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The Secret History: A Read with Jenna Pick: A Novel Audiobook
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(4.00) - 53,872 listener ratings
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A READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK • INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • A contemporary literary classic and "an accomplished psychological thriller ... absolutely chilling" (Village Voice), from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Goldfinch.
Under the influence of a charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at a New England college discover a way of thought and life a world away from their banal contemporaries. But their search for the transcendent leads them down a dangerous path, beyond human constructs of morality.
“A remarkably powerful novel [and] a ferociously well-paced entertainment.... Forceful, cerebral, and impeccably controlled.” —The New York Times
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"Tartt's writing style is both seductive and addictive... loved the systematic unraveling of each character as they process the guilt of that fateful night. Through Richard, we find ourselves at an Ivy League college in Vermont, where we meet an elite group of five Greek scholars... all wealthy, beautiful and highly unapproachable. Richard is seduced into their incestious inner circle, and eventually he learns their dark secret. By the light of the full moon, deep in the woods, an ancient Pagan rite was brought to brutal life, which led to a gruesome death. Years later Richard reflects on the lengths they were all willing to go to keep their secret, eventually leading to their epic downfall."
— Brian (5 out of 5 stars)
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A beautifully written story, well-told, funny, sad, scary, and impossible to leave alone until I finished. . . . What a debut!
— John Grisham -
Powerful . . . Enthralling . . . A ferociously well-paced entertainment.
— The New York Times -
An accomplished psychological thriller . . . Absolutely chilling . . . Tartt has a stunning command of the lyrical.
— The Village Voice -
"A smart, craftsman-like, viscerally compelling novel.
— Time -
A thinking-person's thriller . . . Think Lord of the Flies, then The Rules of Attraction. . . . The Secret History combines a bit of both--the unmistakable whiff of evil from William Golding's classic and the mad recklessness of priviledged youth from Bret Easton Ellis's novel of the '80s. . . . As stony and chilling as any Greek tragedian ever plumbed.
— New York Newsday -
"Tartt's voice is unlike that of any of her contemporaries. Her beautiful language, intricate plotting, fascinating characters, and intellectual energy make her debut by far the most interesting work yet from her generation.
— The Boston Globe -
"A long tale of friendship, arrogance, and murder knit together with the finesse that many writers will never have . . . Her writing bewitches us . . . The Secret History is a wonderfully beguiling book, a journey backward to the fierce and heady friendships of our school days, when all of us believed in our power to conjure up divinity and to be forgiven any sin.
— The Philadelphia Inquirer -
"The great pleasure of the novel is the wonderful complexity and the remarkable skill with which this first novelist spins the tale. And a gruesome tale it is. . . . A great, dense, disturbing story, wonderfully told.
— Cosmopolitan -
The Secret History implicates the reader in a conspiracy which begins in bucolic enchantment and ends exactly where it must--though a less gifted or fearless writer would never have been able to imagine such a rich skein of consequence. Donna Tartt has written a mesmerizing and powerful novel.
— Jay McInerney -
Donna Tartt has invested this simple and suspenseful plot with a considerable amount of atmosphere and philosophical significance. . . . She's a very good writer indeed.
— The Washington Post Book World -
"A glorious achievement . . . The Secret History is a grand read--an artful blend of intelligence, entertainment, and suspense that quickens the pulse.
— The Virginian Pilot & Ledger-Star -
Beautifully written, suspenseful from start to finish.
— Vogue -
"One of the best American college novels to come along since John Knowles's A Seperate Peace. . . . Immensely entertaining.
— Houston Chronicle -
"Donna Tartt is clearly a gifted writer. . . . The cadence of her sentences, the authority with which she shaped 500-plus pages of an erudite page-turner indicate she has the ability to leave her literary contemporaries standing in the road. . . . The decision to murder has about it the inevitability of classical Greek tragedy.
— The Miami Herald -
"Donna Tartt has a real shot at becoming her generation's Edgar Allan Poe. . . . The Secret History pulses like a telltale heart on steroids.
— Glamour
The Secret History: A Read with Jenna Pick Listener Reviews
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" An amazing, riveting book. I read all (close to 500 pages) of this book in three days. I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend it if you likely thriller and uncovering mysteries as you go along. It is truly a unique story. "
— Kate, 2/20/2014 -
" fun & absorbing "
— Rene, 2/14/2014 -
" God I love this book! "
— Emily, 1/25/2014 -
" Uncontrolled effusion of pretentious drivel. "
— Illuminati8, 1/23/2014 -
" This book was very engaging. The characters stuck with me, long after I finished. I don't have much of a background in Greek, but I found that the author took her time and didn't assume that her audience was at the same education level on the subject as the characters. This was a thoughtful and intelligent read that surrounded a suspenseful story with relatable characters. "
— Laurie, 1/13/2014 -
" Awesome book, loved the pace, great finale. "
— Dimitris, 1/4/2014 -
" Brilliantly written. Claustrophobic, insular, riveting and depressing. Like a Clint Eastwood movie (with his cynicism and craft). "
— Stephen, 1/4/2014 -
" One of the best fiction books I have ever read, hands down. "
— Amanda, 11/11/2013 -
" The most boring book I ever loved. But really boring. "
— Alaina, 10/29/2013 -
" new favorite book hands down. bittersweet ending but still very good "
— Dylan, 10/11/2013 -
" This novel was about a group of elite college students that belong in an exclusive Greek class... who find themselves immersed in their own Greek tragedy!!! Very eloquently written... 3.5 stars!!! "
— Lori, 10/4/2013 -
" If I had to name a favourite, it would be this one. Happy to lend to good borrowers. "
— Jo, 6/15/2013 -
" Didn't even finish this one. One word: BORING! Enough said. "
— Nina, 1/4/2013 -
" My favourite novel ever! A wonderfully nail-biting mystery, unique, witty and learned story with a superbly drawn cast of incredible characters. Wonderfully written and pitch perfect. "
— Diane, 12/19/2012 -
" Still waiting for Donna Tartt's next book!!!!!!!!! "
— Kelly, 12/6/2012 -
" Self-indulgent, selfish, mostly unsympathetic college kids do awful things. And still I really liked this book. Donna Tartt can write! "
— Laila, 11/2/2012 -
" I've re-read this intellectual novel several times now. I find myself addicted to the author's ability to create empathy in me for all characters. The detail, whilst thorough, does not at all detract from the fact that it is indeed a fast paced book. "
— Gina, 9/5/2012 -
" Enjoyable but the characters were annoying. "
— Scott, 7/4/2012 -
" One of my favorite novels of all time. "
— Eryne, 6/15/2012 -
" This book was given to me by my friend Betsy years ago. It stays on my bookshelf and comes out to visit me every few years. A delicious mystery about the struggle of conscience. I think it might be time for another visit! "
— Denise, 5/4/2012 -
" Pretentious, but interesting. "
— Leslie, 11/29/2011 -
" Another book I've read numerous times. One of the most well-crafted stories I've ever read. Great! This one would certainly be in my Top 10. "
— Teresa, 9/21/2011 -
" A comic novel. Mostly not too funny. "
— Chrysostom, 7/1/2011 -
" It was ok, sort of a name dropping book, somewhat predictable, but mildly intriguing just the same. "
— Annie, 5/22/2011 -
" It's been awhile since I read it. I remember thinking is was so creative and unlike anything I had ever read before. My 17 year old daughter read it and loved it and now her boyfriend is reading it too. "
— Karen, 5/21/2011 -
" Weird and creepy. Sick characters. "
— Maia, 5/13/2011 -
" Temptation to keep on reading and re-reading this book... very intelligently written "
— Willeke, 5/12/2011 -
" Surprising, well paced and intriguing, and in spite of some creepiness, I had a hard time putting this down. "
— Martharago, 5/11/2011 -
" OMG AWESOME, thanks Isabel ik zag dat je deze had gelezen en toen bedacht ik me dat ik deze ook thuis had liggen! Hij is echt geweldig! "
— Merlijn, 5/11/2011 -
" I so hated this book. "
— Eve, 5/9/2011 -
" Again, a minority. didn't understand why people love this so much. "
— Heather, 5/9/2011 -
" Hands down my most favourite book ever. I can't describe how this book makes me feel, but I read it when I was about 16 or 17 and it was just... amazing. Part of me is always in that leafy New England world with Richard and the twins, Henry, Francis and Bunny. "
— Molly, 5/8/2011 -
" I haven't loved a book like this in at least a year. I could hardly put it down. Absolutely beautiful. "
— Laurie, 5/7/2011
About Donna Tartt
Donna Tartt is the author of The Goldfinch, which was awarded the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, as well as the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, as well as other major awards. Her novels The Secret History and The Little Friend have been translated into thirty languages. She was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, and is a graduate of Bennington College.