Name: The Secret History
ISBN: 9781400031702

Donna Tartt

Richard Papen had never been to New England before his nineteenth year. Then he arrived at Hampden College and quickly became seduced by the sweet, dark rhythms of campus life – in particular by an elite group of five students, Greek scholars, worldly, self-assured, and at first glance, highly unapproachable.

The Secret History 

Yoana Terzieva 

michaela

Lieke Nieuwlaat 

giuli

laila

julia

sybil

kristin :)

Iris van der zanden

lemon

tara  (she/her)

Nihil sub sole novum, I thought as I walked back down the hall to my room. Any action, in the fullness of time, sinks to nothingness.

Marz 

llikaditoo 

sofia mae

Tija

Beauty is terror. Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it. 

And what could be more terrifying and beautiful, to souls like the Greeks or our own, than to lose control completely? To throw off the chains of being for an instant, to shatter the accident of our mortal selves? 

Victoria Justice

Laura

And always, always, that same toast. Live forever. 

Victoria Morris

Inês Lemos S.

soph 

“Beauty is rarely soft or consolatory. Quite the contrary. Genuine beauty is always quite alarming.”

Stavros Kosmas

juana de arco si estuviera cronicamente online

🎠

The dead appear to us in dreams, said Julian, because that's the only way they can make us see them; what we see is only a projection, beamed from a great distance, light shining at us from a dead star... 

saad

Victoria

Forgive me, for all the things I did but mostly for the ones that I did not. 

Caroline 

Franzi

Lucia 

Storm

trezaa

Yoko simons 

I am nothing in my soul if not obsessive.

Erin McDonald

jenna de nobrega 

lulu p :)

Julie <3

percy

Aimee :)

I felt my existence was tainted, in some subtle but essential way. 

Lili V Guba

“Beauty is terror. Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it.”

coco nini

started a bit slow for me, but good either way !! 

Truly deserving of the accolade 'modern classic', Donna Tartt's novel is a remarkable achievement - compelling and elegant, dramatic and playful. Under the influence of their charismatic Classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality, their lives are changed profoundly and for ever.

The Secret History

The Secret History by Donna Tartt ⭐⭐⭐⭐

from the beginning, i was enticed by reading it more and finished it asap because i was confused with what this book all about. i got many spoilers from pinterest and booktok, why would they do it? but as i read it day by day, there was full tension in this book. i felt nervous and amazed by how it's written and there were words that i'm not really familiar with. all in all, it's a good book and i felt sad by the last parts of it. this was the first time i read a long book with over 500 pages, and the first time i read a mystery/thriller book.

stephie

The Secret History by Donna Tartt ⭐⭐⭐⭐
from the beginning, i was enticed by reading it more and finished it asap because i was confused with what this book all about. i got many spoilers from pinterest and booktok, why would they do it? but as i read it day by day, there was full tension in this book. i felt nervous and amazed by how it's written and there were words that i'm not really familiar with. all in all, it's a good book and i felt sad by the last parts of it. this was the first time i read a long book with over 500 pages, and the first time i read a mystery/thriller book.

Last half of the book really picked up but omg the first half was slow. It took me forever to get through. (Yes, read it while moving / nesting for my first child but still, longer than it should have) 

That being said, Tartt is a wonderful writer and is creative with plot and characters. 

Sarah Wilson

Last half of the book really picked up but omg the first half was slow. It took me forever to get through. (Yes, read it while moving / nesting for my first child but still, longer than it should have) 

That being said, Tartt is a wonderful writer and is creative with plot and characters. 

Yulez

Jennifer

Crime and Punishment meets a more messed up version of How To Get Away With Murder season one + homosexuality + Greek history and mythology + sexual taboos 

Fatima Anwar Kamal

i understand the obsession people feel with the characters. i just didn't feel the same way about them. but i really enjoyed the experience of reading this book

Donna Tartt, winner of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for her most recent novel, The Goldfinch, established herself as a major talent with The Secret History, which has become a contemporary classic. Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality their lives are changed profoundly and forever, and they discover how hard it can be to truly live and how easy it is to kill.

i found the writing style very seamless and vivid, and plot is also gripping. but at the end of the day, dark academia is not a genre i would personally return to. i have no previous background nor interest in the classics and all the characters read as insufferable (not in a good way) and very white. i think the second half of the book is a tad glacial, with motives not as fleshed out as they were in the first half. i respect those who indulge in the aesthetic, though! 

kate 

A good one-time read. Unexpected ending, and I finished this book in 2 days....which means that it kept me engaged, and I just want to know what happens next. Very unique setting and the theme of the book will make you pause and think of what's the fuck is going on. 

Tanishq Khandelwal

maybe i'm a bit biased as this is pretty much my first foray into this type of novel, but i just really loved it. lauded among my peers who have long finished it, i had high hopes and often expressed my live reactions to them; in hindsight, probably very amusing to them considering the wishy washy perspective i had on the classics students (i started off heavily favoring henry, ended a big francis fan).

i adore the way this is written. tartt's way of prose is distinguishable and stands the test of time remarkably well. as for characterization, all of them kept me on my toes until the epilogue (well, save for bunny for obvious reasons). i kind of needed more on julian, but it's easy to accept that anything less than his permanently pedestaled self would be disingenuous to the view of chosen narrator, richard papen.

there is so much to take and run with here due to how restrained parts of the narrative were. additionally, i'd like to commend one of the more underrated parts of the writing process—the utilization of scene cuts. they were aptly and intentionally done here, leaving me to pore over certain passages more than i would have otherwise.

rini

maybe i'm a bit biased as this is pretty much my first foray into this type of novel, but i just really loved it. lauded among my peers who have long finished it, i had high hopes and often expressed my live reactions to them; in hindsight, probably very amusing to them considering the wishy washy perspective i had on the classics students (i started off heavily favoring henry, ended a big francis fan).

i adore the way this is written. tartt's way of prose is distinguishable and stands the test of time remarkably well. as for characterization, all of them kept me on my toes until the epilogue (well, save for bunny for obvious reasons). i kind of needed more on julian, but it's easy to accept that anything less than his permanently pedestaled self would be disingenuous to the view of chosen narrator, richard papen.

there is so much to take and run with here due to how restrained parts of the narrative were. additionally, i'd like to commend one of the more underrated parts of the writing process—the utilization of scene cuts. they were aptly and intentionally done here, leaving me to pore over certain passages more than i would have otherwise.

book so good i can't stop thinking about it...

mint

Extremely incredible writing for a debut novel. Though telling the story from a first person perspective, Tartt knows how to make it a compelling and engaging story. Love every single page of it.

Alisha

this book has caused me a number of nightmares. nonetheless, it was addictive and i loved every second of it. donna tartt’s writing is just chefs kiss. 

this fuckass book consumed me like i feel like i will never find another book i’ll like this much again i feel sick to my stomach i really do get the hype 

nina 

jana 

The Secret History is a well-written book with one of the (best-written) most unlikable, unreliable narrators I’ve come across so far. Tartt’s world-building is incredible, and her descriptions of events are so vivid that I struggle to put the book down. However, I do want to warn readers that its content is highly distressing, including vivid depictions of cult rituals gone wrong, murder, incest, and (although I didn’t read up to this part) suicide. These were so disturbing that they manifested in my nightmares. If you dislike or struggle to read about these topics, there is probably another better book for you to read.

Carly Goldy

Rainer Schmidt

Richard Papen stammt aus einfachen Verhältnissen. In einem kalifornischen Provinznest geboren, träumt er von nichts anderem, als fortzukommen. Endlich gelingt es ihm, ein Stipendium für das College von Hampden in Vermont zu erhalten, und die Welt, der er dort begegnet, zieht ihn vom ersten Augenblick an. Besonders fasziniert ist Richard von einer Gruppe fünf junger Studenten, die sich zusammen mit ihm bei dem verschrobenen Griechischprofessor Julian Morrow eingeschrieben haben. Da ist Henry, der Sohn reicher Eltern und heimliche Kopf des Zirkels, da ist Francis, ein leicht dekadenter und blasierter Gelderbe, das sind Charles und Camilla, die Zwillinge, die seit dem Tod ihrer Eltern von den Zuwendungen ihrer Grossmutter leben., und schliesslich Edmund, von allen "Bunny" genannt, der liebenswürdige Schnorrer, der stets auf grossem Fusse lebt, ohne je einen Pfennig in der Tasche zu haben. Gemeinsam mit ihnen paukt Richard Griechisch, zusammen mit ihnen huldigt er dem täglichen Alkohol, in ihrem Kreis verbringt er wunderbare Wochenenden auf Francis feudalem Landsitz. Doch bald spürt er, dass unter der Oberfläche unverbrüchlicher Freundschaft auch Spannungen bestehen und dass ein furchtbares Geheimnis auf seinen Freunden lastet - ein Geheimnis, das auch ihn mehr und mehr in seinen dunklen, mörderischen Sog zieht.

Roman

Die geheime Geschichte

Dieses Buch hat mich richtig mitgerissen, nicht nur von der storyline her sondern auch vom Schreibstil Donna Tartts. 

Ich finde, man kann richtig merken, wie viel Arbeit die Autorin in de Buch gesteckt hat, denn die Charakter Ausarbeitung ist soo gut. Ich war richtig drin in den Gedankengängen des Protagonisten, auch das er die Beobachterrolle manchmal einnahm und man nur in der Perspektive von ihm aus die Geschichte gelesen hat, hat es so spannend und intensiv gemacht. Auch wie er die anderen Figuren beschrieben hat und die besondere Dynamik zwischen ihnen. Die Ambivalenz der Charaktere ließ einen moralische Fragen durch den Kopf gehen, denn dieses Buch wirft ja moralische Fragen auf, sodass ich ebenso widersprüchliche Gefühle zu den Charakteren hatte. Es hat mich viel fühlen lassen und mich zum Schluss aufgewühlt und mit gemischten Gefühlen zurückgelassen.  Der Schreibstil ist sehr atmosphärisch und intensiv. Auch die kurzen Erzählungen oder Fakten zu einigen griechischen Mythen zwischendurch fand ich, hat das nochmal intensiviert. Die Dialoge sind auch so real und die Autorin hat die Geschichte mit kleinen Details sehr real gemacht.

Dennoch, ja, ich fand die Story sehr spannend und etwas, was ich noch nie gelesen habe und die Idee und der Aufbau des Buches ein Meisterwerk, aber trotzdem, war ich am Ende schon enttäuscht. Ich weis nicht, was ich mir genau gewünscht hätte, aber ich finde diese eine Sache, die in Büchern oder Filme vorkommt, nie eine gute Idee für ein Ende einer Geschichte oder einer Figur. But Donna Tartt is a Genius. 

Mariam Raji

Dieses Buch hat mich richtig mitgerissen, nicht nur von der storyline her sondern auch vom Schreibstil Donna Tartts. 

Ich finde, man kann richtig merken, wie viel Arbeit die Autorin in de Buch gesteckt hat, denn die Charakter Ausarbeitung ist soo gut. Ich war richtig drin in den Gedankengängen des Protagonisten, auch das er die Beobachterrolle manchmal einnahm und man nur in der Perspektive von ihm aus die Geschichte gelesen hat, hat es so spannend und intensiv gemacht. Auch wie er die anderen Figuren beschrieben hat und die besondere Dynamik zwischen ihnen. Die Ambivalenz der Charaktere ließ einen moralische Fragen durch den Kopf gehen, denn dieses Buch wirft ja moralische Fragen auf, sodass ich ebenso widersprüchliche Gefühle zu den Charakteren hatte. Es hat mich viel fühlen lassen und mich zum Schluss aufgewühlt und mit gemischten Gefühlen zurückgelassen.  Der Schreibstil ist sehr atmosphärisch und intensiv. Auch die kurzen Erzählungen oder Fakten zu einigen griechischen Mythen zwischendurch fand ich, hat das nochmal intensiviert. Die Dialoge sind auch so real und die Autorin hat die Geschichte mit kleinen Details sehr real gemacht.

Dennoch, ja, ich fand die Story sehr spannend und etwas, was ich noch nie gelesen habe und die Idee und der Aufbau des Buches ein Meisterwerk, aber trotzdem, war ich am Ende schon enttäuscht. Ich weis nicht, was ich mir genau gewünscht hätte, aber ich finde diese eine Sache, die in Büchern oder Filme vorkommt, nie eine gute Idee für ein Ende einer Geschichte oder einer Figur. But Donna Tartt is a Genius. 

I don’t know how you even rate something like this. The layers of the plot, the foreshadowing, the guilt, the richness of the characters…

Is it pretentious? Is everyone unlikable? Sure. But it’s so indulgent to be able to sink into that world. Amazing. 

Hannah Bateman

I don’t know how you even rate something like this. The layers of the plot, the foreshadowing, the guilt, the richness of the characters…

Is it pretentious? Is everyone unlikable? Sure. But it’s so indulgent to be able to sink into that world. Amazing. 

This one is so netflix, as mimi would say, that I was very surprised when I realised there is no netflix series yet. That said, I was enjoying parts of it, as you would such a thing. But I don't think I really understood it, especially the fact that it was so pacey while nothing was really happening. I disliked everyone in this book. It's like it has no concept of love (it seemed to me it was trying to prove otherwise).

Dora Tominic

Disclaimer: this is not a review.

This one is so netflix, as mimi would say, that I was very surprised when I realised there is no netflix series yet. That said, I was enjoying parts of it, as you would such a thing. But I don't think I really understood it, especially the fact that it was so pacey while nothing was really happening. I disliked everyone in this book. It's like it has no concept of love (it seemed to me it was trying to prove otherwise).

One of the most famous Dark Academia books.I enjoyed, however the story was very horrible in deep

Shidehdeishidi

okay it's def not like groundbreaking high brow lit but if i read this in my high school tumblr dark academia era (ESPECIALLY during covid .) would've been over for me. now reading though you can see how a generation of burnt out gifted kids are drawn like moths to a flame seeing themselves in the greek class though none of them will have the guts themselves to commit nearly as heavily. 

dont make the same mistakes and rush read this book. there’s a lot of details written in between the lines, understanding from different perspectives, because truthfully, richard  like us, romanticise actions way too much. and sometimes, like us, fail to see people as they are, just people. broken but still human.

Siri 

anyone in this book could die and i would not care