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Summary: One of the most captivating books I have ever read...
Review: Donna Tartt's "The Secret History" first beckoned me from a bookshelf some two years ago. I did not read it, however, until three months ago - and in this instance, I finished it in only a weekend. This book follows the main character, Richard, throughout his stay at Hampden College (a thinly veiled characterization of a certain upper-class private Vermont college). There, he begins his immersion in a selective Greek studies course, along with four other students. Many other reviewers complained of the "psuedointellectualism" contained within the pages, however I felt quite differently: It was excellent to finally read a book which utilised many different facets of literature in order to tell a story. On the surface, "The Secret History" is an excellent, excellent story: It is a mystery and a suspense book which captivates the reader right from the start. However, the intertextuality of the book is really what seperates it from, say Dean Koontz or any other "suspense" writer. In fact, it's difficult to catogorise this book as any genre; it is as easily a coming-of-age story as it is a thriller. Needless to say, it held my attention. Some readers may feel alienated by the constant references to Greek history or philosophies; for me, this added to the appeal of the book - it was fascinating to see Euripides' Bacchae woven into a plot line. I found the ending of the book to be slightly stretched and boring, but the absolute end had me enthralled. Throughout the book, without realising it, I had become taken with all of the characters - their lives, their dispositions...Though trite, it was as if I literally _knew_ them: Thus, the climax came as both a surprise and a tragedy. Additionally, any familiarity with the Greek concept of tragedy will see this shine through in the book's plot: Again, a neat aspect of Tartt's storycrafting. I can't help but to wax enthusiastic about "The Secret History": All of the characters are well-crafted, coming across as dimensioned, personable figures. Tartt is able to convey the mood of the seventies Hampden College, and also the circumstances of the characters. Without a doubt, The Secret History is one of the most interesting, captivating books I have ever read: Tartt manages to pull the reader in effortlessly, and keep the reader entranced.
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad. Not great. Just Good.
Review: If you can manage to overlook the pretentious, pseudo-intellectual nature of this book and disregard the stereotypical stock characters it is a very entertaining novel. When I first began reading it I could not help but groan at the ridiculously over-the-top personalities and the stilted dialogue. After making a concious effort to just read and enjoy I found myself wrapped up in the story and titillated by the supremely phony world that these "collegiate" characters inhabit. I could not put it down. It stuck with me. It has been weeks since I read it and here I am reveiwing it on Wednesday at midnight. Not bad. Not great. Just good.
Rating: 
Summary: Where are the irony police when you need them?
Review: Donna Tartt having us on. She has written a satire about college life in the ivies. Parents who have either abandoned them or in some cases actually died essentially orphan these kids. This makes them fair game for their silky Classics professor, the diabolical Julian. Moving them around like pawns, he seduces and corrupts. They become his creature and he has created a monster. Being rather aimless they make it easy for him to become a surrogate for all the adults who no longer care for them. The profligate drinking and drugging is exaggerated to excuse their reckless behavior. Under Julian's tutelage they embrace the idea of that anything goes in the noble search for truth and beauty. Even murder is rationalized by their interpretation of the classics. The first ritual sacrifice is described in murky detail hinting at mutilation and cannibalism. Every taboo is broken by this group including incest. That may explain our inability to really connect with these unsympathetic characters. They are so well mannered while at the same time anti-social. Neither are they meant to be role models except maybe as a last resort for shallow feckless gen-xers. Paris Hilton are you listening? Casting for the movie begins as soon as you can make room in your busy schedule.
Rating:
Summary: Good story but too long.
Review: I give Secret History three stars because the story is original and the writing is often inspired, and that is the only reason I trudged through its 502 pages (paperback). There are far too many insignificant details that do not advance the story. 34 pages to cover poor Bunny's funeral, WOW. I was in more pain than the bereaved. The story would have been a winner at 250 pages and Donna could have saved a trainload of booze and cigarettes. On the plus side the characters are all well described, complex, flawed, and dysfunctional. Aren't those are the ingredients of most good stories.
Rating: 
Summary: Dull, boring and tedious
Review: For the first time in my life, I could not finish a book. It was that bad. I tried; I even took it on a plane to force myself to read it. It is so boring I decided to look out the window for six hours instead.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but at times verbose.
Review: Paul, I finally got around to read it! I got "The Secret History" for Christmas 2 years ago from my friend Paul. He spoke highly of Donna Tarrt and her writing. Although I found the highlight on the cover interesting, it stayed on my shelf for a while before I got around to read it. The protagonist, a college student named Richard Papen, comes from a loveless low(er)-class Californian family. He is accepted to Vermont's Hampden College as a non-paying student. We enter the story as he is looking back on a murder he was witness to. The question is never by whom, but why was the person killed. After arriving at the College in New England he was quickly adopted by a clan of five (apparently) rich and socially sophisticated students studying Greek. We meet the twins Charles and Camilla, the attractive gay Francis, unpleasant moocher Bunny, and the very bright Henry. The group all study with the same professor, in fact, they have committed themselves to only study with one professor. Despite the challenging curriculum, the friends spend most of their time drinking and taking pills. As Richard is drawn into their inner circle, he learns a shocking secret that binds them to one another. They reveal to Richard that they accidentally killed a man. However, the best parts of the book occur after a second murder. At the end of "The Secret History", I was not sure what to think. I had enjoyed it, but it was at times extremely verbose on the edge of being boring. I spent many hours saying to myself "come on" "come one"... I think it would have worked better as a 400-page book. PS. Browsing thorough some of the reviews, readers recommend to read the book a second time. I leave that decision to you.
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Summary: "History" stays secretive
Review: Donna Tartt's intellectual thriller "The Secret History" was a rarity among the bestsellers of a decade ago: It was written with plenty of literate references, brimming over with the remnants of Greece. It's a flawed dark gem; there's a work of genius buried somewhere in the clumsiness. Richard Papen somehow manages to get transferred from a culturally dead backwater in California, to the elite liberal arts college of Hampden in Vermont. Once there, he manages to get accepted into the tiny class of elite students who are studying Greek -- the charming gay Francis, obnoxious sponger Bunny, frightening super-intellect Henry and the beautiful, too-close twins Charles and Camilla. At first, he tries to hide his impoverished origins and fit in with the beautiful, wealthy students who happily bounce off to Italy for vacation. But he soon learns that there is a dark edge to their love of ancient Greece -- the bacchanal, a barbaric ritual that ended in a man's death. And to keep the secret of that death, Richard will help his new friends kill again -- only this time, it's one of them who will die. "The Secret History" is definitely a first novel. Donna Tartt writes with a sure hand and confidence, name-dropping just about every Greek and Roman scholar you can think of (also Milton and Donne for good measure). She has a way of writing that sweeps along in a tangle of beautiful words, glossing over the flaws those words have created, without losing the aura of Greek tragedy. It's less about the death of Bunny than it is about what his death does to the others. In short, this book is gorgeous. But it's far from perfect. Her descriptions are almost peerless, very beautiful and haunted (mostly in keeping with the idea that "beauty is terror"). There are plenty of natural descriptions, from the snow in Richard's apartment to the stream Camilla plays in. Tartt certainly has the "you are there" factor in her ornate, detailed writing. The story is also impeccably paced, starting off slow and building up to the inevitable event. Unfortunately, Tartt's details leave something to be desired. Her descriptions of the group are almost like a parody of elite college students. Why is Bunny talking about "old top," "old man," "chum" and so forth? Why does Californian Richard suddenly turn into a 19th-century preppie? Why is Francis wearing a pince-nez in the 1980s? And she goes way over the top in making Bunny "dislikable" -- he's a moocher, obnoxious, has a grating voice and is prejudiced against Catholics, Italians, gays, et cetera. It's as if his death has to be justified in Tartt's eyes by making him a huge pain in the butt. Another flaw crops up in characterization. The little circle of students is shown as being coolly intelligent, cultured, and charming despite their fatal flaws. All other students -- all the "ordinary" people -- are coke-snorting, gauche, loud and stupid. Couldn't be some elitism there, could there? Richard is, unfortunately, a terrible lead character; he's not too bright, clueless, dull and self-pitying. His adoration of the rich, pretty and hedonistic never wears off. With the exception of the unfortunate Bunny, the others are intriguing rather than well-rounded, with their wildly varying personalities and hidden secrets. Despite the elite literary edge, the core of "Secret History" is unsound. It's beautiful and has the touch of a classic, but sags under the author's first-timer clumsiness.
Rating:
Summary: Secret History
Review: The best book I have read in ages and the first I read by Donna Tartt. Her second book was not nearly as good which was disappointing. With the right actors the Secret History could be a block buster...Gynneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Matt Dillon. Hurry and cast it before they get too old to play the roles.
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Summary: My newest favorite book
Review: I bought this book in a London bookstore on a weekend trip while I was studying in Paris. I didn't read the back cover before I bought it and chose it because it was in English, it looked long, and it was only 9 euros. What incredible luck. The curiously constructed plot (the search not for who kills Bunny, but for why) is infused with language and poetry and a richness of idea on every page. I read it three times while abroad and still pull it out every few months to read it again. Each time, something new pops out and amazes me even more. I would recommend this book to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: a modern classic
Review: The Secret History is in every sense of the term - a Classic. A truely satisfying reading experience, it is set in a modern world that we can all relate to, and yet there is an overall sense of something just beyond our grasp. If you're looking for a captivating page turner with substance, this is the perfect read.
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