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The Secret History

A gripping tale of ambition, friendship, and moral ambiguity

Donna Tartt author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Penguin Books Ltd

Published:27th May '93

£9.99

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The Secret History cover

A group of students at an elite college, influenced by a charismatic professor, descends into moral ambiguity, leading to life-altering consequences in The Secret History.

In The Secret History, a group of bright and unconventional students at a prestigious New England college are profoundly influenced by their enigmatic classics professor. Under his guidance, they embark on a journey of intellectual exploration that sets them apart from their more conventional peers. As they delve deeper into the world of ancient philosophy and aesthetics, they begin to adopt a lifestyle that challenges the norms of their everyday existence. This newfound perspective brings them closer together, forging a bond that is both exhilarating and dangerous.

However, as the students push the boundaries of morality in their quest for enlightenment, they find themselves entangled in a web of deception, betrayal, and tragedy. Their pursuit of beauty and truth leads to unforeseen consequences that irrevocably alter their lives. The allure of their intellectual pursuits becomes a double-edged sword, as the line between right and wrong blurs, and their actions spiral out of control.

The Secret History is a gripping tale that examines the complexities of friendship, the allure of elitism, and the dark side of human nature. Through the lens of this tight-knit group, the narrative explores themes of ambition, guilt, and the cost of seeking knowledge. As they confront the aftermath of their choices, readers are drawn into a haunting exploration of what it means to live authentically in a world that often demands conformity.

The Secret History succeeds magnificently ... A remarkably powerful novel [and] a ferociously well-paced entertainment ... Forceful, cerebral, and impeccably controlled * New York Times *
So irresistible and seductive it's almost a guilty pleasure * Guardian *
A huge, mesmerizing, galloping read * Vanity Fair *
Donna Tartt is an amazingly good writer. She's dense, she's allusive. She's a gorgeous storyteller -- Stephen King
Takes my breath away -- Ruth Rendell
Brilliant and compulsive * Evening Standard *
A haunting, compelling, and brilliant piece of fiction ... Packed with literary allusion and told with a sophistication and texture that owes much more to the nineteenth century than to the twentieth * The Times *

  • Runner-up for The BBC Big Read Top 100 2003
  • Short-listed for BBC Big Read Top 100 2003

ISBN: 9780140167771

Dimensions: 197mm x 128mm x 27mm

Weight: 435g

640 pages