The Secret History

About the book

Product Description In this brilliant novel, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Donna Tartt gives us a richly textured and hypnotic story of golden youth corrupted by its own moral arrogance.Richard Papen had never been to New England before his nineteenth year. Then he arrived at Hampeden 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.Yet as Richard was accepted and drawn into their inner circle, he learned a terrifying secret that bound them to one another ... a secret about an incident in the woods in the dead of night where an ancient rite was brough to brutal life ... and lead to a gruesome death. And that was just the beginning ... Review “Powerful . . . Enthralling . . . A ferociously well-paced entertainment.” --New York Times From the Back Cover The snow in the mountains was melting and Bunny had been dead for several weeks before we came to understand the gravity of our situation.In this brilliant debut novel, Donna Tartt gives us a richly textured and hypnotic story of golden youth corrupted by its own moral arrogance.Richard Papen had never been to New England before his nineteenth year. Then he arrived at Hampeden 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.Yet as Richard was accepted and drawn into their inner circle, he learned a terrifying secret that bound them to one another ... a secret about an incident in the woods in the dead of night where an ancient rite was brough to brutal life ... and lead to a gruesome death. And that was just the beginning ... About the Author Donna Tartt was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, and educated at the University of Mississippi and Bennington College.The Secret History was her debut novel. From AudioFile Donna Tartt, with her sweet, Southern, and unmistakably female cadence, might not have been the most natural choice to read her psychological novel narrated by Californian protagonist Richard. Still, it's an enthralling story set at a small Vermont liberal arts college housing an even smaller exclusive inner sanctum of Greek scholars. Secrets and lies accumulate as Richard is drawn into the world of Professor Julian Morrow and his students--Henry, Francis, twins Charles and Camilla, and Bunny--and burdened by their increasingly dysfunctional and incestuous interactions with each other. As intelligent as it is subtly creepy, THE SECRET HISTORY is addictive. Chances are you won't be able to listen just once. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine--Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine