The Secret History and other autumnal reads
'All right,' said Julian, looking around the table. 'I hope we're all ready to leave the phenomenal world, and enter into the sublime?'
Book of the Week
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
What do I need to know?
I mean you've read it, right? Nearly everyone has. (And if you haven't, lucky you, a treat is in store.) But had you considered a re-read? This was one I turned back to last autumn and was blown away all over again by what a deeply compulsive and absorbing page-turner it is. Partly because of relatably flawed hero Richard Papen, a young man out of his depth. Partly because of the campus setting and partly because of all the literary and classical allusions. It's that rare thing, a thriller that is philosophically and intellectually complex. Whatever layer you're in the mood for, it's likely to hit the spot.
Yes but what's the plot?
Set in an elite New England college (a thinly disguised real-world Bennington) Richard Papen is finding his feet as a new student. He has previously enjoyed studying Ancient Greek and is intrigued by a particularly exclusive study group. When he seeks to join the class Papen is swept away by Professor Julian Morrow, who seems to embody the world of culture and beauty he explores in his classes, and who has an almost cult-like following among his tiny group of students. Equally charismatic in different ways, they are Henry Winter, genius, twins Charles and Camilla Macaulay, Francis Abernathy, and 'Bunny' Corcoran, who makes up for in charm what he lacks in intellect.
What is it people love so much?
It's an accomplished debut novel from an author who cultivates an aura as intriguing and mysterious as that of any of her characters. To get to know her better than you might have thought possible you can listen to Once Upon A Time in Bennington College, an excellent podcast series from Lily Anoulik that also covers Tartt's Bennington classmate Bret Easton Ellis. Two very different writers, but with, Anoulik shows, a surprising amount in common. You also get practically line-by-line insight into the inspiration behind The Secret History.
Why haven't they filmed it yet?
A good question. This answer seems reasonable to me. As for me, I'm relieved they haven't. Characters only really live in my head when I encounter them in books.
What's so special about the special edition?
I wondered that myself. But then I opened it. It's the endpapers, which are things of beauty indeed!
What should I read next?
You could head for the source and dive into Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, a vivid and surprisingly relevant-feeling page-turner about a young man who commits a terrible crime. Or for a very different kind of read but still with a delicious college-y, page-turnery vibe try Prep by Curtis Sittenfield.