Campus Secrets

Author: (American) Donna Tartt, translated by Hu Jintao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: This book is the best American campus novel since John Norris's A Separate Peace. It is a true literary-style American melting pot, primarily featuring the styles of Dostoevsky and Ruzhell Randell, while drawing from the strengths of Evelyn Waugh, Dickens, Shaw, Scott, Fitzgerald, Shakespeare, and Meyer Levin's 1956 novel The House on Mango Street. Only in this way can you fully understand the content and flavor of The Secret History. It is indeed a book that is hard to forget. – The Houston Chronicle
The narrator, Richard, comes from a cold and underprivileged family in California and studies at a secluded Hampden College in Vermont. He easily joins a campus elite society of five people—a group of intelligent and socially outcast young men influenced by a eccentric and charming classics professor. They discover a radically different way of thinking and living from their peers. Unfortunately, during a Greek-style revelry, a murder occurs unexpectedly among the members. When Bonnie is about to reveal the secret, the others threaten to kill him next. At this point, Richard must decide whether to stand with the group and murder Bonnie to keep him silent.
The book employs a unique psychological portrayal, with a pace that alternates between slow and fast, and a touch of suspense. It vividly depicts the impact of death on a group, the disintegration of families, and the emotional and psychological effects on the individuals involved, creating a chilling yet poignant atmosphere. It skillfully blends intelligence, entertainment, and suspense that will quicken your pulse.
The narrator, Richard, comes from a cold and underprivileged family in California and studies at a secluded Hampden College in Vermont. He easily joins a campus elite society of five people—a group of intelligent and socially outcast young men influenced by an eccentric and charming classics professor. Unfortunately, during a Greek-style revelry, a murder occurs unexpectedly among the members. When Bonnie is about to reveal the secret, the others threaten to kill him next. At this point, Richard must decide whether to stand with the group and murder Bonnie to keep him silent.
The book employs a unique psychological portrayal, with a pace that alternates between slow and fast, and a touch of suspense. It vividly depicts the impact of death on a group, the disintegration of families, and the emotional and psychological effects on the individuals involved, creating a chilling yet poignant atmosphere. It skillfully blends intelligence, entertainment, and suspense that will quicken your pulse.