KULTURAnjali MariampillaiWeb EditorPhoto: Anjali MariampillaiBook reviewThe Secret HistoryandThe Picture of Dorian Grey42
Leaves, in crimson red and fiery orange, are pouring down everystreet corner, as the autumn season comes upon us. What better todo in this cozy and cold weather, than pick up a book or two? Andlet me tell you, you will not want to put these down. The Picture ofDorian Gray and The Secret History, both fall in the same category;what the kids these days call “dark academia” (Pinterest is full ofthis, search it up). Both books embody a similar aesthetic, calling tomind images of old literature, of candlewax dripping down stakes,distant music floating up from unseen from pianos, big librariesat old colleges, dark and stormy weather, academic madness, thebeauty of poetry and ancient languages, and wearing long trenchcoats and scarves. You get the gist of it? Great, let’s dive into thespecifics.In my opinion, no one combines poetry and drama quite likeOscar Wilde, and he does this beautifully in The Picture of DorianGray. The book tells the story of a young man, Dorian Gray, aquite handsome one at that, getting his portrait painted. He is sofascinated with his own beauty, that he makes a wish – that all themarks of age in his life will only show up on the portrait, and noton his own face, and thus, he will never physically age. With thiswish, our young man thrives upon his everlasting beauty, but alsomust face the consequences of his wilting morality. Throughout thebook, we find Dorian in different situations, where he is faced withthe perks and faults of his beauty, and for how long can he keephis composure? The two most important side characters we get tomeet are Basil Hallward, the painter, and of course the infamousSir Henry Wotton, a lord with questionable morals and a little toomuch pride. Both characters have a lot to say in this horrifyinglymagnetic story.College. From his narrative, we get to know Julian, the professor ofhis Greek studies class, and the six students in this very exclusiveand tightly-knit class. The prologue, which features the death of oneof the characters kicks off the whole thing, and the rest of the booklets us in on the mystery of how these students ended up there. Weget to experience from Richard’s perspective, how jealousy, power,and betrayal can result in amorality, waves of guilt, and even death.The book is a slow burn, it takes time to get to the really thrillingparts, and to be honest, I almost gave up on the first try. However,when I finally got to said parts, it was impossible to put this bookaway. Author Donna Tartt does an incredible job of keep the readeron the edge of their seat. Even the smallest details, and the thoughtprocess of this main character makes you wonder. Each characterfeels so relatable, that it leaves you wondering why? Are youmorally sound? Why does this feel like something I shouldn’t beagreeing with? These questions will keep you up at night have youreading this book.As you probably get by now, these books explore the same themes,but in very different and interesting ways. Both are definitelyconsidered classics, The Secret History being a more modern onethan The Picture of Dorian Gray. Both of these books have suchrelatable characters, but at the same time you both love them andhate them. However, these books are incredibly thrilling to thisday. If you love the dark academia sub-genre, you will love these.The thrill of reading about characters descending into madness,questioning every waking moment up until insanity, it really keepsyou up at night flipping page after page.What makes this book so interesting for me, is how it brings youface to face with your own sense of self. When you learn aboutthese characters, you also start looking into yourself. Why do wesympathise with characters who are so morally wrong? Is thiswhat the author wants us to feel, or am I a bad person? These aresome of the questions you will be sitting with after turning the lastpage. The language in this book is also extraordinarily beautiful.Wilde writes in the way old love letters are written. Every line ofhis work oozes with flowery poetry, and I absolutely love it. It isworth mentioning the way the author discusses the concept of artin the preface. If that preface doesn’t reel you into the story, then Idon’t know what will.For some, this might be a heavy book to get into, as it can feelslow-paced, but I promise you, once you get used to reading thevery poetic language you’ll dive into a world of art, misery, death,poetry and all the things that come with them. Being somewhat ofpoet myself, I think it is quite natural that this book is one of myfavourites. We do thrive in misery.The Secret History explores the same themes as the previous book,but arguably in a much more brutal manner. In this book you’refaced with young students who in the midst of learning Greek andLatin at college, find themselves turning evil in a way that is notforeseen. The story, which is set in the 1980’s follows the protagonistRichard Papen, a literary student, in his journey through HampdenOCTOBER 2022 UNIKUM NR 8 43
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