Book Review: The Secret History by Donna Tartt

via Amazon

 

Hi readers! It has been a little while since I've been on the blog, but I am back today with a book review for one of my new favorite books The Secret History by Donna Tartt.

You've likely heard Tartt's name over the last couple of years— she was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2014, and her book The Goldfinch won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. I read The Goldfinch last year and enjoyed it, so when I was searching for a new novel to add to my "to read" list, I immediately thought of looking through Tartt's other writings.

The Secret History, published in 1992, did not disappoint. It stands out as one of the best books I've read in the last few years, and is possibly one of my top five favorite books ever. The novel follows a small group of classical studies students at an elite university who meet disaster when they re-enact an ancient Roman ritual. The students must take extreme measures to cover up their actions, which raises important questions about morality and intellectualism, while keeping the reader entranced in the story for nearly 500 pages.

While the story is told from the perspective of one person, the reader gets to know every character intimately, complicating how we view their actions throughout the story. In some ways, this reminds me of Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita— the reader is so involved in the narrator's point of view that we almost stop 'judging' actions in terms of their morality, and then in turn judge ourselves when we realize the grave crimes the characters have committed. I love mulling over these types of complex, 'blurry' themes when I read. In fact, I think that is what makes for a truly good book; the story stays with the reader long after we've stopped turning the physical pages.

I definitely recommend this book— such a big volume has something for just about anyone to chew on— but be warned: this is not the best late night read as it will keep you up continually diving back into the story for more.

Buy The Secret History here on Amazon.

xoxo,

Ashley