I have mixed feelings about this book, hence the average rating. 

On the positive side, the writing was beautiful. It wasn't just jammed with purple prose. It had a very poetic or even lyrical quality that I really enjoyed reading. I'm not a literary genius, so this seems strange to say, but I especially noticed and appreciated the use of metaphors. They weren't overused or repeated. Instead, they were apt descriptions that avoided the realm of cliche. Adding depth to the text and character that might have been missing otherwise. 

Another point of positivity goes towards the obvious amount of research that had to go into this. You get a sense that the author has a love of the classics and geek. That admiration, whether purposeful or genuine, came through the text and helped to entice my curiosity. This aspect could have come across even more pretentious than it was, so I'll give props for that. 

On the flip side, there is so much about the story and characters that I question. From the set-up to the ending, I wondered why. I questioned everything. None of it seems believable. My brain can't stop picking it apart. Sometimes, I can enjoy or even love an ambiguous story. Here, it made the story seem longer and slower than it actually was. It's less a mystery and more a vague, biased, and compromised explanation of a toxic academic life. 

I wanted to learn a secret history, but instead, I ended up with an uncommunicative one. 

All in all, it was a decent read. It's just not something I would recommend. Hence, mixed feelings.