The Secret History - Audio book

[Anonymous]

So I downloaded the Secret History by Donna Tart because so many people have raved about that book. I'm listening to the audiobook and it's being narrated by the author. I don't know if she's just not a good narrator or what but I am struggling to be engaged with the story.

So my question is, did anybody else experience the same? Is it better to read her book rather than listen to it?

[Anonymous]

No idea but I loved the book … in the early 1990s when I was in high school. I’m not sure I’d be as enthralled if I read it today, not because of a problem with the book, but because my perspective would be so different at age 50.

[Anonymous]

Maybe it’s just not for you — I listened to the same version and thought it was superb. But life is too short for listening to an audiobook where you fine the narrator off-putting, which happens sometimes. Like dating, if there is no chemistry, just move on. lol.

[Anonymous]

I haven’t listened to the audiobook. But The Secret History is probably my favorite book of all time. It’s one of those big cult-following books but I suspect that many other fans like myself also read it at specific, impressionable ages (teens/twenties).

I do think it’s worth finishing because it’s so part of the 90s cultural zeitgeist but maybe reading it, rather than listening to Tartt, would be better.

[Anonymous]

...and I disliked the book. So there you go, OP! If you're not feeling it add it to your DNF with no worries. We have lots of DNF threads on here that are full of interesting contradictory opinions!

[Anonymous]

I have opinions about the book. I did not like it. She needed an editor. Though I do think her writing is really enjoyable in many ways, I think she spent too much time explaining the whiskey drinking and scenery, and not enough filling giant plot holes.

I did the audio, and I don't think I would have finished the hard copy. The main issue with the audio is you don't the same breaks as the book because I don't think she reads the chapter numbers so it's less clear when a chapter has ended or when she's included a break in the book chapter. I also had a really hard time keeping the male students names and attributes straight until at least 1/4 of the way in, so that was part of it.

[Anonymous]

I hate audiobooks. The only voice I want to hear is my own in my head as I read.

[Anonymous]

If you are a fan of the book and want a very intriguing audio take on it, the podcast Once Upon a Time at Bennington College is excellent!

[Anonymous]

I didn't realize it was Tart as the reader. That explains a lot. She does not have the voice for audio narration. I found the story engaging enough - despite the annoying voice- but am confused as to why it's such a favorite. It just did not seem that remarkable to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So I downloaded the Secret History by Donna Tart because so many people have raved about that book. I'm listening to the audiobook and it's being narrated by the author. I don't know if she's just not a good narrator or what but I am struggling to be engaged with the story.

So my question is, did anybody else experience the same? Is it better to read her book rather than listen to it?

It took me a little while to get into it because I didn’t expect her to have such a strong southern accent! But once I got used to that, I loved it. Her sense of humor really shines through her narration, especially with any Judy Poovey scenes. There were many parts where she had me LOLing for real.

[Anonymous]

*Tartt

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate audiobooks. The only voice I want to hear is my own in my head as I read.

Me too. With a few exceptions if they add great classical music in there. As a kid, I loved an audiobook of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe because it had Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata in it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are a fan of the book and want a very intriguing audio take on it, the podcast Once Upon a Time at Bennington College is excellent!

A second recommendation for this. I listened to this because I am a big Bret Easton Ellis fan, and that’s how I discovered The Secret History. Even if you don’t want to try the book, this is a really fun podcast. On the audiobook side, I recently listened to the Jeremy Irons version of Brideshead Revisited and thought it was superb. Kind of seems to me to be in the same vein.

[Anonymous]

Her other book, The Goldfinch (also audio) was DNF. I did not like the reader nor the book itself.

[Anonymous]

Robert Sean Leonard did a great narration of The Secret History back in the late '90s, in case anyone wants to read The Secret History (a very influential book for me, and I also love The Goldfinch).