The Secret History
By Donna Tartt
- Release Date: 1992-09-05
- Genre: Mysteries & Thrillers
Description
ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 BEST MYSTERY AND THRILLER BOOKS OF ALL TIME • INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • A contemporary literary classic and "an accomplished psychological thriller ... absolutely chilling" (Village Voice), from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Goldfinch.
One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years
Under the influence of a charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at a New England college discover a way of thought and life a world away from their banal contemporaries. But their search for the transcendent leads them down a dangerous path, beyond human constructs of morality.
“A remarkably powerful novel [and] a ferociously well-paced entertainment . . . Forceful, cerebral, and impeccably controlled.” —The New York Times
Reviews
The secret history
2By NoBrainerToMeDark, perverse, evil read.Panama
1By F as in terribleToo long, too boring.What a ride
4By NishaTanishaThe book kept keeping me hooked, taking me up and putting me down, but definitely didn’t end where I hoped it would. Super eerie and keeps you on the edge of your seat for a REALLY long time.Gorgeous Precautionary Tale
4By BelleeeeeeeBookI find it ironic that EVERYONE romanticizes this book but they just read about Richard doing that and it leading him to see two deaths and people ruining their own lives.Great Characters, unimpressive plot
3By Jimmy PinesNo one builds a character better than Donna Taart. This story is more about well-developed characters and group dynamics than a pith plot. It’s a fast read for 570 pages. I probably wouldn’t recommend it.Fantastic
5By Auggie's ManBeautifully written, incredible characters. I loved this book.Not for me.
2By mhen000Just slow and repetitive. It is beautifully written, but so little happens over so many pages. I finally skipped ahead to the end and was done with it.Amazing
5By WinnieandlucyOne of the best,I love Ms Donna
4By I barely readGreat book, wish it was a bit shorter but the writing is immaculate.Wonderful
5By MickeyshereforeverCaptures you more and more as the pages progress. Really makes you think about morality and why people do what they do. You almost don’t even notice how much the storys’ color changes gradually until it hits you in the face and you’re like wtf…how did we get here!? Good read.Secrets and History
5By YayaNetskiAt first I thought the book plodded a bit. I wasn’t sure I was that interested in a group of Greek History students but the lead characters really came to life. They were actually a good example of character studies each with their strengths and weaknesses. (Henry, Francis Charles Camilla and of course, Bunny.) Richard, the narrator, is a fascinating,deep character and turned out to be a student of life . He learned a lot in a year. The object of these six / five student’s admiration Professor Julian had a charismatic spell over them. Their intellectual curiosity and their drinking and drugging led them to commit murder. Their lives and the lives around them soon unraveled. The book is well written and kept my interest all through.Decent
3By adip20173.5 stars but not quite enough for me to round up. This was a beautifully written story and can see why it is well rated and liked but it’s just a bit too lengthy for my liking. I would still recommend this author and book but with a warning of the intense detail and tangents included. Overall I’m glad I read it but also relieved it’s over.Wonderful wonderful
5By ZiggyZOOOBeautiful imagery and wonderful characters… I was hooked from beginning to endEerie and Warm
5By Nernemsaa.GA quiet dark tale told in gripping fashion.It was okay.
3By dhoneywellAn okay story, lots of cringe worthy similes and such. Didn’t love it.Bland Main Character but OUTSTANDING PLOT
5By Mrs.DivergentI loved this book, I loved hating the characters but in an oddly good way. The Plot makes you keep reading. I also Felt like the Main Character was bland but the things happening around him was like watching a movie from his point of view. Overall I seriously enjoyed it, I loved how it was written but, I had to use a Translater for some parts. Which is fine. If you love a good Psychological Thriller and a murder in a dark academic setting in the 80s. You will enjoy this book <333Incredible
5By sauidzeeeThis book may not be for everyone as the story takes awhile to manifest. However, it is masterfully crafted to where the reader is sucked right into the story, feeling the anxiety, depression, discomfort, and absolute horror each character felt. It feels as though you actually lived the life of the main character. The writing style of this book is unique and makes disgusting seem beautiful.Wanted to love but the characters are truly unlikeable
3By GoGreenbaybeattheninersLoved The Goldfinch and wanted to read her first book but unfortunately I found the characters extremely unlikeable and a lot happened throughout the book only to have a very unsatisfying ending. It starts out slow and some parts involving the Greek literature can be dense and disengaging. Overall found that the characters had very little arcs and only got worse throughout the story. Our one chance for anything redeemable,to happen fell short and we were left with the only good character abruptly exiting. 3/5 stars for me.One of my all time favorites now
5By LivcarolynIs it a crazy read and can be hard to get into for a bit? Yes. But it’s so beyond worth it.
