Sometimes I randomly remember Henry Winter didn't take the SATs for not being "aesthetically pleasing" and I wonder why I am studying in a field I am not interested in and wasting my life away; then it also hits me that Henry Winter was also rich as fuck and he can afford that.
Dark Academia is pretty in theory; it's too expensive for regular people. We can't go to exclusive colleges and do degrees in ancient languages and fine arts.
No wonder I read books to feed those desires I could never afford in real life.
Bunny: Would you guys be there for me if I was going through something?
Richard: Nope, absolutely not.
Camilla : I hope it sucks, whatever you're going through.
Charles : I hope it emotionally scars you for the rest of your life.
Francis: I hope you reach out to me so I can ignore you.
Henry: I can't wait to go to your funeral, knowing I could've changed that outcome.
Bunny:....
Francis: Rules are made to be broken.
Henry: They were made to be followed. Nothing is made to be broken.
Richard : Uh, piñatas.
Charles : Glow sticks.
Camilla: Karate boards.
Bunny: Spaghetti when you have a small pot.
Francis: Rules.
Henry:
Personally, after I have read TSH a million times, and I DON'T like any of them.
Richard is pretentious liar, who may be making up the entire story, who knows.
Henry.....I am not even gonna explain his faults. I still love him tho (I don't like him, it's a love/hate relationship).
Francis, used to be my favourite because I imagined him looking like Timothée Chalamet but now that I think, he wasn't much great either (although I still consider him more likeable than others, but that might be my delusion or want to find one good character).
Camilla is a mystery. I don't know anything about her and I don't trust Richard and how he made her the saint of the group. I know she is a fan favourite, I just don't get her, we see so little of her personality! What is this girlie thinking? (she could've made a great twist villain)
Charles. I know he was used as the "scapegoat" in the book but if he was the way he acted in the last chapters. I hate him.
Bunny, somehow the most normal one, makes my skin crawl with his words. I am conflicted about his murder.
What if all of them are red flags? (Kinda are)
Ps: I didn't put "none of them" because I knew it would get the most votes.
I want to read a fanfiction about Henry and Richard being an AU version of Sherlock and Watson.
The scene where Richard tells Henry about the moon landing and Sherlock telling Watson he doesn't know the earth revolves around the sun are just......
💫perfection💫
Imagine the shenanigans they will get into. Henry being the smartass who doesn't know how the metro works (or the modern world to an extent) and Richard being his babysitter/oblivious partner (who doesn't know what the fuck is happening) and they are roommates! (Omg, they were roommates)
They even have the same unresolved homoerotic tension like Sherlock and Watson.
Ps: Richard used to study Medicine in the past and Watson is a Doctor....boom
I just realised how much I disliked Bunny (on my first read) because of his personality and not any of the others who ended up killing him.
We all collectively agreed
"I can excuse murder, but I draw the line at homophobia"
"You can excuse murder?"
Can we talk about how Richard thinks of Judy Poovey as a weirdo, when she is less chaotic and insane than all of the Greek gang members.
Judy Poovey didn't do rituals in the forest that involved a bacchanal, searching for Dionysus.
Judy Poovey didn't push her best friend off a cliff.
Judy Poovey didn't cover up two murders for aesthetically pleasing reasons.
She is the most sane person out of all of them.
On the other hand, everyone that is not in the Greek class, thinks of them as the weirdos, which just shows how something that is cool and sane for one person can't be for another.
The difference between my feelings towards "If We Were Villains" and "The Secret History" is completely opposite
When I read "If We Were Villains" I cry at how tragic the story is and when I read "The Secret History" I scream:
WHAT THE FUCK RICHARD, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY REDISTRIBUTION OF MATTER, HENRY?
WHAT IS CHARLES DOING SLEEPING IN A FUCKING SNAIL?
COCAINE IN PARKING LOT OF BURGER KING? EXCUSE ME WHAT?
The tragedy of TSH is the characters, I find IWWV more compelling in that department since the characters are more likeable. But the story and writing of TSH is so good! Both have their different charms and I appreciate both of them.
Ps: I think Oscar Wilde would have enjoyed both immensely if he could have read them.
Some happy TSH Headcanons:
Henry and Bunny bonded because they are both flat-earthers (sometimes they like to talk about it in front of Francis just to annoy him)
Camilla likes to grow flowers and Henry helps her in gardening.
Bunny likes to throw surprise birthday parties for his friends (they end up paying the bill).
Charles and Francis do role-play when they are bored.
Richard likes reading books a lot and since he isn't able to afford many, Henry gives him all his old copies.
Francis goes to Richard whenever he is sick ("I think I have Cholera" "You don't have Cholera, Francis")
Camilla and Francis bake together, they like gossiping about boys.
Charles calls Richard whenever he is drunk since no one else picks his phone (they know better).
Francis brought a house in Paris, he visits art galleries and boutiques.
Francis and Richard remain good friends despite their distances.
Camilla is secretly Julian's favourite student.
Bunny has a key to Henry's house because he sleeps there when Marion is mad at him.
Charles loves Champagne icecream, Camilla loves apricots (idk why but she looks like an apricot girlie)
Henry bought a Gucci bag for Francis's birthday ("Damnit Henry" "Why, I think it's rather grand!!!" )
Charles and Camilla have similar tastes in fashion, they buy their clothes together.
Henry keeps a detailed account of his every interaction with Julian.
Richard often forgets to eat, so Camilla always keeps something for him.
Henry respects Francis and considers him to be smarter than him at times.
First time reading The Secret History: A tragedy
Re-reading The Secret History: A comedy
I was laughing so hard when Bunny asked Henry what they all were doing up there, and FREAKING Henry Winter just says "Why, looking for new ferns"
He didn't have to say anything to Bunny. But Henry had to be dramatic before pushing his "best friend" to his death didn't he?
Henry Winter had a chance to be poetic and he was.
Richard: hehe....do you think Charles and Camilla are fucking eachother?
Francis: yes
Richard: *spits drink out* I was just kidding
Francis: we are all fucking eachother, when will you realise that?
(ps: I was clutching my imaginary pearls when that revelation happened)
Re-read TSH.....AGAIN
Here are some weird/wtf/sad moments and details I had forgotten:
•Henry wrote a diary entry about murdering a guy 🤨.
•then forgets that Bunny is capable enough to translate the diary entries and find out about the murder.
•Richard has a random thought about r-wording Camilla out of nowhere (*What the fuck Richard vine plays in the background*) 😳.
•The first time Richard sees the twins he thinks they are a couple..........hmm (I was sus about that from the start) 😶.
•Richard had two pages of internal monologue about Henry being gay.
•There was broken stuff in the twins dorm, which was due to Charles trashing the house whenever he is mad at Camilla (FUCK CHARLES).
•Franics was making passes at Richard multiple times.
•Francis and Camilla kissed for some reason, twice.
•Richard only studied greek before to have a language class that's in the afternoon so he could sleep late in the morning (sometimes I feel like he survives only on pure instinct).
•Richard was constantly finassing his employer.
•Henry and Charles were ready to throw hands at Judy (do NOT touch the queen you freaks).
•Henry planned multiple murder options for Bunny (💫dumb ways to die💫).
•Richard had no problem being an accomplice in murder for people he barely knows.
•Bunny drops multiple hints about the murder the others did early on.
•Nobody tried to save Camilla way before if they knew Charles's controlling nature (Henry taking her away was the best thing he ever did).
•Camilla and Henry had secret telephone codes.
•Francis was forced to have a lavender marriage 😭.
•all of this shit went down during one academic year.
•Camilla's whole purpose was to give storylines to Henry, Charles and Richard. She deserved so much better than that. And I don't want her to ever stay around any of the guys of the group (except for Francis).
•Julian was blissfully aware of the obsessive nature of his students, and not only encouraged it but directly lit the fire that caused them to become who they are. (He tried to pull a John Keating from DPS, but he could NEVER be the Dark Academia teacher icon)
BONUS:
Tally of the members of the greek gang who have kissed eachother (NOT COUNTING THE BACCHANAL, where they all fucked.....Idk what happens in a bacchanal, I am too scared to research)
Camilla: 4 (Henry, Francis, Charles, Richard)
Francis: 3 (Charles, Camilla, Richard)
Richard: 2 (Francis, Camilla)
Charles: 2 (Francis, Camilla)
Henry: 1 (Camilla)
Bunny: 0 (RIP, I guess 😅)
Richard: Francis has such pretty hands, he is like a dainty teenage girl, he is so kissable.
Richard: Henry looks cool af, his eyebrows, his posture, his glasses....ah
Richard: Charles is the best looking one though, he is like an angel on earth, 10/10.
Richard: what are you talking about, I am completely straight......I like Camilla 🙄
Henry: This year, I lost my dear friend Bunny Concoran.
Bunny: stop telling everyone I am dead
Henry: you just wait :)
Henry: I have a plan!
Richard: you always have a plan, bless you.
Francis: does this plan involve murder in any way?
Henry:......I no longer have a plan.
How Gay do you want your books to be?
Dark academia authors: Yes.
How I wish it had gone:
Richard: you know, smoking is bad for you....
Francis: shut the fuck up, bitch. I KNOW SMOKING IS BAD FOR HEALTH. Thanks to you keep reminding me that. Henry fucking killed Bunny and all you care about is if I have lung cancer, you douchebag????
Camilla: Francis, it's okay...
Richard: I was just saying....
Francis: You have no problem with the amount of alcohol we consume on daily? We are all alcoholics, take drugs and murder people!
Charles: shhh...
Henry:........can anyone stop him please, I am getting a headache.
Francis: I just have a lot of feelings.
Henry: let's kill Bunny.
Francis: sounds good
Charles: no problemo
Camilla: I don't care if you do
Richard:....okay? Yay, killing bunny!!!
Me: YOU ARE GONNA COVER UP A MURDER BY ANOTHER MURDER????? I KNOW WE HATE HIM,BUT MURDER, HENRY SERIOUSLY! AND RICHARD WHY ARE YOU EVEN TRYING TO GET INVOLVED???? DIDN'T YOU COME HERE FOR THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE, IS MURDER A COLLEGE EXPERIENCE????
Also, me: wait I already knew Bunny was getting killed why I am so surprised.....I had forgotten it was coming?
Also, me: fuck Bunny, let's kill him!
Julian: I don't understand young people nowadays, all they ever do is drugs!!! Disgusting.
Richard: *after taking Coke, LSD, random pills, probably meth, and other drugs* I know right! Tell me about it!
James giving Oliver a "not so brotherly kiss": YES GO!!!!! I AM SO HAPPY! FINALLY! MY SHIP HAS SAILED!
Charles giving Camilla a "not so brotherly kiss": ........WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS BOOK
Bunny: so what do we have for lunch....
Henry:.....wine
Bunny: I meant something we can eat.
Charles: which drug do you like? I don't have much on me but we can buy some.
Bunny: that's not what a human should have for lunch
Franics: I do the coffee, cigarettes and Maraschino Cherries diet, you wanna try?
Bunny: what the....
Camilla: we could have had some lamb chops but we don't have it anymore.
Bunny: why?
Camilla: we had to sacrifice the lamb during a ritual and bathe in its blood
Bunny: you know what I would rather be dead by eating grilled cheese sandwich and milkshake than hang out with you weirdos anymore
Looks like a cinnamon roll, is actually a cinnamon roll: Richard Papen
Looks like they could kill you, is actually a cinnamon roll: Francis Abernathy
Looks like a cinnamon roll, could actually kill you: Charles Macaulay
Looks like they could kill you, could actually kill you: Henry Winter
Could kill you by feeding you too many cinnamon rolls: Camilla Macaulay
Does not deserve cinnamon rolls, will actually get killed: Bunny Concoran
The Secret History × If We Were Villains
Where it's just Detective Colborne finding Richard and asking him about the two murders and Henry Winter's suicide.
Colborne: So you also did all this for the person you loved?
Richard: Nah, I did it for the 💫 Aesthetics💫
Colborne, to himself: this one is even worse than Oliver Marks.
Basically how Bunny's death went:
Henry: knock knock!
Bunny: who's there?
Henry: push!
Bunny: push, who?
Henry: push you!
Francis, Camilla, Charles, Richard: *gasp* anyways----
Julian: so you killed two people?
Henry: you can justify anything, if you do it poetically enough
Francis *wishpers*: wrong fandom Henry.
Richard's unhinged energy is the most entertaining part for me beside the murders. Like the guy is an inspiration for chaotic people. He lies about his family life, pretends his rich father has business in oil (who irl has a petrol pump), lies to his part time employer to get money, goes on a 90s teen movie shopping spree, takes any free item from Judy, lies about going to a prep school, lives on a diet of wine and more wine, takes any pill anyone gives him, joins a cultish greek gang, lets Bunny die an aesthetically pleasing death and not to forget.....does cocaine in the parking lot of Burger King.
The reason I always thought there was something more to Camilla than what we read is because the book is from the perspective of Richard who was supposed to be in love with her.
I always got some unsettling energy from the twins, they were just too perfect at the start. By the end of the 2nd part it had changed when Charles showed his real colours. But Camilla throughout the story remained the only person to not have a flip of personality. Francis sheds off his "too cool for you" persona and becomes close with Richard. Henry....well Henry after killing Bunny stops functioning a little. Even Julian is no long the John Keating of the story but a normal person who as soon as found out his students killed two people, left them alone (what would you have done in that situation?)
I thought it was strange that Camilla never became anything more than a girl Richard liked, and later connected with Henry and Charles. I wished so much more for the character to be than that. And after the reveal of her and Henry's relationship (after Henry orchestrated Bunny's murder) I felt like Camilla has a dark side that Richard just ignored to portray her as the best of them. She seemed to be hiding something all the time.
I don't think she is a bad person, not at all. I think she has a more complex personality than being the goddess of a person Richard portrayed her to be. The amount of abuse she went through since childhood must have had some effect on her as a person. She didn't really deserved any of the guys. I wished in the end she would have just said "Stop!" And left all of them.
I would have liked to know more about Camilla, we don't get any insight to her at all, which made her not really my favourite character (especially during my first time reading when I was waiting for her to change a bit like everyone else)
Reading TSH again and again and finding out more details and theories is always fun.
Like the fact the entire story happened because Bunny wasn't able to fast for some more time and got caught eating.
Or that no one would have found Bunny's death suspicious if it hadn't snowed
Or that Henry tried to frame Richard by making him write the calculations for the posion mushrooms
Or that Richard thought of murder as poetic as a coping mechanism
Or that none of these horrible things would have happened to Richard if he hadn't picked up the pretty brochure.
(edited after a re-read)
The setting of TSH confused me at first. I thought it was taking place in the 50s as Richard's language sounded very pretentious. Then there's no mention of any pop culture making it hard to pin point which decade it takes place in. Then slowly we start to see that it's not that old with more mentions of new things. Despite that I wasn't sure when it was happening until I found out that Henry didn't knew that moon landing actully happened so it was probably in the 70's or 80's.
I wish Henry had lived long enough to find out there's 8 planets not 9. He reminds me a bit of Sherlock and how neither of them concerned themselves with whatever was happening in the world and cared about only what they thought was important.
And not to forget Richard is looking back at his college years and the events were not happening at the same time. So it is possible the way he tells the story is to hide a lot of details, or maybe he just forgot all the details. The romanticized way he puts most things always felt to me like a bandage on a wound as if he was covering the darker parts of the story. Almost all the characters are gay to an extent, as if Donna was trying to just confuse us which I think fits for what the story is about. Personally I don't eaxctly ship any of them lol. Francis's sexuality was always considered by everyone as gay but it's not ever confirmed that he can bi or pan or something else.
I put the book down and put my hands on my mouth when we got the incest reveal, it made me....sick. It wasn't that shocking since Richard literally thought they were a couple before he was told they were twins. It was Charles's dark side reveal that shocked me and disgusted me more (thank god, Henry took her away from Charles at the right time). I also think the reason Charles was obsessed with Camilla might be because of the greek thing, maybe he took Julian's greek ideals to heart. I also think Henry and Camilla as a couple isn't really romantic (it could be seen as one) but it seemed quite mild incomparison to what others were up to.
This book is so messy. It keeps me up at night. The problem is I don't know anyone who has read it near me, so these hcs keep me alive.
So, for my sanity. Let me get this straight (lol); Henry was in love with Camilla and she was in love with him. And Richard was also in love with Camilla but she friendzoned him. Francis and Camilla had kissed (twice) and Charles was furious. Francis was flirting with Richard the entire time ( "cubitum eamus") Richard fantasized about spending his old years with Francis (and they kissed ofc). Richard also described Henry in a very no homo way. Francis and Charles were secretly hooking up. And so were Charles and Camilla (also, Charles was an abuser, why don't people talk about that more?). Richard described Camilla to look very masculine and like Charles to a tee, so he also liked Charles (?). Bunny was a huge homophobe, kinda sus; also had a strange interest in Henry. And Henry was probably in love with Julian (that little weird kiss mentioned ounce). I am a missing something?
Donna. Donna. Donna, what tf is this book is about?