s inner life.
kaledo-art
origamiaround
baratheonpilled
yousharknotpass
ellievsbear
areudirty
theartofmadeline
romaincrisis
