The Secret History

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Secret History by Donna Tartt was recommended to me by a friend who was surprised that I had not already read it. The novel focuses on the relationship between a group of students in a select university class studying the classics, who ultimately take their interest in the classical world too far.

Tartt uses Richard, an outsider, as the narrator. He desires and gains entry into the inner circle of ‘elite’ students and their charismatic teacher. Richard is the classic outsider who observes, gets drawn in by some of the more forceful personalities in the group and finally becomes the one who recounts the narrative as accurately (or inaccurately) as he can. Initially, I was on the lookout for Richard being an unreliable narrator, which I think, to some extent, he is for a large portion of the novel.

The Secret History is similar in some ways to The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Magus by John Fowles (author of The French Lieutenant’s Woman), both of which feature narrators who are gullible and are ultimately manipulated by a more dominant character. These narrators are also rather empty, lacking ambition and purpose and so are drawn into a kind of ‘cult-like’ hero worship of the main Svengali-type figures, leading the reader to feel that much of the trouble could have been avoided. It also raises questions about collective responsibility, coercion and enmeshment within a group.

The book is well written and describes the setting and action in an imaginative and engaging way. However, the narrative and its focus on multiple layers of the characters’ stories can feel rather dense at times. In summary, it is worth a read if you have the time and patience.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Jenny