The Secret History
by Donna Tartt
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Book Summary Information
Author: Donna TarttEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1993
ISBN: 0804111359
Number of pages: 503
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Book Reviews of The Secret History
Book Review: The Characters' Secret History
Summary: 5 Stars
Donna Tartts The Secret History succeeds in capturing the attention of its readers through the development of characters. The secret history refers to the murder of a farmer by four of the main characters while performing a secret, ritualistic bacchanal that enables them to escape from their selves. However, the more intriguing secret history involves the mystery and fatal flaws of each of the characters. Although this novel is fairly long, it is an easy read and leaves the reader pensive and reflective.The study of ancient Greek and the classics consumes the group to the extent that they have lost touch with reality. Although they are very intelligent and bright in the shelter of their Greek class, they do not know how to survive in the real world. They seek to escape their emotional problems through drugs, alcohol, and sex. In fact, they use drugs or alcohol on a daily basis and most of them have had sexual encounters with each other, even the twins were incestuous. Each group member attempts to hide a part of his or her identity. The class is an amalgamation of misfits.
The main characters remain slightly aloof from the world. Their link with the ancient world and the murder alienates them from present-day society. Richard explains his friendships with the group members as:
.this was why I felt so close to the others in the Greek class. They, too, knew this beautiful and harrowing landscape, centuries dead; theyd had the same experience of looking up from their books with fifth-century eyes and finding the world disconcertingly sluggish and alien, as if it were not their home. (Tartt 189-190).
The narrator, Richard, shares an intimate bond with these students, yet there is the disillusioning sense of never really knowing them at all, especially Henry. Richard lies to the group about his family and childhood before even entering the class. Although the group is united because of their interest in Ancient Greek, Richard feels the need to pretend to be something he is not. He is embarrassed of his unfulfilling childhood, his selfish family, and his meager lifestyle. He is only fooling himself because everyone in the group realizes Richard is poor and accepts him for who he truly is. Richard is enigmatic because the reader does not fully understand his interactions with others. He is well-liked by his close friends and others like Judy Poovey, but Tartt does not describe his contribution to the friendships and why people invite him to join them.
Henrys cold manner and intelligence are human elements in need of warmth and freedom. His reliance on Julian as a foundation in his life indicates this and when Julian abandons the group, he is the most despondent and depressed. The reader is left to imagine Henrys motivations for his suicide. Richard does not think Henry did it out of desperation or fear. He says:
The business with Julian was heavy on his mind; it had impressed him deeply. I think he felt the need to make a noble gesture, something to prove to us and to himself that it was in fact possible to put those high cold principles which Julian had taught us to use. Duty, piety, loyalty, sacrifice. I remember his reflection in the mirror as he raised the pistol to his head. His expression was one of rapt concentration, of triumph, almost, a high diver rushing to the end of the board eyes tight, joyous, waiting for the big splash. (Tartt 509-510).
Everyone in the group idealizes Julian and he is the father they wish they had. His associations with celebrities and royalty intrigue them, yet they do not truly know him. Furthermore, he is supposedly enamored with his students, yet he deserts them as soon as he discovers the truth. Towards the end, Richard views Julian in a different light. He describes him by saying:
But the twinkle in Julians eye, as I looked at him now, was mechanical and dead. It was as if the charming theatrical curtain had dropped away and I saw him for the first time as he really was: not the benign old sage, the indulgent and protective good-parent of my dreams, but ambiguous, a moral neutral, whose beguiling trappings concealed a being watchful, capricious, and heartless. (Tartt 477).
In addition, Francis hides his sexual orientation even though it is no longer taboo as in the past. Everyone in the group is aware that he is homosexual and he has experimented sexually with Charles and Richard. Francis ends up marrying a woman he cannot stand because his grandfather threatens to cut off his money. Francis attempts suicide because he is distraught over the coerced marriage and views killing himself a better solution than earning his own money and having the freedom to live his life as he chooses.
Bunny is very arrogant and condescending. He thinks that he is above everyone else, yet mooches off of everybody. He is perceptive and realizes other peoples insecurities. He does not miss an opportunity to insult and embarrass other members. He constantly comments about the twins incestuous relationship, Francis sexual preferences, and Richards background. However, he is probably the most insecure of all because of his bizarre family and that is why he takes pride in other peoples misery.
Charles and Camilla are probably the most underdeveloped characters. The twins put on a happy façade, but they have a strange relationship, which is sexual, unhealthy, and abusive. Charles is an alcoholic and is very possessive of his sister. Camilla is in love with Henry, but keeps their relationship a secret until the very end. As they grow older, Charles runs away with a married woman, just as he tried to escape Bunnys murder by abusing alcohol. Camilla ends up lonely and torn.
Minor characters are used to maintain a sense of rationality, a reminder of the normal world outside the transcendent Greek class. Richards acquaintance with people outside of the Greek class is what keeps him grounded. He spends a lot of time in Judy Pooveys room, which serves as a refuge for him especially after the murder. Richard is only able to scratch the surface of the Greek character of whom Henry epitomizes. At the end Richard will prove the greatest at survival because of his greater connection to the reality of modern civilization. Initially, the group is able to manipulate Richard, and it is only though indifference towards education and cogitation that Richard understands the group and resists succumbing to their demands.
The ancient Greek, which the students study, contrasts with the predictability of contemporary living. The narrator is left somewhere in between, perhaps ultimately more in the modern but with an awareness and appreciation of the ancient Greeks legacy and the legacy of the groups past.
After the six students take part in the murder of Bunny, the evil takes a toll on each of their lives, as well as, their teacher, Julian. Their lives are changed forever and their friendship tragically dissolves. Paranoia and suspicion hover over their relationships and they live in fear of betrayal.
The characters in The Secret History succeed in creating an enthralling murder mystery, an exploration of the nature of evil, and a comparison of classical and modern attitudes, ethics, and ideals.
Summary of The Secret History
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. 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 brought to brutal life . . . and led to a gruesome death. And that was just the beginning . . .Literary Books
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