The novel deals a lot with beauty, a very elusive concept, and i was wanting to know what other people thought about the novel. Donna tartt is an american writer who received critical acclaim for her first two novels, the secret history and the little friend, which have been translated into thirty languages. Jun 11, 2014 eleven years in the making, 784 pages long, the book has reignited the cult of donna tartt. My introduction to donna tartt was a secret history a beautifully crafted novel of friendship and secrets which i devoured in mere hours. The novelist will talk to john mullan about the enduring appeal of flemings. At the age of nineteen, richard papen goes to hampden college in vermont, primarily to get away from his parents and his depressingly boring hometown of plano, ca. The secret history is a powerful, immensely atmospheric novel. He meets, and slowly joins, a group of elitist classics students. The first book by donna tartt who would go on to write the little friend and the goldfinch, the secret history follows a group of wealthy students at a liberalarts college in 1980s vermont, who study ancient greek under the tutelage of a classics professor named julian morrow, an enigmatic eccentric who begins his classes with lines like. Donna tartt discusses the secret history with john mullan at the guardian book club on 19 november, 7pm, the royal geographical society, 1 kensington gore, london sw7. Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite new england college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the.
I then bought the little friend still havent finished it. Donna tartt is an american writer and author of the novels the secret history 1992, the little friend 2002, and the goldfinch 20. Donna tartts secret history is the book i always recommed the cut. My favorite bookstore at the time was a satellite of berkeleys famous codys, located in the opera plaza on the corner of van ness and mcallister in san francisco. Bbc radio 4 bookclub, donna tartt the secret history. It was donna tartts the secret history, and i hated it. The best parts of the book occur after the second murder, when tartt describes the effect of the death on. In fact, when i think about my real childhood i am unable to recall much about it at all except a sad jumble of objects. History by donna tartt is like drinking the scotch the characters drink in the book. A readers guide continuum contemporaries will be a wonderful source of ideas and inspiration for members of book clubs and readings groups, as well as for literature students. I havent read anything else by her, so this is mostly contained to the secret history. I am creating this so that we may discuss donna tartt s the secret history.
Early life tartt was born in greenwood, mississippi, in the mississippi delta, and raised in the nearby town of grenada. Dec 22, 20 the goldfinch is one of my favorite fiction books of 20 and i liked it even more than the secret history, tartts debut novel which i loved and is on my book club recommendations list. Ten reasons why we love donna tartts the secret history books. Jan 11, 2008 id seen all the press that the book and its enigmatic author received and knew that this was the one for me. Donna tartts the secret history as a catholic novel. Tartt is the perfect narrator for her own work, and she doesnt overdo the voices. Donna tartt s first novel, the secret history, is an odd confection. I recently finished the goldfinch and read secret history for the second time. The secret history, published in 1992, is the first novel by pulitzer prize and andrew carnegie medal winning author donna tartt, whose other notable books include the little friend 2002 and the goldfinch 20.
Truly deserving of the accolade a modern classic, donna tartts novel is a remarkable achievementboth compelling and elegant, dramatic and playful. Donna tartt proves the truth of what literary parents. Donna tartt won the 2014 pulitzer prize for her most recent novel. Early life tartt was born in greenwood, mississippi, in the mississippi delta, and raised in. She won the wh smith literary award for the little friend in 2003. I had a different perspective on the book as i read it for the second time for a book club. Richard states that he ended up at hampden college by a trick of fate. It is more uneven than the secret history and, at times, it does seem over written but there are moments and characters that are truly unforgettable. The painting is one of carel fabritius fubreetzeeus most famous works. Donna tartt s next book the little friend has some similarities, but it is also very different in other ways. The secret history is the first novel by american author, donna tartt.
Januarys reading circle book is the secret history, and the theme is boarding schools. Eleven years in the making, 784 pages long, the book has reignited the cult of donna tartt, which began in 1992 with her sensational debut novel, the secret history. Buy the secret history secret histhardcover by donnatartt isbn. Why donna tartts the secret history needs an adaptation. Jun 11, 20 the secret history is a powerful, immensely atmospheric novel. You can add me on goodreads to find out what im reading all year long. She discusses the murder mystery about a group of classics students at a new. In donna tartt s new book, the protagonist, theo decker, comes upon an original seventeenth century painting, the goldfinch.
Ten reasons why we love donna tartts the secret history. Ive held off writing about it because i intended to read it as part of a book club, and i had this idea of doing like a collaborativeresponse article to tartt. Maybe that was the point, its certainly atmospheric. Donna tartt, winner of the 2014 pulitzer prize for her most recent novel, the goldfinch, established herself as a major talent with the secret history, which has become a contemporary classic. It was donna tartt s the secret history, and i hated it. The secret history is a wonderfully beguiling book, a journey backward to the fierce and heady friendships of our school days, when all of us believed in our power to conjure up divinity and to be forgiven any sin. Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite new england college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. Why are literary critics dismayed by donna tartts the.
It is so creepy and odd, and so much like a train wreck from which i couldnt look away. A very rare special signed secret history edition, a collectors item for donna tartt collectors. The secret history by donna tartt reading guidebook club. Its a story of corruption in paradise, of intellectualized debauchery. See more ideas about donna tartt, the secret history and history. The secret history by donna tartt trotskys book club. That allure began back in 1992 with the publication of her first novel, the secret history. It is hard for me to boil down what this book is truly about because it covers such a wide breadth of themes and i also dont want to ruin the suspense. Why i hated the secret history by donna tartt read it forward. Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite new england college discover a way of thinking and living that is. The secret history by donna tartt trotskys book club 11620 the secret history is a powerful, immensely atmospheric novel. The secret history, published in 1992, is the first novel by pulitzer prize and andrew carnegie medalwinning author donna tartt, whose other notable books include the little friend 2002 and the goldfinch 20.
The secret history by donna tartt richard papen arrived at hampden college in new england and was quickly seduced by an elite group of five students, all greek scholars, all worldly, selfassured, and, at first glance, all highly unapproachable. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the secret history. The second novel by donna tartt, bestselling author of the goldfinch winner of the 2014 pulitzer prize, the little friend is a grandly ambitious and utterly riveting novel of childhood, innocence, and evil. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Also, our 2015 reading challenge had a pulitzer prize category, so this book took care of that. If we were villains is an excellent book that falls into the dark academia category, like donna tartt s the secret history, and follows a group of theatre students on a rigorous course throughout which they focus on shakespeares plays. The slow, methodical way in which she narrates is perfect for this novel. Jan 09, 2014 donna tartt shot to fame with her first novel, the secret history. She was born in greenwood, mississippi, and is a graduate of bennington college. The secret history is the first novel by donna tartt, published by alfred a.
Oct 18, 20 donna tartt discusses the secret history with john mullan at the guardian book club on 19 november, 7pm, the royal geographical society, 1 kensington gore, london sw7. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. To immerse myself in this book was like living in rarified air, so rich, so deep with history, so exclusive, so unlike my own life. Bookclub, donna tartt the secret history bbc radio 4. Richard papen arrives at hampden college in new england and is quickly seduced by an elite group of five students, all greek scholars, all worldly, selfassured, and, at first glance, all highly unapproachable. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
The secret history by bclarkgreene see profile 112217. Reading this book for the third time just convinced me that it is still my favorite donna tartt novel. Dec 10, 2016 as soon as i finished the secret history by donna tartt, i wanted to pick it back up and read it again. The secret history by donna tartt december 31, 2018 march 28, 2019 worldssmallestbookclub leave a comment under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite new england college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence. Donna tartts campus thriller is my personal platonic ideal of what a novel should be.
The goldfinch her novelsl the secret history and the little friend were also international bestsellers. The secret history truly deserving of the accolade a modern classic, donna tartt s novel is a remarkable achievement, both compelling and elegant, dramatic and playful. The novel follows the lives of six dynamic classics students at hampden college in. The secret history by donna tartt book club discussion. Apr 26, 2018 i got a copy of donna tartt s the secret history as soon as it hit the bookstore. Conflicted about donna tartt s the secret history i want to start by saying that this isnt a critique of donna tartt or her ability as a writer. The setting is alexandria, mississippi, where one mothers day a little boy named robin cleve dufresnes was found hanging from a tree in his parents yard.
Even though the movie was almost universally panned by critics, i loved it, which made me want to read more of donna tartt s work. The novel deals a lot with beauty, a very elusive concept, and i was wanting to. As richard is drawn into their inner circle, he learns a terrifying secret that binds them to one another. Donna tartts first novel, the secret history, is an odd confection. Review the secret history, by donna tartt jenna bookish. I still dont think i can put my feelings into words, but i can honestly say this book was a cathartic experience for me, and the irony of the word catharsis being a greek rooted word is not lost on me, because if this book is anything its a modern. She discusses the murder mystery about a group of classics students at a new england college with james naughtie. I am intrigued by the narrator, richard papen, and how he views the world. The author of the secret history, donna tartt, is best known for her book, the goldfinch, for which she won the pulitzer prize in 2014 and which was recently made into a movie. Donna tartt discusses the secret history with john mullan at the guardian book club on 19 november, 7pm, the royal geographical society. Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite new england college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their. A lot of thats due to tartt, a beguiling and famously mysterious woman. Tartt was the 2003 winner of the wh smith literary award for the little friend. It was also recommended by people who know my taste as well as those who dont, seemingly by the world of book lovers itself, by some of my most literary and wellread friends, by my mother.
James naughtie talks about meeting donna tartt and how she explains her cult debut novel the secret history, first published in 1992. The secret history by donna tartt book club discussion questions. And that was just the beginning the secret history. The secret history by donna tartt books the guardian. Richard, who is from an area of california described as dry and desolate, comes to hampden college in vermont. Donna tartt shot to fame with her first novel, the secret history. Some books may be old, some may be new, some may have been sitting on my bookshelf for months, collecting dust as i think crap, i really should have read that by now. Im about to start rereading the little friend next which is her second novel and is my personal favorite although it didnt do as well critically. I still dont think i can put my feelings into words, but i can honestly say this book was a cathartic experience for me, and the irony of the word catharsis being a greek rooted word is not lost on me, because if this book. We cant exactly blame tartt for sitting on the rights to the secret history, which isin our humble opinionstill her best and most complete. John mullan deconstructs donna tartt s the secret history.
Donna tartt discusses her cult debut novel the secret history, first published in 1992. The secret history donna tartt, 1992 knopf doubleday 576 pp. The secret history started off as a solid book for me but ended up as a letdown. Dec 31, 2018 after the disappointment of death comes to pemberley, we figured wed head back to donna tartt whose the secret history we had liked so well. The secret history is the first book i have read by donna tartt and for so long i have been intrigued by it, it was so popular its already considered a crime if you havent read it ahhh so much puns haha. Hes also the first to really welcome richard into the exclusive greekstudying club that richard so. The brat pack meets the bacchae in this precious, waytoolong, and utterly unsuspenseful townandgown murder tale.
It is more uneven than the secret history and, at times, it does seem over written but there. A bunch of eversomandarin college kids in a small vermont school are the eager epigones of an aloof classics professor, and in their exclusivity and snobbishness and eagerness to please their teacher, they are moved to try to enact dionysian frenzies in the woods. There are a few tickets left for our james bond book club with william boyd. The secret history by donna tartt was the beginning of my obsession with school stories. Donna tartts secret history is the book i always recommed. Its set in bennington facsimile hampden college, where narrator richard papen hopes to transcend his mundane, middle class childhood. Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric.
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