My reading theme in August was school and academia for the back-to-school season. My favorite book of the month was The Secret History by Donna Tartt.
I love campus novels (i.e., a book set at a university or boarding school), and The Secret History is not only a campus novel, but considered to be the inspiration for the dark academia genre. The Secret History is a big boy, clocking in at over 500 pages, but a lot goes down.
The Secret History is set at the fictional Hampden College, a small, elite liberal arts school in Vermont reminiscent of Tartt’s alma mater Bennington. The narrator, Richard, transfers to Hampden specifically to study Ancient Greek, but initially finds himself barred from the relevant courses, as the Classics professor hand-selects the students who can enroll in his classes. Eventually, Richard is accepted into both the classes and the group, soon spending nearly all his time with them. All is not well, however, and cracks begin to show in the group’s cohesion. Before long, Richard uncovers a terrible secret that threatens to destroy not only the group, but all of their lives.
The book is long, but it was not a slog. I didn’t want it to end, but I also wanted to know what would happen! I loved the atmosphere, the pacing, and the plot. The characters are purposely not likable, but I still found myself breathlessly waiting to find out their fates. Anyone who enjoys university settings, cultish aspects, Byronic heroes, and mystery should give The Secret History the old college try.
August’s reads and ratings (out of five stars)
Theme reads
- The Plot, Jean Hanff Korelitz: four stars
- The Secret History, Donna Tartt: five stars
- All Girls, Emily Layden: four stars
- The Degenerates, J. Albert Mann: four stars
- Dear Committee Members, Julie Schumacher: four stars
Others
- Inheritance, Katharine McGee: four stars
- Fortune’s Children: The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt, Arthur T. Vanderbilt II: four stars
- My Dear Hamilton, Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie: five stars
- The Book of Gothel, Mary McMyne: five stars
- The Book Eaters, Sunyi Dean: four stars
- Youngblood, Sasha Laurens: four stars
- I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette McCurdy: five stars
- This Is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch: The Joy of Loving Something- Anything- Like Your Life Depends On It, Tabitha Carvan: five stars
- The Force of Such Beauty, Barbara Bourland: four stars
- Just Like Home, Sarah Gailey: two stars
- Night of the Living Rez, Morgan Talty: five stars
- All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque: five stars
- The Comedienne’s Guide to Pride, Hayli Thomson: five stars
- The Light Always Breaks, Angela Jackson-Brown: four stars
Moriah Sharpe 