Minutes August book: The Secret History

The Secret History

by Donna Tartt

(chosen by JP)

Theme: To sir with love. Reliving school days.




In choosing her book, JP initially looked at all the books she had read at school herself, but then she embraced a wider interpretation and looked for books set in schools. Most were children's or young adult titles, but then a friend recommended The Secret History.

About the author:

Donna Tartt was born in Greenwood, Mississippi and is a graduate of Bennington College. She is the author of the novels The Secret History, The Goldfinch and The Little Friend, which have been translated into thirty languages.

She does not like to discuss personal details about her life as she says it draws attention away from the books, and the books are the main thing.

(general biographical detail from the publisher's website and article in The LA Times)

What the publisher says about the book:

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 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. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality their lives are changed profoundly and forever, and they discover how hard it can be to truly live and how easy it is to kill.

What we discussed about the book:

• The structure of the book - is it appealing? how does it create apprehension rather than surprise? In what ways does it create a cool, classical inevitability of tragedy?
• What was the 'fatal flaw' (viz. Greek tragedy) that leads to the hero's downfall?
• Richard's need for belonging - despite poverty and fabrication of lies, the prize was the beauty of belonging
• How were we convinced that Bunny should be murdered?
• What was Julian's role in encouraging the group behaviour?
• What factors lead a group to kill one of their own?
• Was there any guilt and/or redemption for any of the characters?
• Is the narrator manipulating the reader?

And then we were sidetracked into:

• The storytelling conventions of traditional Greek tragedy - 'hurbis', 'ate' and 'nemisis'.
• Does the idea of a 'fatal flaw' exist outside literature?
• What constitutes an evil person?
• The idea of religious fanaticism and belonging to a group/cult/organisation?
• The difference (legally) between manslaughter and murder in Australia
• What does this novel highlight about youth drug and alcohol use?

In other news, we discussed:

• Schools, leadership, parenting, school choices...all the usual...
• Friends who have cult-like habits
• The status of smoking in Australia
• The concept of a 1pm-2pm 'lawyer's lunch'
• Dreams
• Redemption

Ratings:
Range: 6.5 to 10
Average: 9

Next book: The Ancestor Game by Alex Miller (chosen by Fairlie)