Monday, February 6, 2012

The Secret History/Donna Tartt, New York: Vintage Books, 1992 (559 p.)


 Five college students at a fictitious small liberal arts college in Massachusetts in the 1980s fall under the spell of a charismatic classics professor. (A suspension of one's disbelief for sure!) The students form their own little society of Greek enthusiasts and engage in some unusual rituals. The plot is really rather simple but the character development is complex and extraordinarily well developed. Myself, I do not think it qualifies as a psychological thriller though it is definitely a morality tale. This said the obsessional qualities of the characters and their rich inner lives makes for a good read.

1 comment:

  1. 559 pgs. seems a lot for a "simple" plot but I love good character development. Thanks for the recommendation...I'll add it to my list.

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