Tartt, kormantic, and Sappho

[prillalar]

So, the other day kormantic asked me if I'd read The Secret History by Donna Tartt. When I said I hadn't, she convinced me to A. read the book and B. do a Classics beta for the fic she'd written about it.

I'm glad I did both. The novel is a seductive combination of exquisite prose and soap-opera-esque plotting about a class of Greek scholars at college. It's a mystery. It's a tragedy. It's a psychological thriller. It's nothing like my own uni Classics experience, but it made me long to be back in class, reading Homer and Euripides and Horace and even Cicero.

kormantic's fic, Artemis, Apollo, Orion, tells part of the story we see the shape of in the novel but never quite the whole picture. It must be read, but if you've not read the novel, read that first as the fic will spoil all the plot points.

I should note that kormantic's remark about my arduous beta labour is vastly overstated. Mostly, I said things like "use 'Athene' instead of 'Athena'" and gaped enviously at her staggering vocabulary, keen insight, and finely crafted prose.

As I'm now in a Greek frame of mind, here's a fragment of Sappho, both translated and transliterated by me.

Eros d'etinaxe moi
phrenas, os anemos kat oros drusin empeton.

Eros shook my heart, like the wind from the mountains rushing down through the oaks.

She had a way with words, don't you think?

Comments

you're far too kind to me, little girl

[kormantic.livejournal.com]

Mmm, Sappho.

I thank you thank you for your help, and I grin at your shameless pimping of my fic.

You're good people.

Re: you're far too kind to me, little girl

[prillalar]

The pimping is well-deserved, cupcake. I bask in the reflected glory. :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/kissed_/]

Hello! wickedcherub recommended you to me as a great person to befriend, so I thought I'd friend you, if that's okay :)

I've read The Secret History and think it's brilliant, by the way :)

[prillalar]

Hey, cool! Go ahead, no need to ask first. :)

And if you liked TSH, you really should read kormantic's fic -- it's amazingly good.

[mylexie.livejournal.com]

I'm reading the secret history now, though I'm currently not reading much for relaxation. I hopeto finish it this week, so I can finally give Maartje her copy back. And I'm totally loving it. :) (don't ask, it normally doesn't take me more than a day or two to read a book, but studying's necessary at the moment)

Afterwards I'll read the fic :)

[prillalar]

Cool! I found the book to be pretty claustrophobic reading, in a way. Since I didn't have to study, I basically read straight through. I had to finish it but it almost made me feel a little nauseous, actually.

[mylexie.livejournal.com]

I know. But I really can't afford it to read it now - see my LJ post on that colloquium I have to take *shudders*

Have you read The Little Friend yet? I've heard that it's not as compelling...