"The Secret History" by Donna Tartt - Book Review
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."
Review
This book was a delightful surprise. It had been on my reading list for ages, and I picked it up without knowing the plot, only that it was considered a contemporary classic for a good reason. The story explores the fine lines between morality, self-interest, and ancient wisdom through the friendship of six students and their eccentric Greek professor.
It is narrated in the first person by the main character, who reflects on a more innocent time spent studying at an elite liberal arts college. There, Robert Papen's life becomes intertwined with misfits, leading to insecurities about belonging and the desire to be admired. You know from the start that the story will take a dark turn, but the compelling characters and thoughtful prose engage you in understanding why everything unfolds as it does.
Overall, it is a gripping and enjoyable book that evokes timeless questions about death and free will through a powerful narrative, without becoming overly pedantic.
Key Takeaways
- Engaging characters and strong narrative control
- Profound reflections on the nature of memories, death, and human fallibility despite intellect
- Enjoyable reading experience with a smooth narrative
Who Should Read This
Readers seeking an engaging read that explores existential questions and features relatable young characters, rather than mere caricatures, and a compelling contemporary novel.
Favourite Quotes
"It seems to me that psychology is only another word for what the ancients called fate."
"'The Furies,' said Bunny, his eyes dazzled and lost beneath the bang of hair. 'Exactly. And how did they drive people mad? They turned up the volume of the inner monologue, magnified qualities already present to great excess, made people so much themselves that they couldn't stand it."
"But one mustn't underestimate the primal appeal – to lose one's self, lose it utterly. And in losing it be born to the principle of continuous life, outside the prison of mortality and time."
"Some things are too terrible to grasp at once. Other things – naked, sputtering, indelible in their horror – are too terrible to really ever grasp at all. It is only later, in solitude, in memory, that the realization dawns: when the ashes are cold; when the mourners have departed; when one looks around and finds oneself- quite to one's surprise – in an entirely different world."
"'There are such things as ghosts. People everywhere have always known that. And we believe in them every bit as much as Homer did. Only now, we call them by different names. Memory. The unconscious.'"
"She closed her eyes, dark-lidded, dark shadows beneath them; she really was older, not the glancing-eyed girl I had fallen in love with but no less beautiful for that; beautiful now in a way that less excited my senses than tore at my very heart."
Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5/5 stars)