By Adriana Tasnim
Donna Tartt’s “The Secret History” is an enthralling journey and spellbinding tale that delves into the dark recesses of human nature, academia, and friendship that ingeniously blends aspects of psychological thriller and Greek tragedy. This literary classic, first published in 1992, has caught readers with its enamoring story, complex character development, and an exhilarating plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
Accentuating the study of destruction and of lives forever tainted by adolescent hubris, “The Secret History” revolves around a group of eccentric, self-centred elitists studying classics at Hampden College, Vermont. A cutting-edge Greek tragedy exemplifying fatal flaws, this story dissects the Apollonian versus Dionysian philosophical hypothesis which grasps the deep-rooted pursuit of the picturesque. As a reader, I have always admired the characters' broad knowledge, affluence, and charm, but they are not immune to hamartia, the fatal flaw they address in their studies. Narrated based on the ever-unreliable perspective of Richard Papen, he considers this reality himself, raising a question or rather declaring his very own fatal flaw in the opening chapter.
“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”
Every one of the characters, including, and especially Richard, is fixated on external appearances, and this fixation drives the vast majority of their activities and relationships with each other. The phrase “Morbid longing for the picturesque at all costs” emphasises the superficiality of appearance wherein Richard’s idolisation of his enigmatic classmates makes him somewhat of an inconsistent and unreliable narrator as he perceives and presents them through a romantic lens until he is baited inexorably into their detestable world.
The plot unravels more as the characters successfully detach themselves from the student body and foster what some might view as a cult where they reject societal conventions and morality in favour of those drawn from Ancient Greek writings, participating in a bacchanal, a ritual to celebrate the Roman God Bacchus, the counterpart of the Greek God Dionysus where they dismiss all human rationale during the ritual.
One of the most noteworthy strengths of this novel is its exploration of the blurred limits between good and bad, ethical quality, and irreverence. Tartt delves into the minds of her characters, revealing their desires, fears, and the outcomes of their actions. Furthermore, it prompts readers to rethink their own ideas of ethical quality, raising unpleasant questions about the extent to which we are willing to forfeit our values and desires.
"The Secret History" is an excellent must-read for everyone who enjoys a riveting and intellectually stimulating read. This book is a profound reflection on the intricacies of the human soul. The characters are complex and distinct, and readers are drawn in by their ostentatious, yet thought-provoking dialogue. Even though the book is painfully slow, achingly pretentious, and insufferably wordy, Tartt makes it nearly impossible for me to put the book down until I have finished all of the pages. Hence, this book should be on everyone's list if they want to feel the intense ambivalence I have personally established with the characters.
Note: I personally think this book is ‘heavy’ in general, please read with caution and check for trigger or content warnings before reading.
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