The hugely anticipated new novel by the author of "The Secret History" is "an elegant, edifying work of art" ("Entertainment Weekly"). Even more transfixingly suspenseful than its predecessor, this is a dark work of lost childhood, rich in moral paradox, as a 12-year-old Mississippi girl sets out to find her brother's murderer.
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The hugely anticipated new novel by the author of "The Secret History" is "an elegant, edifying work of art" ("Entertainment Weekly"). Even more transfixingly suspenseful than its predecessor, this is a dark work of lost childhood, rich in moral paradox, as a 12-year-old Mississippi girl sets out to find her brother's murderer.
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Add this copy of The Little Friend to cart. $4.84, good condition, Sold by Zoom Books Company rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Lynden, WA, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Vintage Books USA.
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Add this copy of The Little Friend to cart. $5.64, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Vintage Books USA.
Tartt's second novel was well worth the wait. Part Flannery O'Connor, part Harper Lee, THE LITTLE FRIEND is beautifully written. It's moody, tense, vivid, and incredibly satisfying. You must read this book.
bookboy
Jun 19, 2007
Don't expect another Secret History
If you were one of those who read Tartt's brilliant The Secret History and waited ten years for her second novel don't expect another rehash of the same.
Instead, Donna Tartt offers up a sultry story of Southern mores reminiscent of Harper Lee or Carson McCullers. Donna Tartt (whom I happened to meet at a reading for this novel) said that she is highly influenced by Flannery O'Connor and if you're familiar with O'Connor's work you will know that O'Connor writes very dark material and has a tendency of ending her stories in a distinctly trademark manner.
Tartt follows suit and the only beef I could find with the novel is trying to pinpoint exactly what decade this occurs. One scene describes a character as having the afro of a Black man, white bell-bottoms and a corduroy suit jacket giving the feeling that this takes place in the early to mid 70s. Another scene has a character making a brief reference to the yellow fever outbreak back in '79 making it possible for this novel to take place in the early 80s. I'm hard pressed to tell when The Little Friend occurs.
Plot isn't the driving force here, instead the characters are. If you prefer plot development over character development then this isn't the novel for you. Essentially, this is a novel about loss: the loss of childhood innocence, the loss of loved ones, the loss of friendships. Tartt's prose is so intense, I could feel Harriet's sense of hopelessness and despair as the world she knows changes and falls apart around her. Who doesn't remember as a child when you begin to understand the harsh realities of life? When you're faced with Death for the first time? When you begin to realize that you're no longer a child anymore and that the world can be an ugly place?
The story in a nutshell: Harriet's brother is murdered when she is a baby. 12 years later her family has fallen apart. Dad is never home, on the verge on leaving the family and Mom is a alcoholic stuck in time not fully recovered from the murder of her son. 12 year old Harriet decides if she can slove the murder she can restore her family. Soon after she opens up a Pandora's box of secrets and suspense.
Donna Tartt once again writes a thought provoking and compelling novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. Her characters are very real and she tells a gripping, page turning, roller coaster ride of a tale with a nailbiting climax. Donna Tartt truly is an inspiration to me (which I had the pleasure of telling her). I highly anticipate her next novel.
