James Metcalf on the fictionality of the latest archaeological page-turners
Stephen Puddicombe looks at the unusual appeal of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot
Ciaran Rafferty investigates the science of book classification
At times carefully understated, at others disarmingly brutal, The Secret History's unerringly beautiful and yet objective prose portrays, in first person narrative, the story of a group of classics students at an elite American college who are brilliant, obsessive and, finally, murderous. Portrayed through the eyes of one of these students, the dissolute and complicated character of Richard Papen, an intricate tale of manipulation, deception and dramatically tested friendships is revealed that is a world away from the normal, everyday reality of campus life. A contemporary Greek tragedy of fate dictating the course of innocent intentions that result in drastic and devastating consequences, it is the ultimate novel of dangerous minds and of the lengths to which a person will go when pushed too far.
the coldly calculating plan to murder one of their own is presented as both entirely rational and completely necessary.
A subtle but constant level of tension is maintained throughout the novel. This is due not to uncertainty (the central event – premeditated murder – is described in the prologue) but the complex, profoundly psychological weave of relationships between the central characters. Essentially character-driven, the six main figures, sharing “a certain coolness, a cruel, mannered charm which (is) not modern in the least, but (has) a strange cold breath of the ancient world,” are where the true complexity and the creeping, chilling disquiet of the work is invested.
Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the characters are uniquely captivating and Tartt expertly manipulates the sympathies of the reader into relating to their situation: the coldly calculating plan to murder one of their own is presented as both entirely rational and completely necessary.
Ultimately, this novel is a captivating, almost hypnotic work that is gorgeously written, compellingly cerebral and at times profoundly disturbing, a perfectly controlled tour de force of the darker side of human nature that will keep you glued to its pages until the very end.
