The secret history by donna tartt reading guidebook club. 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. 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. Tartt s the secret history is an engaging work of art. Jan 09, 2014 donna tartt shot to fame with her first novel, the secret history. James naughtie talks about meeting donna tartt and how she explains her cult debut novel the secret history, first published in 1992. Donna tartts secret history is the book i always recommed the cut. Its set in bennington facsimile hampden college, where narrator richard papen hopes to transcend his mundane, middle class childhood. 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. 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 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.
Maybe that was the point, its certainly atmospheric. 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. 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. 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. 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.
Why are literary critics dismayed by donna tartts the. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the secret history. The slow, methodical way in which she narrates is perfect for this novel. 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. Donna tartt, writers and poets, valley of the dolls, the secret history, goldfinch, aesthetic photo, retro aesthetic, character aesthetic, book club books what others are saying more. A very rare special signed secret history edition, a collectors item for donna tartt collectors. The secret history genericmom book club donna tartt. The secret history by donna tartt trotskys book club. Recommended to book clubs by 6 of 9 members 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.
In donna tartt s new book, the protagonist, theo decker, comes upon an original seventeenth century painting, the goldfinch. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. John mullan deconstructs donna tartt s the secret history. The secret history donna tartt, 1992 knopf doubleday 576 pp. Why i hated the secret history by donna tartt read it forward. 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.
We cant exactly blame tartt for sitting on the rights to the secret history, which isin our humble opinionstill her best and most complete. The novelist will talk to john mullan about the enduring appeal of flemings. Bbc radio 4 bookclub, donna tartt the secret history. 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. My introduction to donna tartt was a secret history a beautifully crafted novel of friendship and secrets which i devoured in mere hours. 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. Richard, who is from an area of california described as dry and desolate, comes to hampden college in vermont. 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. 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. It was donna tartt s the secret history, and i hated it. 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. It is more uneven than the secret history and, at times, it does seem over written but there. 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. Ten reasons why we love donna tartts the secret history books.
Early life tartt was born in greenwood, mississippi, in the mississippi delta, and raised in. Jun 11, 20 the secret history is a powerful, immensely atmospheric novel. Donna tartts the secret history as a catholic novel. The novel deals a lot with beauty, a very elusive concept, and i was wanting to. 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. Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric. Donna tartts secret history is the book i always recommed. Hes also the first to really welcome richard into the exclusive greekstudying club that richard so. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. 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. The secret history started off as a solid book for me but ended up as a letdown. Donna tartt s first novel, the secret history, is an odd confection. The secret history by donna tartt was the beginning of my obsession with school stories.
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. She won the wh smith literary award for the little friend in 2003. 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. The secret history by donna tartt book club discussion. Januarys reading circle book is the secret history, and the theme is boarding schools. The secret history by donna tartt book club discussion questions. Donna tartt shot to fame with her first novel, the secret history. Why donna tartts the secret history needs an adaptation. Apr 26, 2018 i got a copy of donna tartt s the secret history as soon as it hit the bookstore. 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. I havent read anything else by her, so this is mostly contained to the secret history. She was born in greenwood, mississippi, and is a graduate of bennington college. Buy the secret history secret histhardcover by donnatartt isbn.
Donna tartts first novel, the secret history, is an odd confection. 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. It was donna tartts the secret history, and i hated it. Truly deserving of the accolade a modern classic, donna tartts novel is a remarkable achievementboth compelling and elegant, dramatic and playful. 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.
And that was just the beginning the secret history. Tartt is the perfect narrator for her own work, and she doesnt overdo the voices. See more ideas about donna tartt, the secret history and history. I then bought the little friend still havent finished it. Donna tartt proves the truth of what literary parents. She discusses the murder mystery about a group of classics students at a new. The painting is one of carel fabritius fubreetzeeus most famous works.
There are a few tickets left for our james bond book club with william boyd. You can add me on goodreads to find out what im reading all year long. 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. Reading this book for the third time just convinced me that it is still my favorite donna tartt novel. 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 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. The brat pack meets the bacchae in this precious, waytoolong, and utterly unsuspenseful townandgown murder tale. 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. Also, our 2015 reading challenge had a pulitzer prize category, so this book took care of that. Ten reasons why we love donna tartts the secret history. 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. Set in new england, it tells the story of a closely knit group of six classics students at hampden college, a small, elite vermont college based upon bennington college, where tartt was a student between 1982 and 1986.
Donna tartt discusses her cult debut novel the secret history, first published in 1992. Review the secret history, by donna tartt jenna bookish. 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. The secret history is the first novel by american author, donna tartt. The secret history by bclarkgreene see profile 112217. That allure began back in 1992 with the publication of her first novel, the secret history. 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. Early life tartt was born in greenwood, mississippi, in the mississippi delta, and raised in the nearby town of grenada. The secret history by donna tartt books the guardian. Its a story of corruption in paradise, of intellectualized debauchery. The best parts of the book occur after the second murder, when tartt describes the effect of the death on.
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 tartts campus thriller is my personal platonic ideal of what a novel should be. Bookclub, donna tartt the secret history bbc radio 4. 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 is a powerful, immensely atmospheric novel. 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. History by donna tartt is like drinking the scotch the characters drink in the book. 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. It is so creepy and odd, and so much like a train wreck from which i couldnt look away. Tartt was the 2003 winner of the wh smith literary award for the little friend. The secret history by donna tartt trotskys book club 11620 the secret history is a powerful, immensely atmospheric novel. He meets, and slowly joins, a group of elitist classics students. Donna tartt won the 2014 pulitzer prize for her most recent novel. What other book might you compare the secret history to and why.
I am creating this so that we may discuss donna tartt s the secret history. Donna tartt is an american writer and author of the novels the secret history 1992, the little friend 2002, and the goldfinch 20. 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. 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. The secret history is the first novel by donna tartt, published by alfred a.
Donna tartt s next book the little friend has some similarities, but it is also very different in other ways. This months book club pick is the secret history by donna tartt. The goldfinch her novelsl the secret history and the little friend were also international bestsellers. 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. 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. I recently finished the goldfinch and read secret history for the second time. 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.
She discusses the murder mystery about a group of classics students at a new england college with james naughtie. 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. 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. Jun 11, 2014 eleven years in the making, 784 pages long, the book has reignited the cult of donna tartt. Donna tartt discusses the secret history with john mullan at the guardian book club on 19 november, 7pm, the royal geographical society. 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. I am intrigued by the narrator, richard papen, and how he views the world. 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. A lot of thats due to tartt, a beguiling and famously mysterious woman. 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. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. As richard is drawn into their inner circle, he learns a terrifying secret that binds them to one another. The novel follows the lives of six dynamic classics students at hampden college in.
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