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The Secret History
- Narrated by: Donna Tartt
- Length: 22 hrs and 4 mins
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The Secret History
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Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
THE BESTSELLER THAT DEFINED AN AGE
Penguin presents the audio edition of The Secret History, read by the author.
'Everything, somehow, fit together; some sly and benevolent Providence was revealing itself by degrees and I felt myself trembling on the brink of a fabulous discovery, as though any morning it was all going to come together---my future, my past, the whole of my life---and I was going to sit up in bed like a thunderbolt and say oh! oh! oh!'
Under the influence of a charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at a New England college discover a way of thought and life a world away from their banal contemporaries. But their search for the transcendent leads them down a dangerous path, beyond human constructs of morality.
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Critic reviews
"Haunting, compelling, brilliant." (The Times)
"Irresistible and seductive." (Guardian)
"Enthralling... Forceful, cerebral and impeccably controlled." (New York Times)
What listeners say about The Secret History
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- PinkMilk
- 04-11-10
One of the Best!
Would 100% recommend this book. I read it when it first came out and when I saw it was available on Audible jumped at the chance to listen to it.
Fantastic murder-mystery story, but with a really surprising twist.
The only thing that slightly bothered me was Donna Tartts narration, as the main character in the book is male.
But other than that: do give this a go, I doubt you'll regret it - I for one am terribly upset that I have come to the end and know I will not find anything as engaging again for a while. And where is Donna Tartts second novel?
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- AvidReader
- 09-12-16
A deeper understanding of this great book
I listened to this book while I couldn't read after surgery. I have enjoyed reading it before but I felt I got a different perspective on the characters by listening to it rather than reading it. I liked that it was the author reading it, I liked that the speech inflections, tone, etc of the characters was how she meant them to be. A wonderful book in a good format
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- miepstandler
- 14-12-15
Wonderful characterisations
Would you consider the audio edition of The Secret History to be better than the print version?
I enjoy moving between audio and written versions of large novels such as this. Donna Tartt's narration gave the book an added richness.
What did you like best about this story?
The characterisations. Donna Tartt has considerable skill in engaging the reader in her characters.
Also, knowing (most of) the 'ending' for the central character because of the way the novel begins - it enabled me to settle into the story without the anxiety of what will befall Richard.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Loubylou
- 12-05-16
Extremely compelling
Excellent characterisation and scene setting
Incredible story / well constructed and spellbinding. Very tense at times. Hard to stop listening
Well read by the author but at the start a bit confusing as the narrator is a young man- Richard and it's hard to hear a woman reading
his story until you get used to it.
Highly recommended.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- JohnS
- 21-11-10
A little disappointing
If you're looking for a real thriller this is not it. While the author describes the lives of the four central characters in engaging detail it often serves to dilute rather than build the tension. I also felt the author's decision to narrate was a mistaken one as her southern ascent and attempts to muster up the voices of three 20 something lads fell well short of convincing. There's a reason why actors are employed to narrate these books and the author seems to have forgotten this. One last irritation in an otherwise engaging book, what possessed the author to name two of her lead characters Charles and Camilla - I know which people came to my mind as the author introduced me to these two and it wasn't American college kids!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 09-11-18
Masterful writing
After reading The Secret History, I am convinced that Donna Tartt is my favourite author of all time. It is the telling of the story as much as the story itself, her masterful way with words which enthralled me, as did The Goldfinch. I gorged on this audiobook and felt somewhat bereft when it was over. A must read.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 21-10-19
Poetry of the highest order
Could not have read this at a more relevant moment, 100% recommend. The portrayal of loss , detachment, love and death is both relatable and touching.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Perdita
- 08-08-15
Intriguing
Very clever and unusual story with interesting, believable characters. I would have preferred a male reader as a young man is the narrator and most of the characters are male so somehow the female voice doesn't quite hit the note. However the story is so fascinating my overall score is 4
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- gill
- 17-07-17
Preferred it to The Goldfinch
I loved this book. It was slow, languid and very atmospheric. This was the second time I attempted reading it. I couldn't get into it the first time. If you want fast moving suspense this is not for you. But if you like to get really immersed in a book, then this may suit you. I've only just realised that Donna Tartt narrated it, that might be why the narration seemed so appropriate for the book.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 16-04-18
Unusual and interesting
Doesn't unfold as expected and is do full of detail you can't help but consider if much of it might even be true.
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