I probably would never have read
The Secret History if it weren't on the BBC list. In fact, the only reason I read it at this stage in my quest is because the library didn't have some of the other books I was looking for, and I didn't want to have to add more time to my parking meter.
But I'm glad I had the chance to read this novel by Donna Tartt (yes, that really is the correct spelling of her last name). The Secret History is part mystery novel, part thriller, set in the world of a small East coast college. The main characters are all members of an exclusive classical Greek class, and much of the novel reads like a Greek tragedy -- which made me realize that a working knowledge of Koine Greek still leaves one lacking in knowledge of the classical world.
In the Prologue to the book, the reader learns that one of the main characters is murdered by the others in his group of friends. The rest of the book unravels the mystery of how this murder came about, and what effects that act had on this group of people. Fascinating characters, interesting plot, engagingly told -- that's my summary of The Secret History. Now if only I had time to brush up my knowledge of the Aeneid...
