The Secret History
Review by Katie Lipoma
*Spoilers ahead & content warning for murder, suicide, and incest*
Okay, so I know I said that this week’s review would hopefully be more uplifting. That’s not the case, but I suggest you keep reading anyway. There’s some praise and glimpses of good in here!
What a beautiful, bewildering whirlwind of a read The Secret History was. It seemed as though every reader I know had already experienced this novel by the time I finally picked it up. It truly is an unspoken prerequisite for English and creative writing majors. I suppose it was the daunting 623 page count that slipped it to the bottom of my TBR list, making it the longest book I’ve read to date. I surprised myself by breezing through all eight book-length chapters in a week. I enjoyed immersing myself in Donna Tartt’s semi-realistic yet wildly complex academic oasis for hours following my tiresome work shifts. I have a lot to say about this read, and I’ve attempted to consolidate my thoughts as best as possible. So, grab your popcorn and buckle up for this essay of a review.
This is the first book I’ve read where nothing yet everything seems to happen. I’m conflicted about my feelings regarding this read. I didn’t love nor hate it, and I certainly don’t regret reading it, as I often found myself entranced for a multitude of reasons. To put it simply, it was truly more of an experience than a traditional read. In short, the story revolves around a prestigious cult-like friend group of five (Richard, Edmund/“Bunny”, Camilla, Charles, and Henry) who are brought together over their eccentric dispositions and love for Greek literature and mysterious Greek professor, Julian. During one wild night, the group—minus Richard and Bunny—murder an innocent local. Fearing that Bunny might blab and convict them (Bunny is strongly disliked and known for sharing others’ secrets), the group creates a ploy to murder him. The novel explores each character’s personal life, their journey through guilt, and what arises from it. This plot line reminds me a lot of the classic slasher film, I Know What You Did Last Summer, with its themes of murder, plaguing guilt, and tension that overtakes the friend group, leading to further disarray and disaster. As you can tell, I’m a sucker for a well-crafted thriller.
The cozy and dark ambiance of this book is truly a treasure. I can’t think of a more perfect setting than Tartt’s pick of an unsuspecting New England liberal arts college. Each chapter is worlds long and crammed with endless description and rich vocabulary. I sometimes found myself wanting to skip past the excessive wordiness (as a wordy writer, this is beyond comprehension), and I feel the entire work could have been shortened to 250 pages max. However, I must say that Tartt’s word choice and lines were nothing short of poetic and beautiful. Moreover, there were so many instances where I was literally holding my breath and riddled with anxiety over the events taking place. Donna Tartt has a gift for the art of suspense and suffering.
Also, I felt enmeshed in this friend group, yet felt like I learned nothing about them. It was as if Tartt held back, determined to keep readers as outsiders and never close enough to be part of this group’s real world (which feels much like Richard before he was accepted into the group). An attempt is made, but the details are under lock and key. Maybe this tease was what I needed to keep reading. I found myself most interested in Richard, Henry, and Bunny as their characters are complex and ever-changing. Richard is portrayed as the “innocent” one who blindly stumbles into the group only to morph into a man he cannot run from any longer. I wanted to yell at Richard to leave the group, transfer schools, and get his old “boring” life back so many times. Henry, the group leader, is dark and cold, and I found myself becoming increasingly more afraid of him and his capacity for violence. Bunny is depicted as an extremely annoying, manipulative, and selfish individual that causes distress to those around him. Do I think his unlikable personality warranted death? No, of course not.
I thought it was interesting and intense to see how the thoughts and perspectives of each character grew, shifted, and changed throughout, keeping readers helpless and prisoner to their twisted minds and the inevitable danger that threatens to ruin them all. Among others, a shock that I didn’t fully expect was the twins, Charles and Camilla, being involved in a toxic incest relationship (gasp). I feel like Camilla and Charles are underdeveloped characters, and knowing so little about them and then getting thrown into that mess was super appalling and strange. Additionally, as a major character that propels the plot forward, Henry also feels undeveloped, and I wish readers got to see more of him in solitude as well as with family. He seems to have many layers, and I can’t fully grasp the magnitude of the story if I don’t know exactly who he is and why he’s doing what he’s doing.
Another piece of the puzzle that got me thinking is Professor Julian’s role in this novel. He’s depicted as this all-knowing man with close friendship-like ties to the group, but I was left confused waiting to find out his purpose in the story. He remains mysterious and pretentious throughout, and readers don’t really learn anything valuable about him. Was he just Richard’s draw into the group, or is he a catalyst for something greater? He was a mentor, but did he conspire with Henry to kill Bunny despite seemingly taking a liking to him and grieving his death? Why does he suddenly move away after Bunny’s death and is never heard from again? Was Julian made out to seem guilty when he was just a simple professor? I’m not sure that I can trust these characters and the narrator, so I suppose I’ll never truly know.
Finally, the book’s ending felt rushed and forced in comparison to the drawn-out pace of the rest of the novel. It seems as though the author was trying too hard to wrap up each character’s story in a satisfactory manner. The final events were both shocking and thought-provoking. Richard getting shot and Henry dying by suicide were both very unexpected (I won’t spoil much else here). I thought it was sad and interesting how each character dealt with the same events and guilt in different ways (e.g., depression, violence, drugs, alcohol, partying, etc.). So, while aiming to avoid their death and suffering, they unintentionally brought it about. As I closed the cover, I thought…what did I just read? This book really encapsulates the dark realities and capacity of the human mind and the repercussions of an accumulation of actions. I would love to talk to Donna Tartt about her thoughts and intentions in her making of this book.
It’s no secret that I have conflicting viewpoints on this read, and after writing this review, I can’t say that I feel any differently. Would I recommend this book? Maybe. If you’ve read The Secret History, I’d love to chat about it.
Thank you for following along with this week’s review. Until next Thursday!
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