Secret History

When I first heard that this book is about students of the Classics, I myself being a student of English Literature, felt that I simply HAD to read it. So I began to read in the hopes that this novel would deal with things that I could resonate with and I wasn’t disappointed. This novel refers to the ways of the Greeks, the mythologies, religious beliefs, and histories. In doing so, the writing has an intellectual edge and I’m pleased to say I got what I wanted out of this book. But there’s so much going on in this book. There’s mystery, suspense, and quite a bit of thrill. Did I mention it gets pretty dark in places? After I was done reading this (I finished at the stroke of midnight) and I actually looked around a few times checking for ghosts in my dark room. The first few pages painted a picture similar to the one I had witnessed in the film “Dead Poet’s Society.” A movie starring the loveable Robin Williams who plays the role of a lecturer of poetry. I absolutely LOVED this film. But this book was quite different and has its own uniqueness. Here are a group of highly intellectual students cordoned off to spend a majority of their time taking classes from an erudite teacher. But underneath this seemingly normal facade, lurks disaster. What could possibly happen to this lot in order to plummet all of them into a dark abyss? For the sensitive reader out there, here’s something to be aware of: This novel touches upon twincest, drugs, and cold-blooded murder. I was surprised how the events in the novel made me respond on an emotional level. I felt for the characters, took pity on them and their state of helplessness. At times, I was gripped with fear for them while in other times, I was puzzled by the level of distance that the narrator Richard, seemed to have in the telling of the narrative.The subject matter of this novel really won me over. I have in the past, encountered groups of peers with an extreme passion for a subject. I have also witnessed the obsessiveness with which some scholarly and stoic individuals attempt to tackle the problems in their lives. The attempt to immerse oneself into the subject one has chosen to specialize in. This is exactly what the characters of The Secret History do. For instance, Henry and the twins, Charles and Camilla, really manage to live, breathe, and sleep Greek-The subject they are majoring in. It makes clear that the distinction between intellectuality and sheer barbarism is but a thin line. This novel provides us with a moral dilemma. It makes us question the correctness of some people’s actions/decisions. For instance, I was truly shocked at Julian’s and Henry’s level of eccentricity, their unconventional way of responding to situations they are faced with. I felt that this novel could have been much more if Tartt had given us more background for the narrator, Richard. In the end, I felt like I didn’t know this character any more than I did at the start of the novel. I also hoped there was more information on the time period in which “The Secret History” takes place. I’m aware that this novel was set around 25 years ago but I found it difficult to place it within a particular time frame. Although from what I was able to gather, it is probably set in the period just after the Vietnam War. What really appealed to me about this story was Tartt’s writing. Even though it is at times possible to predict what happens next in the plot, the process or manner in which her writing unravels this event is truly remarkable. This book had me sitting on the edge of my seat from the very beginning. Tartt’s writing is absorbing and expects a level of involvement on part of the reader. With every turn of the page, this novel simply draws you in. Tartt's has this manner of dropping hints about upcoming events and you know it’s going to happen soon, but you can do nothing as a reader except read on to find out what unfolds. The characters are all well rounded and created with utmost care. Tartt’s decision to center the plot around seven main characters is an ambitious one, but she achieves this with flawlessness and ease. The manner in which Tartt chooses to leave some events to the reader’s imagination in the course of this novel is what struck me as utterly brilliant. She only hints at them, leaving the rest up to the reader. Tartt’s novel succeeds in its ability to absolutely dumbfound the reader, leave them speechless. The Secret History left me feeling only partially satiated. Nevertheless, I fell in love with it. This is the sort of book that must be read and re-read. But for now, I’m now looking forward to reading Tartt’s other works, The Little Friend, and The Goldfinch.

I know this is THE dark academia book out there- the one every DA fan and their mother insists you absolutely have to have read and loved to be deserving of the title of an official dark academia lover, and probably to some extent they're right too. The aesthetic- as almost all the readers have already pointed out- is spot on, the major characters, all of them, are very intriguing and somehow enchanting, you can't help being at least fascinated by them, even when you don't really like them. This is the kind of story that totally sucks you in, and renders you incapable of thinking about anything else until you've finished it. But what I really think is that this book is hyped up in that exact same way that most classics are hyped up (people tend to act like if you didn't like a particular classic you're cancelled and you know absolutely nothing about literature)- but in truth this book is nowhere near perfect and definitely has more than its share of really problematic aspects. The characters, even some of the major ones, are undeveloped and really make you wish you got to see more of what really was going on with them and why they did what they did, and I'm not talking about the major incident here. From the very brief glimpses we get in the personal lives of the characters, all of them seem to be leading really complex lives and doing some very unreasonable things- especially the twins- and I'd really have liked to understand them better or see things from their perspectives too. If you want to get a feel for the dark academia genre, this book is definitely not a bad place to start. Be prepared for an addictive read, but go into it knowing that there are quite a few disturbing bits, and very few things make sense when you really think about it.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt is a richly layered and gripping psychological novel that pulls you deep into the lives of a group of eccentric classics students at an elite college. I found the plot to be absorbing and unpredictable, driven by an unsettling sense of tension that builds slowly but steadily. The way Tartt blends philosophy, beauty, and darkness into a single narrative is masterful. The writing is elegant and atmospheric—every sentence feels intentional, and the pacing, while deliberate, suits the novel's introspective tone. The characters are brilliantly drawn, especially the narrator, Richard, who offers a hauntingly honest view of the group’s moral descent. Each personality is distinct, flawed, and deeply human, which makes the story all the more compelling. At over 600 pages, this is not a light read, but it’s one that stays with you. I’d highly recommend it to readers aged 15 and up who enjoy character-driven fiction with a dark, intellectual edge. The paperback edition (ISBN-10: 0804111359) is well-sized for longer reading sessions and makes a great addition to any bookshelf.

I have wanted to read this book for a long time and I'm glad I read it. It's very thought provoking. The descriptions of weather and natural landscape is beautiful to read. The story itself is brilliant. The psychology behind everyone's action is fascinating to read. It you love slow burn thriller this book absolutely a must read. It's dark and worth every penny.

Okay, so I have not read anything like this book ever- when I started it I thought okay a murder mystery but I was so wrong. Felt like I was reading a classic, a modern Greek tragedy, and the way beauty and death have been talked about is just extraordinary. Also the writing is beautiful- it's a story about a man reminiscing about his college days and some prominent things that had happened. All the characters are just horrible people but you ignore it because of Donna Tartt's writing which creates a mirage of everything being normal but so unnatural at the same time. It also carries heavy themes like homophobia, slut shaming, racism, animal cruelty, hate speech, murder, suicide and more but it doesn't really feel like themes as it all feels superficial in the face of death. I don't even know what I mostly felt while reading it- it felt like a weird dream with really long chapters. It was a unique experience and I liked it.

What a messy book. But beautiful nonetheless. The protag is a bit dull but the other characters are pretty cool. Overrated but interesting. Not the best book out there but if you wanna read a light book with darker themes, this one is your book.

THE SECRET HISTORY 10 Reasons why The Secret History is so Good 1. It starts with a murder. 2. It is in love with Ancient Greece. 3. It has all the best elements of the campus novel. 4. It has a classic lonely narrator. 5. It is full of quotations. 6. It has a charismatic master of ceremonies. 7. It is obsessed with beauty. 8. It believes in fate. 9. It is possessed by Dionysos. 10. It lets you in on secrets. The perfect introduction to Dark Academia is The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Her debut novel follows a group of wealthy students at a liberal-arts college in 1980s Vermont, who study ancient Greek under the tutelage of a classics professor named Julian Morrow, an enigmatic eccentric. The novel begins with the revelation of the fact that Bunny is dead and his body is found, now this part in the prologue is so intriguing that it hooks the reader instantly and the grip of the hook is maintained throughout the novel. Tartt analyses the psychology of these intellectuals with such ease and fluidity that it leaves the reader wanting more. In conclusion The Secret History is a Virtuous novel, with beautiful aesthetics, layered characters and an intelligent story.

The book itself well I just got it today. But I'm kinda dissapointed with the packaging. The edge was delivered bend, not the end of the world but it's still not acceptable.

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.

Sad. Long. But definitely worth the invested time. For some reason, I couldn't put this book down. Enjoy and reflect.