In her debut novel, “The Secret History,” Donna Tartt hooks the reader from the very first page by revealing that a tragic, and deviously planned, murder has happened. Unlike other classic mystery writers, Tartt pulls in her audience by making them anticipate and speculate how the murder occurred.
The protagonist, Richard Papen, is revealed to not only be present at the time of the murder, but to have conspired to commit it. Knowing that Richard is an unreliable narrator causes the reader to question the truth in the events that proceed as he is swept up in a conflict years in the making among a group of friends that was destined to fall apart.
First arriving at a college set in an idyllic fall town, Richard is drawn into a mysterious group of friends who are devoted to learning classic languages such as Greek and Latin. He falls in love with their extravagant lifestyles and obsession with the classics. While Richard describes his new friends in a positive and adoring light, their actions cause the reader to question their true intentions as they conspire against each other in a silent yet deadly war of the wits. After the gruesome murder Richard’s new friends commit, the young adults reveal they will do anything to avoid being caught, even if it means killing off one of their own.
Over the course of a year, Richard falls deeper and deeper into their web of deceit and turmoil, learning shocking secrets amid a backdrop of a cozy and prestigious college. Even with the murder being revealed in the first chapter, Tartt still manages to reveal twists that will confound the reader in this perfect, and slightly spooky, fall read. The descriptions of the vibrant fall leaves and crisp air soon turn into haunting depictions of a fateful snowfall and a chilling murder.
