The Secret History
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- This page is about the novel by Donna Tartt. For information on secret histories, click here.
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| Author | Donna Tartt |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Released | September 1992 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 544 pp (hardback edition) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-679-41032-5 (hardback edition) |
The Secret History is a 1992 novel by American writer Donna Tartt. It was her debut novel as well as a great success, going on to become a bestseller. A 75,000 book order was made for the first printing as opposed to a 10,000 book order which is usual for the initial print-run of a debut novel.
Set in Vermont, The Secret History tells the story of a closely-knit group of classics students at a small elite American college. The narrator, who is one of the students, looks back years later on the circumstances that led to a murder within the group, implying the murder at the outset, but otherwise revealing the details more or less sequentially.
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[edit] Plot introduction
In the initial chapter of the book, the reader is introduced to Richard Papen and the death of Bunny Corcoran. The novel then undertakes to reveal the circumstances behind the death and then the lasting effects upon all involved. In particular, the novel examines the impact of these events upon a small group of an academically and socially isolated group of students attending Hampden College in Vermont.
The effect of the events upon the students is ultimately destructive and the potential promise of many young lives is lost to circumstance. It mirrors, in many ways, the notion of a Greek tragedy with fate playing a large part in dictating the very circumstances that lead to an escalation of already fermenting issues.
[edit] Plot summary
As the story opens, Richard Papen leaves Plano, California, where he is generally unhappy, for Hampden College in Vermont. His approach to his background is in keeping with a theme of literary beauty, in comparison to harsh reality, that continues throughout the novel. That is, he misleads others about his background as necessary, replacing his mediocre working-class childhood with one of elite boarding schools and oil wealth.
After moving to Vermont, Richard requests to continue his study of Ancient Greek, only to be told that the class is full, as the Classics professor Julian Morrow limits his enrollment to five students. He becomes obsessed with the small group of classics students who are studying Greek, often observing them around campus. This continues until he manages to ingratiate himself with the group, helping them solve a Greek grammar problem as they study in the college library. Soon after, armed with advice from the students on how to impress Julian, he meets with him once more and is finally admitted to the select Classics program.
Gradually Richard – and the reader – get to know the group better. It consists of fraternal twins Charles and Camilla Macaulay, who are charming but secretive, as well as Francis Abernathy, whose secluded country home becomes a sanctuary for the group. The two remaining students in particular now become the central focus of the story: the "linguistic genius" Henry Winter, a studious intellectual with a passion for the classics and Plato, and Edmund "Bunny" Corcoran, a back-slapping, slightly bigoted jokester more comfortable reading Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu, particularly if someone else has bought him a copy.
Their relationship, already considered odd by Richard, becomes even more mystifying when Bunny announces that he and Henry will be spending the winter break together in Italy. This, despite the fact that Henry appears barely tolerant of Bunny and that Bunny is unable to afford such a lavish holiday himself; in fact, it is Henry who is footing the bill for the trip.
When they return, Richard notes that the relationship between the rest of the group and Bunny has become even more strained. Ultimately, Richard learns the truth: during a "successful" Bacchanal (without Richard or Bunny), they had inadvertently killed a farmer. Bunny, having been suspicious for some time, finally uncovered the truth in Italy after reading some of Henry's private notes, and blackmailed them ever since. He also caused huge amounts of mental pain to the other members of the group, playing on their fears and insecurities. His reasons for this are not confirmed but his behaviour could possibly be justified by his deep fear and the emotional trauma caused by the knowledge.
The group, no longer able to meet Bunny's demands and fearing that Bunny will report the matter to the police, resolve to kill Bunny. Henry forms several plots to kill him, and finally goes ahead with a plot when Bunny tells Richard of the killing in a drunken rant. Bunny is killed while hiking. Henry pushes him and he falls to his death.
The remainder of the novel focuses heavily on the aftermath of Bunny's death, especially the collapse of the group and the psychological strains of remorse borne by the individual members. In particular, Charles develops alcoholism and becomes increasingly abusive towards his sister, and Francis begins to suffer panic attacks. Julian Morrow, the group's professor, eventually discovers the truth about everything. He never reports the crime, but leaves the college and leaves all of the splintered group to deal with their crime, to a large extent, in isolation. It has been speculated that Julian knew from the moment of Bunny's disappearance that he had been murdered, but chose not to say anything. His character is very selfish and ingratiating, so it is possible that he enjoyed the sensation of knowing, but did not wish to have it confirmed. However, he does discover the "evidence" in the form of a pleading letter sent to him by Bunny, imploring him to help him - "you're the only one who can." When he leaves, Henry completely breaks down: subtly attempting to kill Charles, living and sleeping with Camilla, and informing Richard that the murders liberated him. He finally commits suicide. The group disintegrates after this. Francis, a homosexual, is forced to marry a woman by his rich grandfather; Camilla takes care of her grandmother and ends up isolated; Charles runs from rehab with a married woman; Richard, the narrator, becomes a lonely writer whose love for Camilla is unrequited. Henry's death is described as having cut the cord between them and set them all adrift.
[edit] Themes
Although the book contains many literary references and allusions, at its simplest, the publication can be read as a "murder mystery" - even though the author introduces immediately both the murder and those responsible. On another level, the novel undertakes an analysis of literary beauty versus reality, social constraints compared to our desire for liberation, and the relationships and truths that exist behind social structures.
The novel, written as if it were the annotations or diary of Papen, includes the following very early on: "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. Now I think it does. And I think that mine is this: a morbid longing for the picturesque at all costs." This theme continues throughout the novel as Richard is repeatedly confronted with the separation of literary beauty as he would capture and report it, compared to the reality as it occurs.
[edit] External links
- Books of The Times; Students Indulging In Course of Destruction: Review at New York Times
