The Secret History

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. When Richard first arrives at Hampden College, he feels out of place as a Californian who has just moved to New England and as someone from a less wealthy background than most of the other students. Have you ever entered a situation where you felt like you didn’t belong? What generated these feelings, and how did you cope?

2. Julian is charismatic and mysterious, and he plays a key role in the bond that forms between the students. Have you ever observed someone become an important mentor to a group of young people? What traits tend to lead to young people developing a sense of loyalty to a mentor or teacher?

3. When Richard meets the other students, they have already formed a close bond among themselves. Have you ever observed a clique when you entered a new situation such as a school or workplace? Did you want to become part of that group? Why or why not?

4. Richard makes a reckless decision to stay alone near campus during a period of brutal cold because he is too proud to admit that he has nowhere to go. Why do you think people sometimes take dangerous risks rather than admit to vulnerability or needing help?

5. Although all of the students from the Classics class are extremely intelligent and have the potential to achieve great things, by the end of the novel most of them have either met tragic fates or gone on to live unremarkable lives. Do you think that people typically live up to the potential they display as young people? If not, what do you think accounts for this?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The students commit a violent act while engaging in a version of a Dionysian ritual. In Ancient Greece, these rituals were typically seen as a kind of social release and opportunity for people to break free of constraints. In contemporary societies, are there any occasions or activities that provide a similar opportunity for individuals to experience release and achieve some kind of transcendent state?

2. The students eventually turn against Bunny and kill him even though he is initially ostensibly part of their social circle. How do you think the novel depicts the phenomenon of bullying and social ostracism, especially among young people?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Readers know immediately that Richard and his friends killed Bunny. How does Tartt generate suspense even though readers already know that a murder is going to occur, and who the killers will be?

2. How does Richard evolve over the course of the novel? To what extent can the events at Hampden College be considered the defining events of his life?

3. Camilla is the only female character in the group of friends. Discuss the impact she has within the group and the love triangles she creates. 

4. How does Tartt use the changing seasons over the course of the academic year (from fall to winter to spring) to create mood and tone? Do the seasons ever mirror the inner states of the characters?

5. Discuss the significance of the title. Who or what is “secret” in the novel?

6. Given its engagement with Classical literature, to what extent would you call The Secret History a tragedy in the Greek sense (consider, for instance, works like Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex)? What elements inform your answer?