The Secret History by Donna Tartt; Prologue and Chapter 1

The Secret History Prologue and Chapter 1 

    On Sunday, I purchased a copy of The Secret History by Donna Tartt. I have had this book on my TBR for a while, so I'm very excited to finally get to read it. I read from the start to the end of chapter one, pages 3 to 45.

Page 8 of The Secret History by Donna Tartt, with my favorite quote underlined in blue.

Reading Experience and Opinion:

  I've been reading in between class assignments, as thus far it is captivating and engaging. I love the way Tartt writes and Richard Papen's musings are relatable and reminiscent of writings in my own journal. I adore the escapist themes and Richard's discomfort within himself and his circumstance. Once he's arrived at the college, his struggle to join Julian Morrow's Greek class is one that you feel sympathetic to, especially when you've experienced similar (yet still wildly different) administrative scheduling struggles, as I have. The concepts fly over my head, and I find myself rereading passages on end, trying to make sense of Morrow's musings. However, I am excited to continue my reading and to continue my updates.

Rating:

8/10

Summary:

    In the prologue, we are informed of the death of Bunny that is to come later in the book. With a tense and suspenseful start ("The snow in the mountains was melting and Bunny had been dead for several weeks before we came to understand the gravity of our situation."), Tartt introduces themes of morality and circumstance in just two pages.

    In the first chapter, we formally meet Richard Papen, a Californian who desires to escape from his displeasure and monotonous life. Papen speaks of the circumstances that brought him to Hampden, that led to his enrollment in Julian Morrow's program. We're introduced to six key characters, Julian Morrow the Greek professor, and his students -- Francis, Bunny, Henry, and the twins Charles and Camila. After Richard offers Bunny and the twins a suggestion for their Greek work, he is further inspired to pursue enrollment in the Greek class. After a discussion with Morrow, where he discovers he will have to change his counselor and drop all his classes except for French, he joins Morrow's special classes, only for these six special students. The chapter ends a bit after his first class, when he finds that Bunny has left a note in his mailbox, inviting him for lunch. 

Favorite Quote:

    "In short: I felt my existence was tainted, in some subtle but essential way" (Tartt 8). I find this quote to be extremely relatable and even without context, it presents a discussion of identity and personhood -- what external factors shape our 'self', and how do they compare to our internal and inherent traits?