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The Secret History [Paperback]

Donna Tartt (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (204 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: 0804111359
  • ISBN-13: 978-0140167771
  • ASIN: 0140167773
  • Product Dimensions: 17 x 10.6 x 3.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (204 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank:: 772 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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More About the Author

Donna Tartt
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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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The Secret History
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Customer Reviews

204 Reviews
5 star:
 (126)
4 star:
 (35)
3 star:
 (15)
2 star:
 (12)
1 star:
 (16)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (204 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
13 of 13 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)   
This review is from: The Secret History (Paperback)
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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53 of 56 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)   
This review is from: The Secret History (Paperback)
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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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, 10 April 2007
This review is from: The Secret History (Paperback)
A totally engrossing read - fairly romps along, so that despite its length the pacing, the well drawn characters and their unspeakable dilemmas make it one of those rare books that keep you up late determined to read to the end. The sense of claustrophobic evil and the disintegration of a group of friends drunk on their own cleverness is threaded throughout with classic Greek references. This display of erudition is dazzling to a non classics scholar such as myself, and only enhances the enjoyment.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Gripping and profound
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1.0 out of 5 stars I didn't finish it..
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5.0 out of 5 stars Best book I've ever read
My friend had been recommending this book to me for ages but I thought it sounded boring. I finally decided to give it a go to see what all the fuss was about and I'm so glad I... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Chloe M. Tomlinson

5.0 out of 5 stars A stunning novel long and fondly remembered
Richard enrols at an elite New England College and after a period as an outsider he soon makes friends with five eccentric students from his ancient Greek class. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Little Miss Average

5.0 out of 5 stars Spectacular!
This book is an accumalation of genius, to keep it short and sweet this book is certainly one of my favourite books and a must read.
Published 6 months ago by S. Childs

4.0 out of 5 stars The Secret History
I found the book fascinating and probably would not have read it had I not been allocated it to read by my book club society.
Published 8 months ago by E. I. Brant

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional writing and a rip snorter of a plot
If anything negatively critical can be found about this book it might be that sometimes it is too indulgent with description when the reader is anxious to get on with the plot... Read more
Published 8 months ago by inch worm

3.0 out of 5 stars Nefarious activities in the mountains of Vermont
Richard Papen, a mature, working-class student from California heads to the mountains of Vermont to enrol in an elite but isolated college to study the Classics. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Trevor Coote

5.0 out of 5 stars Addictive, a literary masterpiece.
The Secret History is a literary masterpiece, since reading this novel nothing has managed to top it. Read more
Published 8 months ago by A. Constantine

3.0 out of 5 stars Just a thought
There is enough in this book to merit a long discussion but with zillions of excellent reviews already on Amazon, here are just a few thoughts instead. Read more
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