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The Secret
Iris Surrey seems to have a perfectly normal childhood. She lives with her mother in a rambling wooden house, in a small college town not far from Chicago. But something isn't quite right in her perfect, bell-jar world. There may be something wrong with her mother. Or with her. Or with her mother and her. Small disturbances lead Iris to suspect a deeper peculiarity in the very fabric of her life. Something not quite...natural. Or authentic. But what does that mean? You are what you think you are, aren't you? Who is to judge the nature of your nature, your character, your reality, except you, the subject yourself? Unless you aren't real enough to know in the first place.
In this gripping debut novel, writer Eva Hoffman uses the near future to reflect on the fast-moving present and to explore various kinds of secrets: intimate secrets and family secrets, the kinds of secrets that can be decoded from clues, and the kind that only lead to more tantalizing questions about the nature of consciousness and self-knowledge. This is a philosophical fable about an uncannily powerful mother-daughter bond and a young woman's quest for identity. The Secret explores ancient conundrums of selfhood and the profound challenges posed by contemporary science to our most cherished notions of individuality.
In this gripping debut novel, writer Eva Hoffman uses the near future to reflect on the fast-moving present and to explore various kinds of secrets: intimate secrets and family secrets, the kinds of secrets that can be decoded from clues, and the kind that only lead to more tantalizing questions about the nature of consciousness and self-knowledge. This is a philosophical fable about an uncannily powerful mother-daughter bond and a young woman's quest for identity. The Secret explores ancient conundrums of selfhood and the profound challenges posed by contemporary science to our most cherished notions of individuality.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
About the author
Eva Hoffman
69 books103 followersEva Hoffman is a writer and academic. She was born Ewa Wydra July 1, 1945 in Cracow, Poland after her Jewish parents survived the Holocaust by hiding in the Ukraine. In 1959, during the Cold War, the thirteen years old Eva, her nine years old sister "Alinka" and her parents immigrated to Vancouver, Canada, where her name has been changed to Eva. Upon graduating from high school she received a scholarship and studied English literature at Rice University, Texas in 1966, the Yale School of Music (1967-68), and Harvard University, where she received a Ph.D. in English and American literature in 1974.
Eva Hoffmann has been a professor of literature and creative writing at various institutions, such as Columbia University, the University of Minnesota, and Tufts. From 1979 to 1990, she worked as an editor and writer at The New York Times, serving as senior editor of “The Book Review” from 1987 to 1990. In 1990, she received the Jean Stein Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and in 1992, the Guggenheim Fellowship for General Nonfiction, as well as the Whiting Writers' Award. In 2000, Eva Hoffman has been the Year 2000 Una Lecturer at the Townsend Center for the Humanities at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2008, she was awarded an honorary DLitt by the University of Warwick. Eva leads a seminar in memoir once every two years as a part of CUNY Hunter College's Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing.
She now lives in London.
Her sister, Dr. Alina Wydra is a registered psychologist working in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eva_Hoffman
Eva Hoffmann has been a professor of literature and creative writing at various institutions, such as Columbia University, the University of Minnesota, and Tufts. From 1979 to 1990, she worked as an editor and writer at The New York Times, serving as senior editor of “The Book Review” from 1987 to 1990. In 1990, she received the Jean Stein Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and in 1992, the Guggenheim Fellowship for General Nonfiction, as well as the Whiting Writers' Award. In 2000, Eva Hoffman has been the Year 2000 Una Lecturer at the Townsend Center for the Humanities at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2008, she was awarded an honorary DLitt by the University of Warwick. Eva leads a seminar in memoir once every two years as a part of CUNY Hunter College's Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing.
She now lives in London.
Her sister, Dr. Alina Wydra is a registered psychologist working in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eva_Hoffman
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
July 24, 2023
3.5 stars pretty interesting story. the mother was unlikable in my opinion
April 9, 2016
The secret referred so in the title does not remain one for very long, at least for the reader. However, I would be tempted to think that it is revealed much later for the author, if Hoffman did not so heavy-handedly make references to through out the first 60 or so pages.
Not that the story gets better after the cat and mouse game, where any cat worth its fur would have caught the mouse in the very beginning, when the truth is revealed and the story moves on. Instead the reader gets to endure the endlessly self-reflecting journey of Iris, a young woman who, well, more or less is searching for herself throughout the novel.
The premise of the novel is actually fairly interesting, but the execution leaves much for desire. First, while the idea is based on scientific developments, the discussion of the topic is a fairy tale with no deep thought or research into the matter: instead, we get fearful images not based on anything rational or though-out, in a style that fails to affect you.
Second, for a story discussing the emotional journey of a single person and filled with self-reflection, the writing feels disconnected from its characters. Not only did I have problem believing in the narration (for example, remembering exact things from the memories of childhood without any sense of unrealiability), but also with the feelings of the character. Iris's reactions are either disaffected or overt, ranging from numbness to "the worst teenager ever" rages without emotionally logical background.
Thirdly, this disaffection is perhaps related to the fact that the author seems to be more interested in her own writing than in the novel. The language often reaches for heights, trying to evoke poetic musings and move in dramatic shifts, where it should be concentrating on Iris. What is worse, it fails in its attempts and does not even reach the comical, but stays just plainly on the level of irritating.
Overall, the book is an ambitious attempt, but sadly blows any potential it might have had.
Not that the story gets better after the cat and mouse game, where any cat worth its fur would have caught the mouse in the very beginning, when the truth is revealed and the story moves on. Instead the reader gets to endure the endlessly self-reflecting journey of Iris, a young woman who, well, more or less is searching for herself throughout the novel.
The premise of the novel is actually fairly interesting, but the execution leaves much for desire. First, while the idea is based on scientific developments, the discussion of the topic is a fairy tale with no deep thought or research into the matter: instead, we get fearful images not based on anything rational or though-out, in a style that fails to affect you.
Second, for a story discussing the emotional journey of a single person and filled with self-reflection, the writing feels disconnected from its characters. Not only did I have problem believing in the narration (for example, remembering exact things from the memories of childhood without any sense of unrealiability), but also with the feelings of the character. Iris's reactions are either disaffected or overt, ranging from numbness to "the worst teenager ever" rages without emotionally logical background.
Thirdly, this disaffection is perhaps related to the fact that the author seems to be more interested in her own writing than in the novel. The language often reaches for heights, trying to evoke poetic musings and move in dramatic shifts, where it should be concentrating on Iris. What is worse, it fails in its attempts and does not even reach the comical, but stays just plainly on the level of irritating.
Overall, the book is an ambitious attempt, but sadly blows any potential it might have had.
January 7, 2009
I was telling my bff this morning, "I REALLY REALLY REALLY think the story was a really neat one...but she just told it so blandly, and formally, it just lacked something...everything...I guess it lacked 'personality'...which, if I looked at it from an 'educational' point of view, I could say served the book well, gave it personality by it's lack of, due to the general context of the story...but from an entertainment standpoint, to me, it made the book boring.
One review on the back of book says:
"A serious, intelligent, psychological novel which will enhance Hoffman's reputation for wise words gracefully expressed."
I agree with this review, but it doesn't mean it wasn't 'boring'.
One review on the back of book says:
"A serious, intelligent, psychological novel which will enhance Hoffman's reputation for wise words gracefully expressed."
I agree with this review, but it doesn't mean it wasn't 'boring'.
January 11, 2013
Providing a lot of food for thought; disturbing more often than not, but definitely worth reading!
September 11, 2016
A poignant philosophical tale about what it means to be...or not be.
May 26, 2019
English review below the Greek one...
Ένα ενδιαφέρον, καλογραμμένο βιβλίο. Λιγάκι αργόσυρτο κάποιες φορές, ειδικά προς το τέλος, αλλά παρ΄όλα αυτά καθηλωτικό. Η συγγραφέας τοποθετεί την πλοκή περίπου στην εποχή μας, σε μία όμως πιο παραλλαγμένη εκδοχή της πραγματικότητας, σε έναν κόσμο πιό προχωρημένο τεχνολογικά και ελαφρά διαφορετικό πολιτισμικά. Μέσα από την ιστορία της Ίρις θίγει θέματα και διλήμματα που απασχολούν την ανθρωπότητα από τις αρχές του χρόνου, αλλά και άλλα που γίνονται όλο και πιο επίκαιρα όσο η επιστήμη προχωράει.
Δεν μπορώ να γράψω περισσότερα χωρίς να αποκαλύψω βασικά στοιχεία της νουβέλας, ωστόσο θα πω ότι το τελείωσα μέσα σε δύο απογεύματα και το ευχαριστήθηκα. Ενώ το γενικότερο πλαίσιο της ιστορίας δεν διεκδικεί δάφνες πρωτοτυπίας, η επιλογή της Χόφμαν να το γράψει από την οπτική γωνία της Ίρις, προσδίδει μια ιδιαίτερη νότα στο κείμενο. Τροφή για σκέψη...
The Secret was an interesting, well-written book, although a bit slow at times. It got a bit long-winded especially towards the end, but I finished it in two long afternoons and I quite "enjoyed" it. Through Iris' story, Eva Hoffman tries to explore some important dilemmas and topics that we may very soon have to face in real life... Food for though, while answers are never easy or difinite.
Ένα ενδιαφέρον, καλογραμμένο βιβλίο. Λιγάκι αργόσυρτο κάποιες φορές, ειδικά προς το τέλος, αλλά παρ΄όλα αυτά καθηλωτικό. Η συγγραφέας τοποθετεί την πλοκή περίπου στην εποχή μας, σε μία όμως πιο παραλλαγμένη εκδοχή της πραγματικότητας, σε έναν κόσμο πιό προχωρημένο τεχνολογικά και ελαφρά διαφορετικό πολιτισμικά. Μέσα από την ιστορία της Ίρις θίγει θέματα και διλήμματα που απασχολούν την ανθρωπότητα από τις αρχές του χρόνου, αλλά και άλλα που γίνονται όλο και πιο επίκαιρα όσο η επιστήμη προχωράει.
Δεν μπορώ να γράψω περισσότερα χωρίς να αποκαλύψω βασικά στοιχεία της νουβέλας, ωστόσο θα πω ότι το τελείωσα μέσα σε δύο απογεύματα και το ευχαριστήθηκα. Ενώ το γενικότερο πλαίσιο της ιστορίας δεν διεκδικεί δάφνες πρωτοτυπίας, η επιλογή της Χόφμαν να το γράψει από την οπτική γωνία της Ίρις, προσδίδει μια ιδιαίτερη νότα στο κείμενο. Τροφή για σκέψη...
The Secret was an interesting, well-written book, although a bit slow at times. It got a bit long-winded especially towards the end, but I finished it in two long afternoons and I quite "enjoyed" it. Through Iris' story, Eva Hoffman tries to explore some important dilemmas and topics that we may very soon have to face in real life... Food for though, while answers are never easy or difinite.
June 13, 2021
The first part of this story, before the secret is revealed, is fascinating. It was like reading a mystery and I like mysteries. After that I thought it was still interesting, but a little weird.
The story takes place in the near future which gives it more of sci-fi feel, and I am not much of sci-fi person. But mostly it is about Iris, the main character, delving into she really is. The lack of knowledge of who she really is was supposedly driven by the "secret," but I think it had much more to do with that she was raised by a controlling, autocratic mother, Elizabeth, who did not let her daughter develop emotionally. She kept Iris away from relatives, did not let her develop friendships and had to be pushed to send her to school. That this, a controlling mother, was the reason Iris did not know herself is barely touched upon. In a memoir I read by Eva Hoffman she wrote, quoting someone else, something like "what is this American obsession with mothers? A mother is a mother." I think this book could have been stronger if Hoffman had focused a bit on the mother's overall personality, not just the "secret," but that was not what this book was about.
The story takes place in the near future which gives it more of sci-fi feel, and I am not much of sci-fi person. But mostly it is about Iris, the main character, delving into she really is. The lack of knowledge of who she really is was supposedly driven by the "secret," but I think it had much more to do with that she was raised by a controlling, autocratic mother, Elizabeth, who did not let her daughter develop emotionally. She kept Iris away from relatives, did not let her develop friendships and had to be pushed to send her to school. That this, a controlling mother, was the reason Iris did not know herself is barely touched upon. In a memoir I read by Eva Hoffman she wrote, quoting someone else, something like "what is this American obsession with mothers? A mother is a mother." I think this book could have been stronger if Hoffman had focused a bit on the mother's overall personality, not just the "secret," but that was not what this book was about.
November 14, 2025
This is a short book but it feels absolutely unbearably long due to the writing style. it's like someone writing you an incredibly long, wordy, and exhausting letter about their entire life that should be interesting in theory, but it's not. At all. The characters don't feel like believable, fully fleshed out people. the way they talk is awkward and unrealistic. I felt forced to finish this book mostly because it is short, but it really didn't have anything propelling the story and the reader forward. An unfortunate waste of time. 1.5 stars rounded up because the idea of the plot was a really good one, it was just executed poorly.
January 14, 2022
https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3834524.html
What's it about? Eighteen-year-old protagonist, born in 2004, discovers that she is her mother's clone, and spends the rest of the book working through her resentment against her family and others.
Is 2022 really going to be like that? Not unless cloning technology had got a lot further in 2004 than we realised.
Is it any good? Moody young women are often quite a good read, and this isn't awful..
What's it about? Eighteen-year-old protagonist, born in 2004, discovers that she is her mother's clone, and spends the rest of the book working through her resentment against her family and others.
Is 2022 really going to be like that? Not unless cloning technology had got a lot further in 2004 than we realised.
Is it any good? Moody young women are often quite a good read, and this isn't awful..
January 14, 2018
This only gets into a rhythm towards the end of the novel. Too much description and psychological analysis to hold the reader's interest, could benefit from further editing. Interesting ideas, though. Would work better as a succinct short story.
March 30, 2021
It is a novel about finding oneself. The mother daughter relation in the story was lacking to me.
The author slips to narrative description that was not convincing to me.
The author slips to narrative description that was not convincing to me.
January 31, 2022
Nice book
September 25, 2023
I wasn't keen.
December 25, 2024
6.5/10. There wasn't much going on throughout the story, not much excitement or suspense.
January 14, 2015
I wanted to read this because it is part of a mini-genre that interests me - social science fiction (I have never seen that phrase anywhere but I like to use it). These are stories that begin with a sci-fi premise of some kind, and then look at how people might react and live with the new situation. This kind of thing sometimes gets called speculative fiction. To a certain extent, all sci-fi is like this, but in this kind of story, human emotions predominate. This book looks at cloning, and imagines what might happen if a successful, independent woman has herself cloned, and then raises her "child" in an isolated environment.
The Secret did have a lot of interesting moments, and I read it through to the end. I think it would be a good read for young women, because it deals primarily with the issue of severing the bond between mother and daughter and beginning adulthood. Iris grows up in a small town in Ohio. Her mother keeps aloof from the local community, and tells her nothing about her parentage. She also keeps her away from her grandparents and aunt, all of whom were against the idea of the cloning. She and her mother have a positive, symbiotic relationship for the most part, but when Iris starts getting too curious, then the trouble starts.
Iris turns out to be just as tough and independent as her clone-mother, and eventually turns on her with a vengeance. There are some interesting moments as she goes, unannounced, to visit relatives. There follow scenes of life in New York, with identity shifting clubs, squatters camps, and genetic modifiers. But things are still very grounded in contemporary reality. One of my favorite scenes takes place when Iris goes to visit an organic art workshop. If you like this kind of thing, The Secret is a good one to try.
The Secret did have a lot of interesting moments, and I read it through to the end. I think it would be a good read for young women, because it deals primarily with the issue of severing the bond between mother and daughter and beginning adulthood. Iris grows up in a small town in Ohio. Her mother keeps aloof from the local community, and tells her nothing about her parentage. She also keeps her away from her grandparents and aunt, all of whom were against the idea of the cloning. She and her mother have a positive, symbiotic relationship for the most part, but when Iris starts getting too curious, then the trouble starts.
Iris turns out to be just as tough and independent as her clone-mother, and eventually turns on her with a vengeance. There are some interesting moments as she goes, unannounced, to visit relatives. There follow scenes of life in New York, with identity shifting clubs, squatters camps, and genetic modifiers. But things are still very grounded in contemporary reality. One of my favorite scenes takes place when Iris goes to visit an organic art workshop. If you like this kind of thing, The Secret is a good one to try.
April 1, 2015
amazon.com/author/sergiupobereznic
This is a novel about self-discovery, but one of a very different kind, with a twist. Iris, a 17 year old only child, becomes aware that she is living in a strangely isolated world with no father or grandparents. Also, there's a secret that her mother won't tell her. And so her journey of discovery begins.
I thought it was an interesting concept that is similar to a novel that I read a while back by Ryder Brewen called "BLUE-Print".
The Secret is a book that poses many profound questions and perhaps even a little disturbing at times. There is little to no action, which was its only real but somewhat minor downfall, but there was enough to keep me interested, hence the three stars. A little more pace and I would have easily gone up to four stars.
Sergiu Pobereznic (author)
amazon.com/author/sergiupobereznic
This is a novel about self-discovery, but one of a very different kind, with a twist. Iris, a 17 year old only child, becomes aware that she is living in a strangely isolated world with no father or grandparents. Also, there's a secret that her mother won't tell her. And so her journey of discovery begins.
I thought it was an interesting concept that is similar to a novel that I read a while back by Ryder Brewen called "BLUE-Print".
The Secret is a book that poses many profound questions and perhaps even a little disturbing at times. There is little to no action, which was its only real but somewhat minor downfall, but there was enough to keep me interested, hence the three stars. A little more pace and I would have easily gone up to four stars.
Sergiu Pobereznic (author)
amazon.com/author/sergiupobereznic
November 1, 2015
I don't like scifi so I found myself becoming irritated with some of the scifi aspects of this book that seemed irrelevant to the main story line - that of a clone finding her own identity. High tech clothing, some of the modes of communication, were stupid and not needed. Of course, I was reading this in 2015 so my view of how the world will work in 2025 is admittedly going to be different than someone who was writing in 2002. Still, I thought it detracted from the book which was otherwise an interesting coming of age story applicable to all of us, clone or not.
January 8, 2009
I don't really know what to say about this book. In the beginning the writing seemd a little off and the story had almost dialogue. It didn't flow very well and the english did not read well. BUT the subject was very interesting and i was anxious to find out what the big secret really was. I kept hoping that the book would get better. That maybe the author would find her groove or something but no such luck. If it weren't for my bff reading with me i would never have finished this book.
September 15, 2009
This is definitely a book for thinkers. There is not much action, but a lot of interesting questions. It is about a 17 year-old girl who reflects back on her childhood and comes to realize that her mother is keeping a secret from her. After she finds out what the secret is, she has to cope with it. She goes out on her own to figure out what it really means: What it means to be human, and what makes individuals unique.
August 23, 2019
One of the worst books I have ever read. I wish I wasn't the kind of person who insists on finishing every book I pick up...on this occasion, it was a complete waste of time.
It was poorly written, with numerous mistakes that should have been picked up in the editing/proof reading stage, but this only succeeded in distracting me slightly from the awful (non) story.
It was poorly written, with numerous mistakes that should have been picked up in the editing/proof reading stage, but this only succeeded in distracting me slightly from the awful (non) story.
July 21, 2016
I liked the first quarter of this book better than the remainder. In the first quarter, the narrator describes her childhood growing up with a unique close bond with her mother. Then she finds out a little more about her history and the remainder of the book follows her as she attempts to come to terms with this. The latter part is not nearly as compelling as the first part....
December 8, 2008
It was ok, providing an intersting opinion on cloning. For a better story on the same subject matter read David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas - the segment 'An Orison of Somni 451' is fantastic.
July 7, 2012
Set in the near future it's an enigmatic tale about a girl (Iris) and her mother. Although the reader can guess 'the secret' very early in the story, this does not detract from Iris's journey of self-discovery through the relationships she forms after she leaves home.
September 21, 2012
OK exposition of ideas having to do with human cloning. I think the speculation about unusual emotional and psychic connection between mothers and their clones is over-the-top, but the difficulties in family relationships seem to be a realistic imagining of the implications.
July 27, 2014
it was long time ago when I read this book, it was not bad... BUT I think now it is plagiarism. it's very similar to "Blueprint" Charlotte Kerner, even first name is the same!! Here - daughter Iris, in "Blueprint" Iris is the first name of a mother... strange..
November 16, 2013
An interesting piece that raises many philosophical questions about humanity and what it means to be human. The story is a bit slow, especially in the last 100 pages or so, but it kept me curious and engaged. This book isn't great, but it is good, overall it is an enjoyable, interesting read.
August 28, 2008
Never even finished it. Not really my type of book.
February 23, 2010
Very interesting book about the psychological effects of cloning on the clones and on society in general. very readable and hugely enjoyable
August 16, 2010
Cloning, mother daughter relationship,
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews