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The Secret History (Paperback)

by Donna Tartt (Author) "Does such a thing as 'the fatal flaw,' that showy dark crack running down the middle of a life, exist outside literature? I used to..." (more)
4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (190 customer reviews)
RRP: £8.99
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Product details

  • Paperback: 640 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd., London (3 Oct 2002)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0140167773
  • ISBN-13: 978-0140167771
  • Product Dimensions: 19.7 x 12.9 x 3.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (190 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 2,864 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #1 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > T > Tartt, Donna

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Product Description

Product Description
A misfit at an exclusive New England college, Richard finds kindred spirits in the five eccentric students of his ancient Greek class. But his new friends have a horrific secret. When blackmail and violence threaten to blow their privileged lives apart, they drag Richard into the nightmare that engulfs them. And soon they enter a terrifying heart of darkness from which they may never return ...

About the Author
Donna Tartt was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, and educated at the University of Mississippi and Bennington College. She is a novelist, essayist, and critic. THE SECRET HISTORY has been translated into twenty-four languages.
Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
Does such a thing as 'the fatal flaw,' that showy dark crack running down the middle of a life, exist outside literature? I used to think it didn't. Read the first page
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

190 Reviews
5 star:
 (119)
4 star:
 (32)
3 star:
 (12)
2 star:
 (12)
1 star:
 (15)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (190 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Page turner! Couldn't put it down! and other cliches as well., 29 Nov 2006
By G. Lloyd "gruff76" (Edinburgh) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I found myself trying to sell the story of The Secret History to a friend of mine in an effort to get him to read it. It went something like this.

ME: Its reeeeeeeally good. Its about this close knit group of college kids who do something really shocking and then do something more shocking to cover the first thing up!
FRIEND: And......?
ME: Um....... that's about it really.

I resorted to reading the cover notes to him and they weren't much better. Y'see, there are only a few shocking moments within the book but they are essential building blocks for later parts of the novel. To tell you, nay even hint as to what the shocking moments are would ruin vast swathes of this novel for you, and shame shame shame shame on other reviewers on these pages for doing so. SHAME!

This novel is beautiful and claustrophobic. Donna Tartt's writing style elegantly and effortlessly guides you through this bizarre world of academia. Her characters are fully rounded and complete and, as you expect from any good novel, you find yourself totally believing in them.

Underneath the subtle cover, bland title and nondescript blurb on the back is a doozer of a story. I recommend this title to anyone.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Past meets Present., 4 Sep 2006
By Ms. E. J. Rutherford (England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I would recommend The Secret History to anyone because it is truly superb.
I don't normally read much fiction, and I prefer fast paced story lines and authors who do not include too much detail and description. However, The Secret History is the opposite to this and I loved it. The plot moves slowly but this allows for interesting psychological insights about each character to develop. Donna Tartt's readable style of writing kept me intrigued and wanting to know what would happen right up until the final page.
From the outset the story appears to be the usual tale of a group of young friends at university, but this soon turns into a tale of self-destruction. Although the book is set in modern times, the characters all seem to be trapped in their own world and are fairly closed off to the rest of society. This makes them come across as quite old fashioned. The frequent references to Ancient Greek language and culture also give the book a sense of history and antiquation. Thus the book is truly a modern classic. Read it!
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29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars One in a million, 30 Mar 2001
By A Customer
If I could take only one single book to the notorious island it would be The Secret History.

Originally I bought it only because a friend of mine had recommended it to me about a dozen times and kept asking me whether I had finally read it myself. Well. I was into 19th century classics at the time and really really really didn't feel like reading a novel by an unknown contemporary author. And an American one as well! So I bought and started reading it only to avoid further awkward quesions.

What can I say? I truly love books and have read hundreds. But none, literally NONE, ever made me feel the way The Secret History did and still does. It's the most fascinating and gripping book I've ever had the honour to read. The characters are fascinatingly mysterious; the plot the most interesting one I can think of; the setting great; and the language simply wonderful.

The bad thing about having read The Secret History (10 times? 11?) is that now I will always be longing for another one like it. The Secret History is THE book.

I know that other readers have experienced the same. Many of them keep asking about a new novel by Donna Tartt. I don't. I don't really want her to write another one, and I don't think she will. Every serious author wants their new novel to be just a little bit better than the last one. And let's face it: Donna Tartt will never achieve that because she's already written the perfect novel.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Place & Time....
This is my all time favourite ever book. Fortunately for me, I read it at the right time, right place. Read more
Published 13 days ago by M. L. Hughes

1.0 out of 5 stars It's all greek to me
I finished this book today and have googled around it appears to be one of two novels Donna Tartt has written and the only thing she has done which has gained some success... Read more
Published 2 months ago by M. Wilde

2.0 out of 5 stars Way too long and tepid.
As mentioned by a previous reviewer this book is about 300 pages too long. I am not sure what exactly is is intended to be. Read more
Published 5 months ago by R. Britain

4.0 out of 5 stars Lord of the Flies goes to college
As a subtle insight into youthful arrogance and tribalism, The Secret History is peerless. It owes a lot to Lord of the Flies - the bespectacled... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Patrick Neylan

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a haunting story
This is a haunting story. I can't put my finger on why but I know will never forget it. Is it in my top ten, yes, for sure.

Published 7 months ago by Dr. R. Matthews

4.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Surprise
Given that this book was a gift from a relative whose tastes usually tend towards chick-lit and volumes produced by the crime-fiction clone machine, it was with some degree of... Read more
Published 8 months ago by MJ Perry

1.0 out of 5 stars One of the worst books I have ever read!
I am a Historian and was curious about this book, especially since it contained many classical Greek references, but halfway through this book I kept wondering, when is it going... Read more
Published 8 months ago by reet

5.0 out of 5 stars Approaching the inevitable peripeteia
Why 'peripeteia'? It's appropriate to use this term here, Aristotle's word for the turning point that makes a drama a drama, a tragedy a tragedy. Read more
Published 9 months ago by M.I.

5.0 out of 5 stars my special book
I can put it thus: The secret history manages to read like a book many years older than it is. i was lucky enough to have read it when it was first issued and it has stayed with... Read more
Published 10 months ago by I. D. Bourne

3.0 out of 5 stars 300 pages too long, possibly 629.
"Donna Tartt looks so posh and smart on the inside cover i just want to eat her all up. How prerentious she looks! Read more
Published 10 months ago by Gargantua Pantaloon

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