Title: The Secret History
Author: Donna Tartt
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5/5 stars
Synopsis: In a very élite college in New England, five boys and a girl are part of the most prestigious class of the school, the Greek one, taught by the notorious professor Julian, a name in its field. Pushed by their great love for everything classical, the group will go beyond their boundaries in order to achieve the supreme.
(BEWARE. This review will contain spoilers. No, like, for real.)
Have you ever heard of the “Stendhal Syndrome”? That’s like, when you’re in front of a work of art so beautiful and so perfect that you actually feel like fainting. Like you want to go to the author’s house and thank him personally. Have you ever experienced it? If you’re sensitive like me and these kinds of things are familiar to you, you will certainly enjoy “The Secret History”.
This book was written almost thirty years ago and it follows the lives of six great minds, five boys and a girl, who are studying at a prestigious college in New England. They all study classical languages and they are more or less obsessed with everything regarding those subjects.
Even though this book is quite “old”, in a way, still I am speechless at how actual and at the same time how timeless it is.
This sure is a dark book, though. I would not recommend going into it if you’re easily disturbed. In the very first page we come to the knowledge that one of the boys was killed by the very hands of their friends. If you feel like that is something that makes you uncomfortable, maybe this is not the right read for you.
I am a great fan of the “dark academia” setting and vibes, I studied classical letters for a long time of my life, and I am so attached to everything that regards Ancient Greece and its culture (Roman-Latin, too, of course). And for this reason I felt a deep connection with the characters in this book (not the murderous side, though, let me be clear on that lol).
But I have to say that Donna Tartt did a terrific job in describing them. And I mean terrific in the Latin sort of way, if we talk about semantics. Like, they frightened me, but they were also so fascinating in my eyes. Again, I quivered. And I think this is the sense of the whole book. We can’t help but despise the actions that the main characters choose to undertake, but we can’t also help but to be in absolute awe of their minds.
For this reason my favourite character was surely Henry. I fall for great minds. It’s my fatal flaw. I think he has become one of my main book crushes of all times, solely for the fact that I think of him as one of the most intelligent people that ever walked on Earth. Beside the fact that he’s well, fictional and that he’s a serial killer (but what’s the worst that could happen to a boy that’s already hurt? – Lana Del Rey unreleased song semi-quote).
All of the choices in this book were basically made by Henry’s mind, and you can argue that they’re immoral AF (cause they are), but the boy is a genius. I’m sorry How To Get Away With Murder, that’s how you do the drill. I’m not going to take it back.
And there’s something so poetic about the guy, too (and the book in general). Even though I do not agree with what he did in the end (a.k.a: kill himself), I still see why he did it, and even if we might discuss about his motivations, I think he did it also because he was so disappointed in himself for having let Julian down, the only father figure he’s ever known. I cried so hard when he said he loved him more than a father, and more than anyone.
This is not a Henry Winter character study, though, so I just have to shut my mouth and continue with this review. I love how the book is called “The Secret History” and I think this is done with a purpose. It could possibly have been a “secret tale” of six guys, but it wasn’t. History plays a big role in this novel. I think the most cathartic moment in that sense is the very final scene where Henry (yeah, sorry, I know), already dead is seen alongside some of the major events that ever happened in history. Because that’s what he loved the most, and that’s what killed him in the end.
On a lighter tone, I want to briefly mention how greatly Tartt described the intricacy of the relationships in this book. How all of the six main characters were connected in ways we could not even begin to imagine, or comprehend. Because some strings are not meant to be understood by everyone but the main people in it. I loved the revelations about Francis and Charles, how we do not know until the end, how fucked up it is, how at the same time so pure and simple yet complicated it appears in Francis’ eyes. Sometimes what we love the most is only ours to understand and to deal with.
I’m done rambling, you guys, this review is already too long as it is. I am not done talking about this book, but I have to. I just want to say that this book has changed me a bit, and is surely one of my favourites ever. It’s not a book for everyone, but if it feels like something right up your alley, please give it a chance, I promise it’s worth it.
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