The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The Secret History by Donna Tartt has been all over my Pinterest home page lately. It’s a cornerstone novel of the dark academia aesthetic, evidently, and gives off major Dead Poet’s Society vibes. Finally, I gave into the platform’s algorithm and ordered a copy for myself. Read on for my honest thoughts on this popular bestseller.
About the Author, Donna Tartt
Donna Tartt is a native of Greenwood, Mississippi, and has won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her writing. Beyond this novel, her works include The Little Friend and The Goldfinch. Tartt published The Secret History in 2011.
About The Secret History
In short, The Secret History is about a group of college students who embrace eccentricities to the extreme and all but worship at the feet of their classics professor in a small New England college. It ultimately becomes a murder mystery and, by the end, the reader really isn’t meant to like any of the characters. They’re pretentious to a fault (read: really, really annoying at times) and their delusions of grandeur are ultimately their collective downfall.
Plot Summary
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.
My Thoughts on The Secret History by Donna Tartt
I’ll be honest, though, I almost did not finish this book. It’s a long, winding narrative, and I found it rather slow-going for much of the story. About 2/3 of the way through, I really began to wonder what people saw in the story. However, for the last third or so of the novel, I was hooked. I had to know what happened! So, if you’re looking for a bit of a thriller, and you’re willing to slog through the first half-to-two-thirds of the book, this is a good one.
Where to Buy The Secret History
The Secret History is currently available for purchase from Amazon and Bookshop.org.
If you’re looking for your next favorite read, you’ll find a number
of interesting options to choose from in my guide to the best historical fiction!
I haven’t read this author before. Glad you stuck with it and ended up being hooked😀
I’m glad I ultimately stuck with it, as well!