 Cover of the first edition | |
| Author | Donna Tartt |
|---|---|
| Cover artist |
|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
Publication date | September 16, 1992 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 544 pp |
| ISBN | 0-679-41032-5 |
| OCLC | 26515217 |
| 813/.54 20 | |
| LC Class | PS3570.A657 S4 1992 |
The Secret History is the first novel by the American author Donna Tartt, published by Alfred A. Knopf in September 1992. The campus novel tells the story of a closely knit group of six classics students at Hampden College, a small, elite liberal arts college in Vermont.[1]
The Secret History is an inverted detective story narrated by one of the six students, Richard Papen, who reflects years later upon the situation that led to the murder of their friend Edmund "Bunny" Corcoran – wherein the events leading up to the murder are revealed sequentially.[2] The novel explores the circumstances and lasting effects of Bunny's death on the academically and socially isolated group of classics students of which he was a part.
The novel was originally titled The God of Illusions,[3] and its first-edition hardcover was designed by the New York City graphic designer Chip Kidd and Barbara de Wilde.[4] A 75,000 print order was made for the first edition (as opposed to the usual 10,000 order for a debut novel) and the book became a bestseller. The book has since been credited as popularizing the growth of the dark academia literary sub-genre.[5]
- ^ Luse, Brittany (December 16, 2022). "Dark academia's deadly allure and the timeless appeal of prep style". NPR. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ Grady, Constance (May 8, 2020). "Vox Book Club, The Secret History, week 1: Did Bunny have it coming?". Vox. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ Fein, Esther B. (November 16, 1992). "The Media Business; The Marketing of a Cause Celebre". The New York Times.
- ^ Wilkinson, Carl (2011-02-07). "Book cover: The Secret History". Financial Times. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
- ^ Garrett, Beata (2019-10-06). "'The Secret History' Makes Strides in Budding Dark Academia Genre". Mount Holyoke News. Retrieved 2021-08-30.