My first Donna Tart novel. After seeing several reviews I thought I would read this, probably her most famous novel to date. The plot concerns a small group of classics undergraduates and their idiosyncratic but inspirational tutor. Following his promptings to experience total spiritual freedom, they recreate an ancient ritual. This leads to a drunken/drug induced manslaughter and this is where the story really begins. The group turns in on itself under the pressure of hiding the truth. Blackmail ensues, incest is revealed and they begin to unravel. They turn on one of their number and murder him. The pressure grows and grows.
I found this novel to be sweaty, claustrophobic and paranoid. It seemed like a mixture of Crime and Punishment, The Dead Poets Society and Reservoir dogs. In fact Crime and Punishment is referenced through out the book. The difference being that Raskalnikov (sp) dealt with the demons of guilt internally, but the group fails to deal with guilt collectively. Its not an uplifting book and the group angst can seem to be a little repetitive. There are no real likeable characters in the book, all have major flaws. Perhaps this may be reflective of life in general. I personally thought It was a decent book but not up to all the hype.
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