This novel is based on six students who are majoring in ancient greek at hampden college in vermont yee, 1. Nonostante leccessiva lunghezza, sono riuscita a leggerlo in pochissimo tempo. Despite the critical acclaim and commercial success of this brilliant debut, released when the author was 28a work sometimes described as the most celebrated first novel of the 1990startt only published one book during her. The secret history is the first novel by donna tartt, published by alfred a. An acknowledged modern classic, the secret history endures as a cerebral yet addictive masterwork. Ten reasons why we love donna tartts the secret history. The secret history is a thriller at heart, a very effective psychological thriller where the tension is provided by the gradual revelation of the threads and links in the weave of relationships between the central characters rather than by uncertainty the murder which centres the book is described in the prologue. The secret history by donna tartt books the guardian. Snootier types sniffed that it was a softball thriller that we. Jun 05, 2014 my introduction to donna tartt was a secret history a beautifully crafted novel of friendship and secrets which i devoured in mere hours. Reading this book for the third time just convinced me that it is still my favorite donna tartt novel. The secret history by donna tartt 9780140167771 dymocks.
Donna tartt, pulitzer prize winning mississippi writer and. The novel follows the lives of six dynamic classics students at hampden college in vermont. Apr, 2004 donna tarts writing is fantastic and i read the secret history in one sitting. Oct 19, 2011 the secret history ebook written by donna tartt. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the secret history. Best of donna tartt 10 books meet your next favorite book. Its a story of corruption in paradise, of intellectualized debauchery. Ten reasons why we love donna tartts the secret history books. I bought it after i had read bret easton ellis complete works, and funnily enough, my edition of the secret history has a note by donna tartt dedicating the book to him. 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. Strongly reminiscent of the likeness in setting, crime and. Twentyfive years ago excitable critics hailed donna tartts the secret history as an instant classic.
The only disappointing aspect of the secret history is what happened in its aftermath. A 75,000 print order was made for the first edition as opposed to the usual 10,000 order for a debut novel, and the book became a bestseller. Richard, who is from an area of california described as dry and desolate, comes to hampden college in vermont. Welcome to the first vox book club discussion for may. A bunch of eversomandarin college kids in a small vermont school are the eager epigones of an aloof classics professor, and in their exclusivity and snobbishness and eagerness to please their teacher, they are moved to try to enact dionysian frenzies in the woods. The secret history by donna tartt the author will be in conversation with john mullan about her muchloved debut novel on 19 november fri 4 oct 20 06. It was also recommended by people who know my taste as well as those who dont, seemingly by the world of book lovers itself, by some of my most literary and wellread friends, by my mother. Oct 04, 20 the secret history by donna tartt the author will be in conversation with john mullan about her muchloved debut novel on 19 november fri 4 oct 20 06. I then bought the little friend still havent finished it. This is a brilliant novel and well worth the purchase. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors.
A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. Set in new england, it tells the story of a closely knit group of six classics students at hampden college, a small, elite vermont college based upon bennington college, where tartt was a student between 1982 and 1986 the secret history is an inverted detective story narrated by one of the. 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. First published in 1992, the book became an instant bestseller. Donna tartts first novel, the secret history, was published by alfred a. Classic literature, original gangster s4 e17 the goldfinch by donna tartt thug.
She discusses the murder mystery about a group of classics students at a new england college. In the 20 years since the publication of donna tartts the secret history, following the obsessive, incestuous friendship of a small group of classics students at an elite new england college, the book has attracted a cultlike following of its own. 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. Bbc radio 4 bookclub, donna tartt the secret history. Dec 10, 2016 as soon as i finished the secret history by donna tartt, i wanted to pick it back up and read it again. The main characters believe so strongly in the power of these myths that they find. The goldfinch by donna tartt book club discussion questions. The setting is a small vermont college, the characters members of an isolated, eccentric circle of classics majors, who murder one of their own. Jun 11, 20 the secret history is a powerful, immensely atmospheric novel. Donna tartt reads the opening to her campusset murder mystery novel the secret history.
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. In the idyllic beginning it is easy to see why richard is drawn to the group. Jun 11, 2014 eleven years in the making, 784 pages long, the book has reignited the cult of donna tartt, which began in 1992 with her sensational debut novel, the secret history. The secret history by donna tartt book club discussion. But in the secret history, which tartt calls a whydunit, there isnt a central. Under the tutelage of the enigmatic classics professor. Donna tartt shot to fame with her first novel, the secret history.
The brat pack meets the bacchae in this precious, waytoolong, and utterly unsuspenseful townandgown murder tale. Forceful, cerebral and impeccably controlled, the secret history achieves just what ms. The author has gone on to write other successful novels including the little friend 2002 and the goldfinch 20 which won the pulitzer prize for. Let me know in the comments if you lovedhatedfelt things about this book the secret history on goodreads. Special topics in calamity physics by marisha pessl and the basic eight by daniel handler are just two among their number, and theyre often mentioned in the same breath as tartts masterpiece. Nov, 2014 my somewhat hesitant thoughts on the secret history by donna tartt. Ive owned this book for over a year and have reread it at least twice because it is that good.
The only other books to which i could possibly compare it would be tana frenchs dublin murder squad series, which has the same focus on the. He meets, and slowly joins, a group of elitist classics students. Like its narrator, richard, who longs to be a part of the secretive group, readers are enraptured by the seductive delights of tartts. Truly deserving of the accolade modern classic, donna tartt s novel is a remarkable achievement both compelling and elegant, dramatic and playful. Set in new england, it tells the story of a closely knit group of six classics students at hampden college, a small, elite vermont college based upon bennington college, where tartt was a student between 1982 and 1986. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Donna tartt discusses her cult debut novel the secret history, first published in 1992. The secret history by donna tartt book club discussion questions. We, like richard, are being given membership of a select group. Secret history by donna tartt, first edition abebooks.
The author will be in conversation with john mullan about her muchloved debut novel on 19 november. Maybe that was the point, its certainly atmospheric. The goldfinch her novelsl the secret history and the little friend were also international bestsellers. It was donna tartts the secret history, and i hated it. Nov 05, 20 in the 20 years since the publication of donna tartt s the secret history, following the obsessive, incestuous friendship of a small group of classics students at an elite new england college, the book has attracted a cultlike following of its own. Building an everdarkening atmosphere of ominous tension, donna tartts ground breaking collegeset thriller casts profound questions of morality and desire in a gripping reversemurder mystery steeped in allusions to the ancient classics. The secret history, published in 1992, is the first novel by pulitzer prize and andrew carnegie medalwinning author donna tartt, whose other notable books include the little friend 2002 and the goldfinch 20. Why are literary critics dismayed by donna tartts the. Oct 02, 2012 donna tartts the secret history is a modern classic in every sense of the word. Discuss the secret history with donna tartt at the guardian book club. I suppose at one time in my life i might have had any number of stories, but now there. Truly deserving of the accolade modern classic, donna tartts novel is a remarkable achievement both compelling and elegant, dramatic and playful. At the age of nineteen, richard papen goes to hampden college in vermont, primarily to get away from his parents and his depressingly boring hometown of plano, ca. This month, were reading donna tartt s the secret history, a tale of deeply pretentious yet lovable college students, murder, and the mysteries of bacchus.
The secret history by donna tartt trotskys book club. The secret history by bclarkgreene see profile 112217. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the secret history. Why i hated the secret history by donna tartt read it forward. Donna tartt s first novel, the secret history, was published by alfred a. Books similar to the secret history by donna tartt. The secret history is a dark and, some including me would say, messed up story. Henry, francis, charles, and camilla hold a ritual in hopes of meeting dionysus, the greek god of wine. Donna tartt won the 2014 pulitzer prize for her most recent novel. The secret history donna tartt, 1992 knopf doubleday 576 pp. Its set in bennington facsimile hampden college, where narrator richard papen hopes to transcend his mundane, middle class childhood. Our book club tackles the first half of donna tartt s the secret history. History by donna tartt is like drinking the scotch the characters drink in the book. As soon as i finished the secret history by donna tartt, i wanted to pick it back up and read it again.
The secret history is the first novel by american author, donna tartt. Set in new england, it tells the story of a closely knit group of six classics students at hampden college, a small, elite vermont college based upon bennington college, where tartt was a student between 1982 and 1986 the secret history is an inverted detective story narrated by one of the students. My somewhat hesitant thoughts on the secret history by donna tartt. Donna tartt discusses the secret history with john mullan at the guardian book club on 19 november, 7pm, the royal geographical society, 1 kensington gore, london sw7. Donna tartt is an american writer who received critical acclaim for her first two novels, the secret history and the little friend, which have been translated into thirty languages. Like its narrator, richard, who longs to be a part. Our book club tackles the first half of donna tartts the secret history. John mullan deconstructs donna tartt s the secret history. The story is an inverted detective story, not a whodunit but a whydunit. The secret history by donna tartt is a mystery novel that focuses on the study of classical and modern art daphnes, 1.
The secret history by donna tartt, the goldfinch by donna tartt, the little friend by donna tartt, a christmas pageant by donn. Bookclub, donna tartt the secret history bbc radio 4. In this first conversation, were covering everything from the prologue up to the end of book i. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Tartt was the 2003 winner of the wh smith literary award for the little friend. 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.
Dec 17, 2017 the commercial success of the secret history led to the publication of a slew of novels featuring similar elements. I had a different perspective on the book as i read it for the second time for a book club. Eleven years in the making, 784 pages long, the book has reignited the cult of donna tartt, which began in 1992 with her sensational debut novel, the secret history. Donna tartts the secret history is a modern classic in every sense of the word. The secret history by donna tartt reading guidebook club. In the two decades since the secret history was published, more and more people have referred to it as a contemporary classic. We have upheld our editorial independence in the face of the. Twenty years after her cult debut the secret history, donna tartt is. You might like his works outside of american psycho, theres a similar vibe. The secret history is a powerful, immensely atmospheric novel. She was born in greenwood, mississippi, and is a graduate of bennington college.
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