Rating: 
Summary: I must be missing it, too
Review: I certainly enjoyed Secret History and waited months to get my hands on The Little Friend--boy, am I glad I got it from the library instead of paying for it! I've been reading it non-stop for the past few days and now, exactly halfway through it, it's boring the hell out of me. What's with the snake obsession? I understand that fondling them is a big deal in some religious rites, but are they supposed to be a metaphor for the evil Ratliff family? If so, I get it already! The excruciating--and nearly senseless--detail of the Odums and Ratliffs was so inundating, I felt it really took away from the momentum. I even skipped to the end of the book, which I hate doing, just for a reason to keep going. But even then, it was so convoluted that I fell asleep. I'll try to to finish it, but it's going to be difficult. If you need a sedative, feel free to wade through this tar pit. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother.
Rating: 
Summary: The Little Friend is GOOD STUFF!
Review: I loved the Little Friend because Tartt was able to conjure up vivid portrayals of her characters that were deeply human without having to resort to a fast-moving plot. People are definitely missing the point when they're expecting an "ending" or closure. Life is not all about closure, and that's what Tartt is explaining. If people, in their minds, label the finding of robin's killer as the climax, then this book is definitely anticlimatic. However, the quest for solving robin's murder is really a way for us readers to try to understand the other characters' personalities and mentalities, using that jarring event in their lives and measuring their reactions. The Secret History was also written in this manner, and if people think that it was better because there was some sort of closure, then they should read the book over again. (note: SH SPOILER!) Henry's death left gaps in everyone's heart, as did Robin's. We were with Henry and the gang the when they killed Bunny... it wasn't some sort of discovery. The main type of discovery that LF and SH have is the sort that celebrates humanity, flaws and all.
Rating: 
Summary: A Little Tartt
Review: Remember,Harriet is a CHILD, not an adult, and her experiences reflect childhood perceptions.Also remember that "good endings" are best left untidy. The ending of The Little Friend is consistent and satisfying.
Rating:
Summary: A Lost Premise
Review: This book was overly long, and it seemed like the original premise got lost in the story. Ms.Tartt can certainly write, but I felt the writing took over the story. Certainly the book jacket is misleading. What was the story she was trying to tell? As others have mentioned, the ending is a non-ending. Was I disappointed....most definitely!
Rating:
Summary: The Book With No Ending
Review: After diligently reading the over-descriptive pages and pages and pages of this disappointing book (I loved the Secret History), I was angry at the ending which left the reader hanging with nothing but questions to ask the author. Talk about FRUSTRATING!!!!! What happened to Harriet? How about her parents? Did they go back with each other? Who killed her brother? Did Harriet really have epilepsy? Did the police ever find out what happened? I agree with some of the other reviewers that the character descriptions were well-written but they led you nowhere and the book was entirely too long because of these. And the question of the year.....What the heck does the title mean? What's with the doll? Who's the "little friend". Arghhhh! Sorry, Donna. Can't recommend this one. Try again.
Rating: 
Summary: sorely disappointed
Review: I have a hard time believing this book was written by the same person who wrote "The Secret History". It took me nearly two weeks to drag through several tedious subplots to finally discover there is no ending. I agree with a previous reviewer, this book definitely needed the aid of an editor.
Rating:
Summary: am i missing it?
Review: as many other reviewers have noted, this is quite a let down after The Secret History. i've been anxiously awaiting this book, and now that i've closed it for the last time, i can't recall why. the writing was, indeed, intelligent and respectful, and the characters were remarkably developed, but where the heck did that story come from and where did the plot go? am i missing the point? i kept trying to make predictions and was so looking forward to clarification, but this ending - this whole story- was just a lot of description heading nowhere. i'm disappointed. i feel betrayed. i can't even figure out what the title means! while The Secret History left me feeling like i'd been privy to the secret lives of intellectuals - and therefore a bit of an intellectual myself (though i was only 23 when i read it) - this left me feeling like a bad judge of character. i'll keep reading the reviews to find out what deep message i overlooked. there must be one...there must!
Rating:
Summary: One Disappointed Classicist
Review: First, I'd like to emphasize that I loved The Secret History. I've waited years for Tartt's second book, but I found it something of a let-down. I suppose this is mostly because I enjoyed Secret so much and I was expecting more of the same (I'm an academic and a classicist, and I was thrilled with the way Tartt brought my field to life). The Little Friend is cute enough, but, my own obscure interests aside, it just doesn't compare to Secret History (first novel or not, Ms. Tartt).
Rating:
Summary: The first 400 pages were slow, but then it got OK...
Review: If you liked "Secret History," then go read it again! Don't read this. This was a hugely disappointing second novel. I loved "Secret History" and its rich characters and yummy details and great plot. This novel just plodded along with characters that you didn't care about or what to learn about. The book crawled along, but the last few chapters were OK. A decent payoff for the labor of surviving the first 400 pages. In a nut shell: Skip this book and re-read "Secret History."
Rating:
Summary: ultimately disappointing
Review: If I hadn't placed such high expectations as I did for the follow-up to "The Secret History" it's hard to say how much I would have enjoyed this book. It wasn't bad, but wasn't very good either. However, in the shadow of "The Secret History" it definitely disappointed me. It was too lengthy, and as far as the plot went, in my opinion, it was rather mediocre. This could have been a great book, I think. It had a lot of promise, but all in all I wasn't that impressed.
|
