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/lit/ - Literature

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18010141 No.18010141 [Reply] [Original]

Is this book any good lads? I've been recommended it by my gf who doesn't do bad recommendations usually (her last was I, Claudius). I've never seen it posted on here or anywhere else though, and haven't even heard of it till now. It gets really good reviews though, any of you read it?

>> No.18010158

Haven't read it but I have seen it mentioned here quite a few times. From what I have heard it should be a good read.

>> No.18010160

>>18010141
Read it and find out.

>> No.18010170

>>18010141
It's the Dark Academia meme book.

>> No.18010174

>>18010141
It’s pretty good her other book Goldfinch is a lot more fun in my opinion

>> No.18010185

>>18010141
why does Tartt always look so comfy?

>> No.18010258
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18010258

>>18010185
Practice

>> No.18010274

>>18010174
>Goldfinch is a lot more fun in my opinion
Didn't everyone hate that one?

>> No.18010301
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18010301

>>18010258
shes very good at it

>> No.18010369

>>18010141
It gets mentioned on here occasionally. The first third or so is quite comfy and it's entertaining on the whole. It's definitely not just straight-up YA trash, but it's not all that remarkable either. Definitely worth it if you're looking for something fun to read though.

>> No.18010455

>>18010274
Maybe? I don’t really care for the opinion of others in books, I read books and try to make my own opinion. It was a straight forward plot that had neat twists and turns with decent character development. Worth the read for me at least.

>> No.18010604

>>18010141
It’s good but don’t interact with most of its fans, they’re absolutely awful.

>> No.18010643

I'm middling on this one. Something kept me reading it all the way through to the end, but something feels unremarkable about it. Wouldn't recommend it unless you need some good comfort food and just want something to turn off your brain to.

>> No.18010728

It’s a fast read and mostly conforms to YA tropes. It’s ok depending on what you want to get out of it.

>> No.18010818

>>18010141
Whole book is setting up for second half having the mystery too carry it.

After the curtain is lifted , it struggles to reach the conclusion.

Also I struggle to believe that you can party all night , go too outskirts in weekends , heavy drink and still manage to be a good college student to an expert professor.

>> No.18010925

>>18010141
Like women are put off shit like Catcher in The Rye and DFW because they're associated with shitty male behaviour I'm put off Donna Tartt because of the whole dark academia aesthetic so many girls are obsessed with while never actually going deeper than that. I probably will eventually though.

>> No.18010967

>>18010818
Their professor was shit though. You realise this once the new teacher arrives.

>> No.18010991

>>18010925
Op here, the term dark academia has been used a few times in this thread, i'm completely ignorant to what this is?

>> No.18011012

>>18010991
Zoomers that really liked Kill your darlings.

>> No.18011060

>>18010141
Start with the Tartt

>> No.18011357

>>18010141
I'm exactly halfway through, and I'm finding it pretty solid. I studied Greek in college, so that element of it is interesting to me and she describes the Greek language and culture beautifully and accurately. The overall aesthetic or mood of the book (Dark Academia memes aside) is pretty comfy too. The prose isn't masterful or anything, but it's solid overall and has flashes of greatness.

>> No.18011364

>>18010274
From what I've seen, if you like one you'll hate the other. It goes both ways.

>> No.18011420

>>18010991
Dark academia is an *aesthetic* among the TikTok and Tumblr communities. In case you're not aware, there is a seemingly endless number of aesthetics, which are basically modes of dress and decor (sometimes bleeding into lifestyle choices) that aim to capture a specific personality type--google "cottagecore" for an example of what I mean. The dark academia aesthetic emphasizes an appreciation for the classic art (literature, music, visual, etc.) of Western culture and a desire to learn and engage in intellectual endeavors. Devotees of this aesthetic seek to express these values through clothing styles that mimic stereotypical ivy league attire from the early 20th century (button-down shirts, flannel trousers, etc.), all in muted earth tones, and through the reading of the classics.

It's generally despised by people who view themselves as "true" academics (e.g., the people on /lit/), and for a lot of people, it is just run-of-the-mill pseudointellectualism or simply fashion, but more hopeful observers (e.g., R. C. Waldun) see something hopeful in the professed value that dark academia places on knowledge, learning, and cultural heritage.

>> No.18011539

>>18010818
They were all shitty students, bro. Except for Henry, anyway.

>> No.18011564

>>18011539
Bunny was a world famous scholar. His essay on metahemeralism was featured in People Magazine.

>> No.18011581

>>18011564
That and his essay on John Donne were genuinely hilarious. Second book to make me actually laugh; the first was Don Quixote.

>> No.18011619

LOL imagine if Bunny was the main character
be me, Bun- go to Hampden College decide to take the special kids Greek class to try to feel more intelligent than I actually am, make friends who are off put by my open bigotedness even though they’re just as bigoted and quiet about it, go broke and decide to start mooching off them because they’re rich and offer it, feel kinda bad that they didn’t invite me to the party they had the rest of the Greek class go to, meet new student and befriend him since they don’t include him as much just wanna make a friend, find out at the party my friends murdered someone and I tell them to report themselves, get so worked up over this I start substance abuse and confide in my new outcast friend, find him and the rest of my friends out for a walk try to start friendly conversation but get murdered by them mid conversation by the one that was having butt sex with me in Italy less than a month ago[spoiler/]

>> No.18011653

I couldn't read past 1/3 of it. Boring YA shit but I'm quite edgy

>> No.18011665

>>18010170
This. Only reason I've heard of it.

>> No.18011710

>>18011665
>>18010141
>>18010604
I started this book because it’s the special interest of an autistic qt I have a crush on and it’s actually quite entertaining. I understand why the Dark Academia aesthetic became popularized because of it, the atmosphere and mood is very comfy and intriguing. It doesn’t have to be high-brow to hold an interest.

>> No.18011732

>>18010258
The fact that you’re both into Donna Tartt AND a trans woman makes me want to take you on a date so much more now

>> No.18011767

>>18010141
It's a very entertaining book. Everyone who reads it seems to enjoy it. Not high art or anything but a fun read with a great atmosphere. All 17yo aspiring pseuds should read this book.

>make friends who are off put by my open bigotedness even though they’re just as bigoted and quiet about it,
You just know the reason Tartt didn't include black people in this book other than because it's Vermont in the '80s is that every main character is quietly extremely racist for sure and she knew even in 1990 it wouldn't fly.

>> No.18011796

i'll never understand why lit cuts this book so much slack when the board is notoriously hard on quite literally everything else

tartt isn't a very good writer, at least not here: just count the number of times someone replies "crossly" or "briskly", or "pours another scotch". i laughed when she repeated the words "handful of pistachios" three times on the same page. some writers make a point of repetition, but it all comes off as awkward and underwritten when presented in an otherwise perfectly normal novel like this. it's just lazy as shit and gets tiresome very fast. every time she attempts to get lyrical and painterly it all feels flown in from better works, or watered-down rephrasings

i suppose TSH has endured because of its enticing plot/setting, but the actual carrying through also suffers tremendously here. i don't think you ever get a good grasp of why anyone is drawn to anyone/anything else in this book. things like julian's supposed greatness or richard's fondness for bunny – things that the entire book hinges on – are mentioned only in passing. again, novels can of course be done this way, but tartt is simply unable to communicate any of it

perhaps this book would've worked better without the whydunnit murder mystery

>>18011767
>All 17yo aspiring pseuds should read this book.
yeah pretty much nothing in this works if you're past 23

>> No.18011802

>>18011767
>is that every main character is quietly extremely racist for sure and she knew even in 1990 it wouldn't fly
Literally this. The rest of the group didn’t care about Bunny’s remarks unless it specifically targeted them. Francis and Camillia didn’t give a shit until he called Francis a fag and went incel on Cam.

>> No.18012867

>>18010258
Butterfly, you’ll never be as pretty as her. Even in your prime, you were less than her right shoulder, and now, everyday, you age more and more ugly.

>> No.18012881
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18012881

>>18012867
No. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

>> No.18012893

>>18011796
>notoriously hard

you just described my reaction to donna tartt, maybe that explains why

>> No.18012899

>>18010141
>I, Claudius
don't know about the other book but this is pretty good. My grandpa made me read it.

>> No.18013072

>>18010141
How is she so cute, bros?

>> No.18013083

>>18013072
pretty eyes and good at makeup.

>> No.18013093

>>18013072
>exists
>female
>thin
>(formerly) young
>not unusually ugly

That's all it takes

>> No.18013146

>>18011796
Woah there Mr Bloom, you can't just insult 15 year old girls favourite books all the time.
You're pretty much right though, it's better than most modern books people claim are good, though it's nothing special. I personally suspect that it's just women who've read it and the guys who've read it because of said women are the ones shilling it so much. I should know, I'm one of them.

>> No.18013172

>>18012881
yeah and we'd have to gauge our eyes out of our heads to behold you, you ugly trollop

>> No.18013217

>>18010141
It used to be pretty popular here back when being into Hellenismos was the thing. It's an entertaining read , very cozy.

>> No.18013453

I wanna fuck Bunny so bad

>> No.18013497

>>18010258
This reminds me of that tranny who lobbed off her tits with the stupid haircut

>> No.18014743
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18014743

>>18010258

>> No.18015556

>>18010258
I love you butterfly ignore these haters