The Secret History (Vintage Contemporaries)

The moment I know I’ll love a book is when I’m going about my everyday life and, suddenly, tiny occurrences pleasantly jerk my mind back to the book’s world. It’s been days since I finished Donna Tartt’s The Secret History (1992) and I still find myself constantly daydreaming about this exquisite novel. The curious thing is that I didn’t love The Secret History the way I love most books I read. I didn’t sit in bed overnight reading just to reach the end and expecting a big twist or climax (which, to my pleasant surprise, it had), only to be momentarily relieved or disappointed before closing the book and returning to reality. As many readers have admitted before me, what kept me engrossed in this book was not what was going to happen, but how it would happen. Inexplicably, I wanted to live and breathe in that world, to stay in it for as long as possible and cling to every word and thought as much as I could. For that reason, I devoured it slowly—about three weeks passed until I’d read the book from start to finish. And still I can’t explain the emptiness after finishing, or the feeling that it’ll be hard to find a book that moves me in quite the same way this one did. The book centers on the recollections of Richard Papen regarding his dark experiences at the fictional Hampden College, a small liberal arts college in Vermont. Richard, a self-conscious and naïve student from a blue-collar background in Plano, California, arrives at Hampden with merely a suitcase and a desire to escape his miserable childhood home. At Hampden, Richard is, after some time and effort, accepted into the highly exclusive Classics major under the patriarchal and eccentric Professor Julian Morrow. Through the small group’s weekly meetings reminiscent of a secret society (there are merely 6 students in the major), he falls in with the cluster of seemingly unapproachable, picturesque scholars whose souls seem to have stepped out of an ancient Greek play. There’s group leader Henry Winter, tall and brooding, a clever linguist always sporting a suit. The others are red-haired and elegant Francis Abernathy, spritely and enigmatic twins Charles and Camilla Macaulay, and jovial, freeloading Edmund “Bunny” Corcoran. To fit in, Richard invents a backstory packed with Californian wealth, despite being the only one without family connections or a stable financial background. While submersed in the intellectual beauty of his studies and peers, combined with their frequent visits to Francis’ family’s empty, historic, relic-filled country house, Richard seems to be living a Classic dream come true. But after a bizarre, Dionysian bacchanal (basically a drug-induced, spiritual orgy in the woods) ends in both an accidental and, eventually, a premeditated murder, Richard begins to realize that his childish and somewhat shallow infatuation with the group may not be enough for him to swallow their treasure chest of dark secrets. After reading merely the first sentence, we are told (what we believe to be) the book’s climax. But what we don’t know is why or how their lives will fall apart, one by one, as if on the Devil’s very own hit list, as a result of a single moment in time. Ultimately, Richard’s superficial obsession to fit in, his “morbid longing for the picturesque at all costs,” proves to be not only his fatal flaw, as he himself admits, but his doorway into a dark, living, breathing world of heartache, melancholy, and never-ending nightmares. I’ll start by saying that I am by no means proficient in or even familiar with the Classics. I’m aware of the basics, of the idea of a “fatal flaw” and such, but not enough to feel comfortable writing about them with confidence. Therefore, for those of you debating whether to read this book because of this element, I can tell you now—the substance is not in this aspect, but in the character development and plot. The book does in many ways parallel a Greek tragedy, and those who are familiar with Classics will likely have an enhanced reading experience. However, by no means does it exclude readers without this background. The emphasis is strongly on the deterioration of a group of friends, not on Greek philosophy. Now, most critics of the book are quick to attack its seemingly pretentious aura, claiming that real 90’s college students would never talk like these do (“For a few minutes—goodness, how confusing this was—I thought of digging a grave but then I realized it would be madness” is an actual quote from a student) dress in European suits, or smoke 500 cigarette packs a day while they throw back expensive whiskey like its water. They’d never skip a college party of free-flowing beer, fluorescent lights, and sticky floors to sit in a country house and practice the box step, or discuss “whether Hesiod’s primordial Chaos was simply empty space or chaos in the sense of the modern world” while they play cards. But in a sense, I beg to differ. Yes, these characters can be slightly exaggerated, mostly in the first half of the book, which details their frequent gatherings and esoteric conversations (towards the end they notably start speaking in more colloquial terms). Yes, they can be irritating, despicable, and downright disturbing at times. But to be honest, this never bothered me as I was reading—in fact, it made the book even more fascinating. If you can’t handle some deliciously evil characters that pose as charming members of society, you probably won’t like many books out there. I see this pompousness as merely a way of cynically showing us that these students, with superficially beautiful minds and faces, with a seemingly supreme moral compass, are not only flawed and human, but often much worse than that. The premature deification of the group only serves to make their fall from grace that much more powerful, sad, and disquieting. Another point of contention regarding the novel is its tendency to ramble, to spend precious time illustrating minute details of the characters’ personalities, surroundings, thoughts, etc. Once again, this is true to a certain extent. This book is not written as an action novel or crime thriller, where everything is based on people running around solving things or shooting guns. If you can’t stand description and only want action, this book may not be for you. But to me, Tartt creates a world that’s tangible, where every description explains things so poignantly that you often feel you couldn’t have worded it better yourself. Yes, there are many words, but every word is there for a reason if you stop to examine it. And Tartt’s talent shines not only in her prose, but in her timing and in her ability to develop tension such that each secret revealed seems like a bomb dropped, no matter how small. It’s is the juxtaposition of the realistic ambiance and the perfectly timed reveals that, for me, makes The Secret History so moving and so difficult to leave. As a reader, you feel Richard’s nostalgia the way you recall your own sharp childhood memories that you long to go back to, and the way you often stop to consider the other paths that your life could’ve taken if only things had been different. I rarely experience emotions this strong when reading any book, and as much as I’d like to I can’t put my finger on what exactly about this book did it for me—and in that same way, I can’t guarantee the same for every reader. But I can say that if you’re looking for an intellectual, modern classic, a haunting psychological thriller, a mix between Lord of the Flies, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Dead Poets Society, or simply a book that will linger in your mind as you lay in bed each night — it’s sitting right in front of you.

Published in 1992 this book is famous (infamous?) for providing impetus to the "dark academia" movement - if it can be called that. The story is, more or less, fashioned after a Greek tragedy with deeply flawed characters ultimately facing the consequences of their decisions and actions. Indeed, the characters are grim - they aren't decent human beings at all. The story is not uplifting so it's not a good choice if you are looking for something to improve your mood. There is a lot of alcohol, drugs, and perversity in the story - which is more or less required to get on the New York Times bestselling list. In that respect the story hits all the right notes. There are a few things that are unrealistic - one is the sway one of the characters has over the others, another is that the story takes place at a university, but the "students" seem to study or attend class very little and still manage to matriculate term after term. Of course, writing about students studying would not be interesting reading. Finally, if any college student consumed as much alcohol as depicted by the characters in this story, they would have died of alcohol poisoning before the second term. All that said, the prose is superb. Sooth as butter, the writing whisks you into the story and keeps you engrossed until the end. In fact, The Secret History is so well written that you almost forget you are reading. So, did I like the story? No. Was I entertained and captivated? Yes. I'd have preferred at least one decent, incorruptible, semi-Tom Bombadil type character to shed some light and hope. As it is, Francis was right when he said, "I am looking forward to asking him why the hell he didn't just shoot us all and get it over with."

I think this book is a must read for anyone who loves acedemia. I took longer than I intended to read this through but once I made it to where their friend was about to die I couldn't put it down. I found out about this book on social media and everyone was heralding Henry but I'll have to say I didn't like him very much. I think he's psychotic. Camilla was my favorite though. I'll definitely reread in a year or two

Donna Tartt's novel, The Secret History, is the story of an academically elite group of college students, who all exhibit varying degrees of sociopathic behavior and find common bond in the murder of a friend. We are told about that murder, victim and perpetrators, in the first sentences of the prologue. The rest of the book is the telling of how it came to be, and of its aftermath on the lives of these "friends." This seems to be one of those polarizing books--you love it or you hate it--based on the reviews it has received. I got it (Kindle edition) based on one glowing review I read. My judgment is middle of the road. There are aspects of the novel that I appreciated and that were well done, and others I really didn't like. I thought Ms Tartt did a great job with passages describing the allure of classical Greek, the language and culture, to current day scholars. She tells us that a part of the fascination with another language, especially a "dead" one (and death is a major symbol in the book), is understanding the use of it in self-expression. That is, some languages are better than others at expressing certain concepts and so can lead the student to find new modes of thought. Classical Greek, for instance, is very action oriented (Ms Tartt tells us), making the speaker's points through chains of cause-and-effect. I don't how true that is, but it's an interesting aside in this book. And then there are passes of just well-written prose. In terms of setting description and establishing ambiance, they would be textbook examples for writing students. For example: "The sun was low, burning gold through the trees, casting our shadows before us on the ground, long and distorted. We walked for a long time without saying anything. The air was musty with far-off bonfires, sharp with the edge of a twilight chill. There was no noise but the crunch of our shoes on the gravel path, the whistle of wind in the pines; I was sleepy and my head hurt and there was something not quite real about any of it, something like a dream. I felt that at any second I might start, my head on a pile of books at my desk, and find myself in a darkening room, alone." As for her storytelling, Ms Tartt does a technically good job there. She keeps tension going throughout the long book, although at times, I felt it dragging. Like in the first part of the book where Henry (the driving, sociopathic force of the story and the best scholar of the group) tells the protagonist, Richard, about the first murder (actually, a near accident). His narration leads through a good quarter of the book in getting to his desire and plans for a second murder. This progression is described in that character's materialistically brutal, self-absorbed manner and is interesting in that regard, but it goes on for too long. There are other similarly long passages that required some effort to get through. This book could probably have been half the length with no loss to story. The biggest drawback for me, however, was the lack of sympathetic characters. I mean, none. Even the protagonist (and this story is told in first person). They are all selfish and most are drunk or stoned all the time. They are selfish users, or gutless followers. Some of it is interesting, like the building plans to murder Bunny that become, to the student scholars, as little more than academic considerations up until their plan's execution. And there's a dynamic there of the group following Henry (the brilliant psychopath) in plotting this crime, mostly because Bunny was just obnoxious and he pissed-off everybody (so obviously, he didn't deserve to live). After the second murder, the group goes from relief that it's over, to wild concern it will be discovered. As with sociopaths, their emotions stem not from guilt or remorse, but from fear of consequences (prison). So I never felt much pity for any of them. The protag offers some sage comments on the story (his "secret history") and indicates his life was basically ruined by it all. There is even a sense of "reform" on his part towards the end where he is seen drinking iced tea rather than booze. I saw that as far more development than in any of the other characters, but it was not, to me, enough to redeem him. Now it may be that many people see this story as a "realistic" depiction of life and the way people are, and that is the story's attraction for them. If that's the case for you, then you may really like this book, especially with the author's considerable writing skills. But I like my stories with at least a little bit of hope and inspiration thrown in. For that reason, I can't recommend this book beyond an example of well written prose. All that said, however, I did like the way Ms Tartt ended her story. It is done with an "after death" scene in the gray area of "is this real or illusion?". If the whole book had been like that, I would have liked it better.

Wow, this sure has very unlikable characters who are selfish, yet I liked TSH a lot! I can't believe this has been on my reading list for too long. I'm mind-blown. The author's writing is so compelling with its eerie and mysterious tone and setting. I envisioned the atmosphere of the college and town perfectly as it was quite descriptive. The characters are well-developed. The main protagonist, Richard, narrates the story. Wanting to join a Classics course, he meets a group of rich students who are misfits and tries to fit in himself. Ultimately, he joins this group of people but at a huge cost. After the death of one of the students, Richard and the rest of the group attempt to deal with the aftermath, which soon spirals out of control. The only area I expected more of was Julian, their professor since I thought he was going to be a big focus of the book. Overall, a very good read! Still can't get over the ending! Was not expecting that. Going to add this to my faves list. ☆ 4 stars

I'm behind in my reviews and am writing this one a couple of weeks after finishing The Secret History, so some of the thoughts I wanted to get down about it are now lost. But my strongest impressions are still clear. Unlike the majority of Donna Tartt fans who read The Secret History (TSH; her first novel) before The Little Friend (TLF; her second), I did it in the opposite order. Many who had read the books in order either liked TSH more than TLF, or were disappointed in TLF. Here, too, I was the opposite. I absolutely loved TLF and added it to my "Best Books Ever" shelf. I was a little less enthusiastic about TSH. TSH had the elements that, for me, make a great book: well-crafted, fascinating characters, a compelling story, and beautiful prose. But I won't be likely to re-read it, as I do those books on my "Best Ever" list. Tartt is an incredibly gifted writer, one whose books could well be included in the text used to teach a fiction-writing course. I’d love to hear her discuss her process. Both TSH and TLF were so well crafted that she must have all the plot details determined before beginning to write, almost as one would write a complex software program. She’s a master at providing us with the characters’ inner and spoken dialog. Her scenes are richly and clearly drawn, and she’s a master at creating mood and setting---we are there! But it’s Tartt’s characters that are, as they should be, the stars of her writing. They are beautifully flawed, yet, each in their own way, deeply and heroically honorable and true to who they are. I did find all the characters, with the exception of Bunny, very likeable. I cared what happened to them, and was glad Tartt gives us their "after" story at the end. That is, all except for Richard, the narrator. Will some other reader please help me out---did I just miss Richard's "after" story? I admit to being on the edge of sleep when I reached the last several pages of the book. All in all, a terrific book, but I’m going to stick with my story and say that I loved The Little Friend more. I’m looking forward to reading Tartt’s long-awaited third novel, The Goldfinch.

I bought this for my book club because they didn't have it in the library. I hadn't heard anything about it, so I just picked it up and started reading when it arrived. I have to say, I haven't enjoyed a book so much in a long time. Now that I've read other reviews, I can't say that it should be a "modern classic" or anything, but it has many elements that makes it so you can't wait to get home from work and pick it up again, especially if you're already a big book worm. For example, especially as you are starting the book, you will wish you could meet the protagonist's acquaintances in real life. The characters themselves are incredibly interesting, and even more so as there is so much mystery surrounding their enigmatic behavior. You will wish you could take classes the way they did, thinking deep, classical thoughts, a close-knit group sequestered in a garret filled with oriental rugs, roses, "the smell of bergamot, and black China tea, and a faint inky scent of camphor." Donna Tartt, not incidentally, is possessed of a wonderful turn of phrase, which is at once precise, seemingly effortless, and (thankfully) never ostentatious. The book offers its readers the vicarious enjoyment of the finer things in life, including peeps into the lives of the American 'upper class.' If you have any background in the classics--philosophy, languages, literature--being privy to Tartt's generous allusions will only further enrich your reading. The book is not perfect, of course. Its main failing is the weakness of the chain of events that drives the plot. Tartt badly needs the reader to believe that not only did Event A lead inextricably to Event B, but all along down the line to X, Y, and Z. The challenge is so great that of course there are questionable links. If you are someone who needs plot and character actions to be 100% credible, you'll have a hard time with this one. Additionally, as other reviewers have pointed out, the students' steady diet of alcohol, pills, and gross leftovers is unnecessary to the plot, hard to believe, and unpleasant to read about. More to the point, the storyline loses some of its tightness at the college's winter break and more often toward the end of the novel, as Tartt tangents into superfluous events that are either irrelevant or too drawn-out. This book is worth reading even if you have no one to read it with you, but if at all feasible, have a friend read it as well. The Secret History was a perfect choice for my book club because there are so many topics for possible conversation. They can range from the praise and criticism that I just gave to speculation over the assignment of blame for the crimes committed by the protagonists to suggesting different directions the story could have taken at the end. If you have been missing the experience of really losing yourself in a book, this is the one you should pick up. Enjoy!

I’ve never read anything quite like this book. At times I found it a bit slow but at the same time I couldn’t put it down. It left me confused in a good way and since I’ve finished it I miss it. I think I loved it? But I’m not sure that I’d recommend it to a friend. If you read it you’ll understand what I mean. There are many layers to this book and it was beautifully written

الكتاب تحفة وصل سليم وبدون أي خدوش

I didn't read it myself but the recipient was happy with it.

Há muito tempo não pego uma edição de livro tão gostosa de ler. O livro tem um tamanho ótimo, a fonte e as margens são ótimas, a diagramação faz com que a leitura seja rápida e muito prazerora. A trama é fantástica, envolvente e através do narrador em primeira pessoa, faz com que o leitor se sinta parte da história. Pessoas ruins fazendo coisas ruins, que parecem justificadas quando observadas através dos "rose tinted glasses" que o narrador estende aos seus amigos, a quem ele quase idolatra durante o livro 1. É interessante perceber a mudança de tom no segundo livro, onde a realidade dos acontecimentos começa a quebrar a perfeição e a aura mágica do grupo e todos os personagens, a sua maneira, demonstram suas falhas e a humanidade da qual não conseguem escapar.

Have you ever felt you’re going to miss characters from a book? Well, that’s how how I feel… just finished it and I already miss them. No book has hooked me so quickly. From page 1 I was already captured. I didn’t want to stop reading, all I was thinking for days was the book (I even dreamed about it). The story is not too fast (she definitely doesn’t rush it) but not too slow either. It takes you through it at the perfect pace to want to know but enjoy each moment at the same time. You feel the spaces, the ambient, the places. She writes in a way that absorbs you into the story. The way she writes in the 1st person you are not reading it, you are living it. And you feel connected with Richard (the main character), instantly. And the end!! There’s only one way to describe it: WHAT!! Find a nice corner, dimmed light and a calm playlist (classical is a perfect match if you ask me)… and enjoy it.

Love it!! Will read again.