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alysha

@her.nightstand

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Tell me what lies on her nightstand,
and I will tell you what keeps her awake.

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january

donna tartt is a mastermind. i read all three of her novels (eagerly waiting the 4th) and always wish it would never end. her ability to create whole movie scenes with cinematic crisp is a mystery all on its own. her mind!

the secret history. a modern american twist on a greek tragedy. brilliantly executed and dripping with odes to philosophers ranging from plato, makaveli, to dostoevsky (yes, I consider fyofor a philosopher). i love donna for this reason! she is a great thinker. leaving you to question yourself and the world around you.

my thoughts:

the novel follows richard. a poor boy from california, as he seeks acceptance and recognition from a group of nepo elites in his ancient greek classes. a small group of 6. the commentary of these characters morality is one of the greatest arcs of the whole novel.

richard is desperate, arrogant, yet human. aren’t we all drawn to secret (of sorts) circles that we can’t be apart of but, desperately we try? whether that’s intentional or not, it doesn’t make a difference. we buy into the trends and consume ourselves in the validation of others, to climb higher. to become elite. leaving the person we once were.
richard’s desperation to be important and join the exclusively of the others, is what lead to his involvement in 2 murders. most sinister the murder of his friend.

henry… a character much to complicated to dissect right now. is the ring leader of the cult that has become the greek class. the favorite of the professor and the “mastermind” that the group embraced. what’s important for my commentary is this: it’s not until the END that that the characters question, why they ever followed his direction in the first place. group mentality, group hysteria, comically central themes to what we experience in our everyday. in this present moment.

richard, and the others, lost their autonomy, ability to think for themselves, in the blind trust of a deemed “enlightened” man. henry is none other than a pretentiously dressed psychopath. his power comes from the group that follows.

the page i have included in the slide captures the essence of my commentary. i encourage you to read, think, enjoy. by @her.nightstand

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8 months ago

welcome to my nightstand. here, i will share my books, the prose that inspire me, and the cure to my insomnia. enjoy.

photo: entrance to the new york public library.

#readinglist #readmorebooks #classicliterature #newyorkpubliclibrary #bookgram by @her.nightstand

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8 months ago