A dazzling feat of psychological suspense: a big, richly textured, and hypnotic novel of golden youth corrupted by its own moral arrogance. In a calm voice, Richard recalls--years after the fact--how he came to a small uppercrust New England college, was amazed to be accepted into its ultimate inner circle, and was enmeshed in a murderous plot.
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A dazzling feat of psychological suspense: a big, richly textured, and hypnotic novel of golden youth corrupted by its own moral arrogance. In a calm voice, Richard recalls--years after the fact--how he came to a small uppercrust New England college, was amazed to be accepted into its ultimate inner circle, and was enmeshed in a murderous plot.
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Fair. Shows signs of wear. Jacket may be torn cover may have creases pages have some writing and highlighting. May have some water damage. May be a former library book.
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Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
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Fair. Used book-May contain writing notes highlighting bends or folds. Text is readable book is clean and pages and cover mostly intact. May show normal wear and tear. Item may be missing CD. May include library marks. Fast Shipping.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
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Used: Good. Prompt shipment, with tracking. we ship in CLEAN SECURE boxes Contemporary Fiction: Good trade paperback. Some wear and creasing on edges, corners and spine. Clean pages.
could not put this down, or when I just had to,
could not stop thinking about it. Have now read
all three of her books, and each had they same
"hold" on me. I am not a big fan of novels, so
I found this to be surprising.
Catmaid
Nov 29, 2007
Wow, WOw and WOW!
I have read this book many times and even bought an audio version.It brings to life the supposed "glamour" that many of us feel exists in elite prep schools.If we harbor any envy of students in such privileged curcumstances we find that it dissapates quickly as the sad and seedy undercurrent of their lives becomes revealed.The character development is excellent and the conspiratory tone of the narrator draws the reader right in. I couldn't put this book down.I was sorry when the book was finished .I miss the characters!
Marloweian
Aug 30, 2007
Priceless
Brilliant - worth hearing over and over again/ Having the author read the text is priceless and adds a great deal to an already excellent novel. Five stars plus.
bookgeek
Apr 3, 2007
The Greatest Novel of the 20th Century
To me, the best kinds of books are the ones that you can read year after year, and always find something new. A good book has to captivate you with it's plot and characters, while also dazzling your senses with it's style. That's why I think this may be the greatest novel of the 20th Century. I know it seems like a ridiculous claim, but once you've read this book, I'm sure you'll agree.
Donna Tartt's THE SECRET HISTORY is part psychological thriller, part college memoir, and part Greek mythology. It's unlike any book I've ever encuntered. It grips you from it's opening line, and it doesn't let go until the very last page.
The story follows an elite group of college students studying Greek at a small college in New England. A murder is committed, and the college students have to try and outwit the authorities in order to save their own skins. The book is very long, but it moves at an incredible pace to it's climax. It is a modern masterpiece of suspense and mystery.
That's not to say the book is without flaws. Many people think that this book tries to be like Umberto Eco in style, that Tartt's book falls short of the intellectual heights she is trying to achieve with all of her allusions to the ancient Greeks. Some people think this book is pretentious, or that the plot is just to improbable.
I bought my first copy of this book 6 years ago, and I think I've read the book at least 10 times by now. It's rare that a book can move a person so forcefully. This book is something very special. You will put the book down, but the characters will stay in your mind long after you've finished the book.
