Dark Academia & The Fall
September 23rd, 2022 / µ
Image © Haute Stock
Great Stories & the Fall
Not even a private primary school in the 1980s, an almost Marxist high school in the 1990s, nor Comparative Literature studies at an über leftish university in Denmark managed to ruin my love for books, stories, and voices – nor my liberal beliefs and outlook on life. It often felt as if they tried, though.
Yes, despite the ludicrous theories I was subjected to in high school and university, such as a gynocritical analysis of Hamlet and a Marxist analysis of Little Red Riding Hood, I still love stories and consider myself a happy bibliophile who does not seek cure or salvation.
This brings us back to the fall: I dare you to find a true bibliophile who does not love the fall, the season that gives you the perfect excuse to cozy up and read – and possibly reread Harry Potter and watch or rewatch You’ve Got Mail, A Rainy Day in New York, or whichever fall movies you love, and all the rest of the fall-ish behavior.
Dark Academia
And one literary genre that screams fall and fall-ish weather is Dark Academia – the campus settings, the old libraries, the academic year, and so on.
And this fall is significant for bibliophiles, especially those who have a thing for Dark Academia:
This fall is the 30th anniversary of The Secret History by Donna Tartt.
Amazon just informed me that my 30th-anniversary edition is on its way. A true nerdish delight.
If you don't know Dark Academia, start with the classic by Donna Tartt. And if you don't know Donna Tartt, here's an interview with one of today's most fascinating writers, in my humble opinion.
“Beauty is rarely soft or consolatory. Quite the contrary. Genuine beauty is always quite alarming.”
Dark academia is a literary genre that has been growing rapidly over the years, expanding into YA and fantasy. I personally prefer Dark Academia novels that are realistic, with one exception, ”Ghosts of Harvard” by Francesca Serritella, for one simple reason: time-pockets and twists are possible if you accept what physicists claim to have discovered, that we live in a multidimensional and multilayer universe.
Yes, I am a literature geek, but I still grew up in a scientific environment around universities with lots of doctors and scientists, and, in terms of exciting nerd info, I was the human equivalent of SpongeBob!
In my opinion, not one of the Dark Academia books written after Donna Tartt wrote ”The Secret History” has reached the level of perfection that “The Secret History” did. It is an amazing book, with so many layers. It is close to perfect.
But everyone’s different, and should judge for themselves. And if you haven’t read the Dark Academia novels that followed “The Secret History,” here are a few examples you might find interesting:
“If We Were Villains” by M. L. Rio
Thanks for reading! I hope you found it valuable and worth your time! Until next time, remember to get your facts straight and that whatever good times you have will never come back as bad times,
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