As I’m probably the last person to read this, I’ll go about this differently. I can see how this is the forerunner of modern popular fiction. While it is an entertaining read, it is completely lacking in any substance. The focus is entirely on plot, and Tartt is a good writer, so she is able to keep her plot compelling from page to page with name dropping and window dressing. Her characters are not modern-day manifestations of the ancient Greek mythologies; they are simply characters that like Greek mythology. They’re forgettable, perhaps because instead of her characters reliving the anguish from guilt found in “Crime and Punishment,” Tartt chooses simply to add a quote from Raskolnikov. Aside from said quote, Charles’ deterioration arguably isn’t even associated with guilt, but with jealousy. Tartt misses another shot at depth with the search for a father, which Richard acknowledges concerning a character who was built up to be of mythical proportions and then hardly appeared in the book at all, having practically no effect on the course of the story. Some may argue Julian’s final action impacted Henry’s fate, but, if it is indeed true, Tartt fails to make this connection deliver any impact. The only price these children of privilege pay for their horrible acts are prices of their own choosing. Most people love this book, and although I think it is an entertaining read, I find it less than remarkable. But if it is compared to today’s endless slew of super hero movies and rich girl murder stories, I’m sure it’s at the top of the pile.