recommend a book(s) similar to The Secret History or American Gods
i am in a bit of a reading slump. i love the vibe of the secret history/unreliable narrator. for american gods, i think a lot of it is just the mystery/pace.
– **American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis** (unreliable narrator. Also, Ellis was friends with Tartt during her time in college and allegedly inspired Bunny’s character)
– **Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay** (has that similar nostalgic, dreamlike vibe. Also takes place at a school. Has a mystery element as well as a similar exploration of grief and guilt.)
– **The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt** (This is incredibly short at only 70 pages. It’s sharply written. Has that opulence and pretentiousness that The Secret History is known for. Also, the narrator intentionally omits information, as Richard does in The Secret History.)
Natasharoxy on
I also love The Secret History. A lot of people recommend If We Were Villains as it has similar themes, but honestly it’s just a rubbish rip off IMHO, so wouldn’t recommend it.
Some books I feel have similar vibes:
Eileen – Otessa Moshfegh
Fingersmith – Sarah Waters (not that similar but it’s great and has an unreliable narrator / lots of twists and turns)
Fates and Furies – Lauren Groff
The Paper Palace – Miranda Cowley Heller
Notes on a Scandal – Zoe Heller
mistermanhat on
{{The Old Guard by Greg Rucka}}
EleventhofAugust on
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio is very similar to Secret History.
4 Comments
The Secret History is one of my favorite books.
I’d recommend:
– **American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis** (unreliable narrator. Also, Ellis was friends with Tartt during her time in college and allegedly inspired Bunny’s character)
– **Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay** (has that similar nostalgic, dreamlike vibe. Also takes place at a school. Has a mystery element as well as a similar exploration of grief and guilt.)
– **The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt** (This is incredibly short at only 70 pages. It’s sharply written. Has that opulence and pretentiousness that The Secret History is known for. Also, the narrator intentionally omits information, as Richard does in The Secret History.)
I also love The Secret History. A lot of people recommend If We Were Villains as it has similar themes, but honestly it’s just a rubbish rip off IMHO, so wouldn’t recommend it.
Some books I feel have similar vibes:
Eileen – Otessa Moshfegh
Fingersmith – Sarah Waters (not that similar but it’s great and has an unreliable narrator / lots of twists and turns)
Fates and Furies – Lauren Groff
The Paper Palace – Miranda Cowley Heller
Notes on a Scandal – Zoe Heller
{{The Old Guard by Greg Rucka}}
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio is very similar to Secret History.