The hugely anticipated new novel by the author ofThe Secret History--a best-seller nationwide and around the world, and one of the most astonishing debuts in recent times--The Little Friendis even more transfixing and resonant. In a small Mississippi town, Harriet Cleve Dusfresnes grows up in the shadow of her brother, who--when she was only a baby--was found hanging dead from a black-tupelo tree in their yard. His killer was never identified, nor has his family, in the years since, recovered from the tragedy. For Harriet, who has grown up largely unsupervised, in a world of her own imagination, her brother is a link to a glorious past she has only heard stories about or glimpsed in photograph albums. Fiercely determined, precocious far beyond her twelve years, and steeped in the adventurous literature of Stevenson, Kipling, and Conan Doyle, she resolves, one summer, to solve the murder and exact her revenge. Harriet's sole ally in this quest, her friend Hely, is devoted to her, but what they soon encounter has nothing to do with child's play: it is dark, adult, and all too menacing. A revelation of familial longing and sorrow,The Little Friendexplores crime and punishment, as well as the hidden complications and consequences that hinder the pursuit of truth and justice. A novel of breathtaking ambition and power, it is rich in moral paradox, insights into human frailty, and storytelling brilliance.
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Publisher:
New York : Knopf, 2002.
Edition:
1st ed.
ISBN:
9780679439387
0679439382
9781400031696
0679439382
9781400031696
Branch Call Number:
FIC TARTT
Characteristics:
555 p. ; 24 cm.
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Add a CommentA young girl struggling to come to terms with her brothers death while growing up in a dysfunctional family. A little long winded but an absorbing look into the mind of a fiesty determined child.
The hatred some people have for this book is so surprising to me! It is every bit as well written as "The Secret History" and "The Goldfinch" and I would have to say that Harriet Cleve Dufresnes is arguably the most likable protagonist I have yet to come across.
While I enjoyed the book, I was completely dissatisfied and surprised by the weak ending. I felt cheated. I enjoyed her writing enough to try The Goldfinch, but haven't completed it yet--so far, so good!
AWFUL. Plot goes nowhere. Ms Tartt rambles on forever then suddenly, the book just ends. The editor should have said cut a lot of the irrelevant writing that has nothing to do with the storyline or add an epilogue to tie it all together and give a sense of closure (Maybe she was considering a sequel). I've read a lot of books and this is the worst one I've read!
I too did not finish it. I had to return it on its due date, but had no regret, since the story seemed at a point where it could well end -- at the end of chapter five.
The author is an excellent writer no doubt, I just can't finish her books..yet. I'm waiting on the "Goldfinch".
It seems to me the main story gets lost in the endless details, and some readers like that, others do not.
I can see why some readers say they couldn't finish it and why some may be disappointed when they do. That said Donna Tartt is a readers writer and this story is a period piece and a satisfying slice of life from a young girl's perspective.
I loved The Secret History but I couldn't finish this book. However, that won't stop me from borrowing Goldfinch when it's released. She can write, no doubt about that. I just couldn't get into The Little Friend.
Set in the 1970s in Mississippi, this story contains racial stereotypes and is cliched. At 555 pages, the author takes too long to tell her story. I felt no motivation to finish it.
This is a very good book, well written and funny. I really liked "The Secret History" and so tried this one. The author really manages to evoke a sense of plac and time and i absolutely adored the main character. Be prepared to finish the book with some central questions left unanswered.