Focus: The Secret History

Ever since I read an excerpt as part of preparation for my AP English Literature test, I wanted to read The Secret History by Donna Tartt. This summer, I finally accomplished my long-awaited goal and read the novel.


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a5/The_Secret_History,_front_cover.jpg

Summary:
The book tells the tale of Richard Papen's first year at the exclusive Hampden College in Vermont. Richard meets and becomes part of an exclusive group of classics students. The novel is often described as an "inverted detective story", because it begins with the description of five of the students murdering their friend Bunny. The rest of the novel then explains the events leading up to and following Bunny's murder and why it occurred.

Review:
After waiting so long to read this book, I must say that it was definitely a worthwhile read. The characters were compelling, the plot rich with suspense, and the writing style both clever and original. It was interesting to read a book from the perspective of a character that willingly took part in a murder, because the reader is led to actually sympathize with Richard and his situation.

Bunny, the victim, is portrayed as obnoxious and extremely difficult to get along with. Since Bunny knew about the murder that occurred at the Bacchanal, he also poses a threat to the rest of the group. What is interesting is that even though Richard wasn't included in the Bacchanal, and therefore has no reason to fear Bunny, he is drawn easily into the murder of Bunny by Henry.

Henry has a lot of power in the group of friends, a fact of which Richard becomes aware towards the end of the novel. Henry made Richard feel included in the group, and even, in a way, included in the (possibly - it is never made clear in the novel) accidental murder of the man during the Bacchanal. It is quite easy to make Richard believe this because he desperately wants to be a part of this exclusive group of friends, who seem to him to be of another world after his sad and dull Californian childhood.

As evidenced by my musings above, the characters and plot alone are compelling enough to write a whole other book about; but what really places this book so high in my recommendation is the strong writing style. Tartt is able to convey these plot points and create these characters in a way that imitates the great writers of the past, such as Jane Austen or J.D. Salinger. Though the novel was published in 1992, it feels like a novel from a past time. Yet it is also incredibly readable.

In conclusion, The Secret History is a novel unlike any other. Well-written, with fascinating characters and a page-turning plot, I would recommend this read to anyone who is interested in interesting stories about good people who do bad things.