roses-withthorns

[roses-withthorns]

I know it is my father's first time on this Earth, too. And I know He had it worse when he was little.

But I was little too.

— Franz Kafka, from letters to his father

[roses-withthorns]

Re-reading books is great and good until it’s The Secret History by Donna Tartt and you realize that within Julian’s first lecture we are witness to he speaks of Tiberius, a flawed Emperor held in disdain by his people, partially on the account he followed Augustus- a savior, a god. He spent his life striving to life up to his predecessors name and when he couldn’t, he indulged his perversions in an effort to feel something, but ultimately “died, old and mad, lost in the pleasure gardens of Capri: not even happy there, as one might hope, but miserable.”

Re-reading books is great and good until it’s The Secret History by Donna Tartt and you realize that just like Tiberius tried to follow in Augustus’s footsteps, Henry tried to follow in Julian’s. You see Richard’s focus shift from Julian- who was at first a savior, a god- to Henry, a flawed student of his who, at his end, is held in disdain by the majority of his closest friends and is lost in the indulgence of his own perversions- his attempts (and, arguable, success) to finally live without thinking.

Re-reading books is great and good until it’s The Secret History by Donna Tartt and you get to the part where Richard asks Henry in his dream, “are you happy here?” And Henry responds, “Not particularly” and you realize that Henry, like Tiberius, had never known peace or happiness in life and certainly not in death and you were warned about it in Julian’s first lecture.

[roses-withthorns]

“Nihil sub sole novum. Any action, in the fullness of time, sinks to nothingness.” - The Secret History, Donna Tartt.

#donna tartt #the secret history #books and literature #bunny corcoran #camilla macaulay #charles macaulay #dark academia #francis abernathy #henry winter #richard papen #books and libraries #books books books #aesthetic #art

[roses-withthorns]

reading the secret history for the first time is such an experience. genuinely, i yearn for around this time last year when i experienced it for the first time, and i felt completely immersed in it. it was the first book in a long time that made me feel involved in the story, as though i was richard, absolutely enraptured by the aesthetics and the ‘superiority’ of studying classics. so much so, that i began to dismiss the terrible things. it’s such a brilliantly written book. and richard is so damn unreliable i love him

[roses-withthorns]

when richard papen said "nothing is lonelier or more disorienting than insomnia" he was onto something

[roses-withthorns]

The feminine urge this, the masculine urge that, what about the the morbid longing for the picturesque at all cost???

[roses-withthorns]

"Tell me a secret you haven't told anyone."

"I smoked recently. But it felt alien even though I've done it before. It felt as if the cigarette didn't belong between my fingers."

"Then what feels like it belongs between your fingers?"

"Pen... and your fingers."

[roses-withthorns]

I think bunny’s fatal flaw was genuinely believing that the entire class would come with Henry to collect ferns.

Those bitches weren’t afraid to say no; none of them would’ve come except Richard.

[roses-withthorns]

the secret history:

the goldfinch:

[roses-withthorns]

All the members of the greek class make good characters. If they were to exist in real life every one of them would be despicable and selfish and probably not very enjoyable to be around. None of them really have any redeeming factors but that is what makes them such interesting characters.

The aesthetics of these people pull us in, the facade of beauty makes us stay. And then the ugly reality of the group dynamic and situations make a good story.

Donna Tartt’s characterization is immaculate in my opinion. She does a great job at building up our relationship with all of them. We eventually feel as though we know them.

#donna tartt #the secret history #books and literature #bunny corcoran #camilla macaulay #charles macaulay #dark academia #francis abernathy #henry winter #richard papen

[roses-withthorns]

“(he smoked Lucky Strikes; whenever I think of him I think of that little red bull’s-eye right over his heart)”

[roses-withthorns]

i’m sorry-this will always be the funniest thing

[roses-withthorns]

Donna Tartt developed some of the most stoic, serious, and selfish characters I’ve ever seen. The way she made every character in the Greek Class horribly unemotional for one another, really adds to the terror of the book.

That is one reason I wish she would’ve been able to keep the initial title of the book: The God of Illusions. Because that is the backbone of this group; it’s all just an illusion of friendship, an illusion that they care. They don’t care for one another, none of them are overly concerned about anyone but themselves. They are all extremely solitary people that came together for the look of being able to have friends, rather than for the want of friendship.

#donna tartt #the secret history #aesthetic #books and literature #bunny corcoran #camilla macaulay #charles macaulay #dark academia #francis abernathy #henry winter #richard papen #tsh

[roses-withthorns]

Richard Papen canonically has a resting bitch face.

That is all thank you.

#donna tartt #the secret history #aesthetic #books and literature #bunny corcoran #camilla macaulay #charles macaulay #dark academia #francis abernathy #henry winter #richard papen #tsh

[roses-withthorns]

the part where the deputy cares for camilla and is disgusted by richard and henry isn’t tartt saying the two boys are sociopaths— it’s showing how camilla even tricked even authoritative figures that she planned the murder.

I think it just depends on perspective (Disclaimer: all of my thoughts on this blog is how I read and perceived the book). When reading I found Richard talked about that experience as if Camilla was genuinely crying. Hence, why everyone was a bit shocked. As well as why later in the book when he says, “I had seen her cry only once before, and then only, I think, from nerves and exhaustion.” (Page 490 (hardcover)). Which referenced that scene. I just didn’t see much textual evidence stating that Camilla cried intentionally in order to fool the authorities, so believed the purpose of the scene was to contrast how the boys came off to the authorities. But that’s just my opinion and my evidence to support it :)

#donna tartt #the secret history #aesthetic #books and literature #bunny corcoran #camilla macaulay #charles macaulay #dark academia #francis abernathy #henry winter #richard papen

[roses-withthorns]

When Camilla starts crying after they find Bunny’s body and Richard writes, “For a moment no one seemed to know what to do. Davenport gave Henry and me a disgusted look and turned half away as if to say: this is all your fault.” (Tartt, page 352, hardcover)

Like yeah, he thinks you two are sociopaths. And he’s right.

Also the fact that Sciola completely disregards both of the boys even though he knows they are all friends. Instead, asking Camilla if Charles is home to take care of her. Also shows the FBI doesn’t like either of them even though they’ve never even spoken to Richard before.

#the secret history #donna tartt #aesthetic #books and literature #bunny corcoran #camilla macaulay #charles macaulay #dark academia #francis abernathy #henry winter #richard papen #tsh

[roses-withthorns]

Who is fan cast for each of the Greek Club? Sorry new to the fandom 

I’m going to be honest. Sorry I’m not much help, but I’ve not really thought of a fan cast. If there ever was a movie adaption, I’d want actors I wouldn’t recognize from other things tbh.

#the secret history #donna tartt #books and literature #aesthetic #bunny corcoran #charles macaulay #camilla macaulay #francis abernathy #dark academia #henry winter #richard papen #tsh #books and libraries #books books books #movie adaptation