Rating: 
Summary: How disappointing...
Review: After recently finishing The Secret History by DT, I eagerly purchased The Little Friend. After such a masterpiece, I was tremendously let down. I read on and on (just as you will do if you loved TSH), hoping and hoping, ending up bitterly enraged at a solid waste of my time. DT's prose is hypnotic. Her characters are deeply engaging, but in the end the denouement evaporates like a death moth to flame. The most satisfying climax may be your own hurling of the book across the room in agonized frustration.
Rating: 
Summary: Evocative but meandering...
Review: I suppose, like many other readers, I had hoped that all of Tartt's novels would be as absorbing as her terrific debut. The Little Friend (significance of the title?) is rather disappointing, especially when you consider what this writer is capable of. I rather got the impression that she wasn't trying. The basic premise of TLF is good, but it is not adequately explored to make this a worthwhile read, regardless of how elegant the prose is. She hardly waits 30 pages before abandoning the plot altogether in favour of a sub-standard drug fiasco and murder. Ultimately, I was left wondering why she had introduced the plot of her brother's murder when she had no intention of following it up. Basically, do not believe what it says on the dust jacket - the book does not explore the hanging of the main character's brother. Such an odd disregard for plotting would have been more bearable had Ms Tartt stuck to her elegant prose style instead of the childish nattering and grating metaphors she employed for TLF. Occasionally there are moments of great writing; the speed-fuelled paranoia of the Radcliff brothers is terrific, as are the few descriptions of Alexandria. Unfortunately the bulk of the prose is limp, condescending and sometimes just plain bad. I know Ms Tartt can do better than this. It might take fifty years and four more misplaced novels, but she'll get back on form. For now, though, The Little Friend is just average fiction. A shame.
Rating: 
Summary: Superb writing. Buy it.
Review: This is a layered book, one that can be read either as a fun, engaging read, or as a deeper commentary. But I think it should be read on the deeper layer, slowly, methodically. The book is not a plot driven mystery. It is literary, intended for an audience who wants to savor, not rush. The characters are intriguing, the storytelling compelling, the voice beautifully controlled, the images nicely rendered. There were moments when the immediate story was left a bit too long for rather lengthy backdrops; nevertheless, at least for me, these strays were not a problem, because I found Ms. Tartt's voice engaging, her characters real and original. Ms Tartt writes intelligent prose and yet she seems to know good literary work doesn't mean nothing happens. The story is about loss, not just the loss of innocence that occurs when childhood crashes headfirst into adult complexity, but all kinds loss associated with change. It is a constant presence. Like the blackbirds Ms. Tart consistently throws into scenes, it flies back into lives, particularly young lives, forcing them into a forward march. The book also seemed to be a commentary on Mississippi in the seventies. It was a society still grieving over its lost wealth (as exemplified by the symbolic presence of Tribulation, a family mansion eventually left in ruin), and a society that didn't seem to embrace the quick suburban development very well. It missed the oaks (that date back to La Salle) that had been ripped away from roots. I thought the coming of age character, Harriet, was terrific. She was a sad girl, someone who desperately needed love, but was left clinging to remnants of it cast her way by Aunts and a black maid who served as a surrogate mother. She had no true father figure. In fact, most men in this book were almost background static. The women were the strength, the force that sustained this girl and perhaps this southern society. Harriet clung to literature (something that represented eternity, the only thing that could not die), survived by using her precocious intellect, but tripped over her emotional immaturity, and this trip made her a wonderfully charming, empathetic girl. She was a misfit, only because society defined her this way. I hated finishing this book (I wanted it to go on!), and towards the end found myself so caught up inside this masterminded world, I felt like a fool. I actually locked myself in the bathroom to get away from family distractions so I could finish the last twenty pages. I sat on the toilet seat, thinking to myself, "God, this Tartt woman. She is a genius." Then I looked up at myself in the mirror, heard my name called in the distance beyond the slow drip of the bathroom faucet and thought, "well, compared to me she is."
Rating:
Summary: A soon-to-be classic
Review: If you're looking for a murder mysery or a replay of The Secret Histoy, this isn't it. But if you're looking for something deeper and more insightful, don't miss this great new novel. Tartt's characters are as real as anything in literature, and her understanding of their world is absolutely masterful. All great novels are ultimately about character, and this book has character to burn. Read it and be amazed.
Rating:
Summary: wtf?
Review: as a teacher, i can only wonder, which book was written by ms. tartt: TSH or TLF? clearly, they were not written by the same person. i stumbled upon TSH a few months ago, and felt like i discovered something special, and i did. TLF is the least entertaining book i've read in a while. i would like a refund.
Rating:
Summary: The only mystery is the hype - WHY???
Review: As the other reviewers have already noted, this was a tiresome, detailed, lengthy read - and, that was only after reading 1/3 of the book. The prologue was great, but, the rest of the story just dragged on and on and on..... In my long history of reading, this in only the second book that I just couldn't finish..... The only reason I stayed with it for 189 pages was so as to not hurt my husband's feeling on his choice of a Christmas present - he was mislead by all the hype also. Don't bother with this one.
Rating:
Summary: A complete waste of time!
Review: The Secret History is one of the best books I have ever read, so after waiting for many years for a new book from Donna Tartt, I was very eager to get my hands on it. When the book arrived I immediately put all other things aside and started reading. However, already during the first 100 pages of The Little Friend I had the feeling this book was not going to be as good as her first one. The story was moving very slowly, with long descriptions and characters I could not relate to at all. After 200 pages I found the book actually boring, but as I had loved The Secret History so much I decided to continue. I just hoped the plot would become more interesting, but that did not happen. There were some interesting parts, but they were few and far apart. All in all I am very disappointed with this book. I am actually not sure if I would ever buy another book from Donna Tartt. The time it took me to read the book was an absolute waste of time, and I would not recommend anybody else to start reading the book.
Rating:
Summary: Who Needs Enemies?
Review: A good book can indeed become a good friend--always there to provide comfort, enjoyment, instruction, and inspiration. Donna Tartt's sophomore effort, THE LITTLE FRIEND, will not be coming out again to play with me anytime soon. Unfortunately, this huge tome will be banished to my shelf of books that are too big for their britches and too smart for their own good. Masquerading as a young-adult novel (it's not a coincidence that the snoopy heroine is named Harriet), while also purporting to be a slice of Southern Gothic (think Faulkner, McCullers, Flannery O'Connor), the end result is a mishmash of style and substance. Envision if FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER were mysteriously mated with Davis Grubb's NIGHT OF THE HUNTER--the boy and girl protagonists (who are lovingly drawn) are poster children for the vices and excesses of the 1970s. They sport the wardrobe, the toys, the slang of that bygone decade; yet the duo always seems to be surrounded by hulking shadows, lurking tree limbs, and poisonous snakes poised to strike. They are Technicolor kids trapped in a never-ending Film Noir. (Emphasis on NEVER ending.) On the snake front, Tartt spends so much time trying to re-create and regurgitate the religious rites of snake-handlers, I half-expected anthropologist Margaret Mead to show up and demand an apology: "Donna, what have you been doing for the past decade? Riffling through my diaries and case studies? Shame on you." Not a very well-thought-out or succinctly edited book. And that, alas, is the only mystery of this 555-page opus. Was anything--a single paragraph--ever deleted by the editor? Was a copy editor allowed to suggest line cuts or word redundancies? Were all the personnel involved cowed by Tartt's prior success? This is not a sweet follow-up to THE SECRET HISTORY. No, like the author's name, this venture is quite tart and quite sour. For those of us who awaited her return to print, we have been hoodwinked. Oh, well, with "little friends" like this, who needs enemies?
Rating:
Summary: Excuse me????
Review: I cannot believe so many readers hated The Little Friend. I loved every minute of it, including the rather weak ending. It was so sad in that the main star, Harriet, dear, smart, darling Harriet, made such a big mistake in who killed her brother. I loved The Secret History, too and I admire Tartt for not being like some of our other prolific American writers who turn out drivel every year or so. Tartt: Please don't wait another ten years to produce another gem like this?????
Rating:
Summary: A Huge Disappointment.
Review: This book is awful. I'm glad I borrowed it from the library. I finished it and was disgusted with how weak the ending was.
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