The Secret History Audiobook By Donna Tartt cover art

The Secret History

A Novel

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection of titles.
Yours as long as you’re a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for $8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Secret History

By: Donna Tartt
Narrated by: Donna Tartt
Try Standard free

$8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $27.00

Buy for $27.00

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • A contemporary literary classic and "an accomplished psychological thriller ... absolutely chilling" (Village Voice), from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Goldfinch.

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.

“A remarkably powerful novel [and] a ferociously well-paced entertainment.... Forceful, cerebral, and impeccably controlled.” —The New York Times

Accolades & Awards

#BookTok
#BookTok Classics Thriller & Suspense Psychological Suspense Genre Fiction Scary Coming of Age

Editorial review


By Kat Johnson, Audible Editor

THE SECRET HISTORY WAS ALWAYS ABOUT THE AESTHETICS

I’m old enough to remember the publication of The Secret History, back in 1992. Like Zadie Smith’s White Teeth almost a decade later, it was one of those rare Publishing Events, when a debut author and novel arrived so authentically entwined that everyone agreed—a literary star was born. Tartt, in men’s pajamas or a necktie and sleek bob, commanded attention. So did the novel, with its premise of murder among classics students at an elite liberal arts college. The Secret History was instantly heralded as an icon of its era. Who knew that, 30 years later, it would perform the same feat for a new generation?

I tore through The Secret History as soon as it came out. Like its narrator Richard Papen, I was a middle-class teenager thrust into a rarified academic world—in my case, a Swiss boarding school instead of a Vermont college—populated by the rich international set. I also wanted to be a writer, and The Secret History set a bar that seemed impossibly high. It’s not one of those novels that makes you think "I can do that"—quite the opposite. It’s simultaneously a complex inverted mystery (like Columbo, it starts with whodunit and then tantalizingly drips out the why and how) and a modern Greek tragedy with characters and prose so compelling, it’s positively hypnotic. I was envious and smitten, and I couldn’t stop reading.

Richard is a California native who is new to both the East Coast and Hampden College, where he’s trying to hide a mediocre background and lack of wealth. In a stroke of luck, he’s invited to join the school’s selective Ancient Greek program, run by charismatic professor Julian Morrow and comprised of five other students. Bunny Corcoran is an all-American preppy type, at home with money and privilege in the style of the Kennedys. Cecilia and Charles are beautiful blond twins with a mysterious relationship and, despite Richard’s love for them, a predilection for offhand cruelty. Henry Winter, tall and reserved, is a polymath and polyglot who’s the smartest and most complicated of the bunch. And there’s red-headed Francis, always wearing a billowing cloak or a pince-nez, who likes boys but is essentially closeted due to the times and his extremely traditional, wealthy family.

These are the main players in a murder that ends with Bunny dead at the bottom of a cliff and buried by snow—hardly a spoiler, since Tartt provides this information in the novel’s exquisitely chilling prologue. In part one, the novel rebuilds beautifully to the climax of the deadly event, while the second part deals with its aftermath, its meditations on beauty, ecstasy, morality, and the taint of murder so seductive that it demands and rewards multiple readings.

Continue reading Kat's review >

Featured Article: Who's the best? Rediscover the greatest, most notable American writers of all time


To curate a list of famous American writers who are also considered among the best American authors, a few things count: current ratings for their works, their particular time periods in history, critical reception, their prevalence in the 21st century, and yes, the awards they won. Many of these authors are taught in school today. From Hemingway to Harper Lee, these famous American authors are all worthy of enduring recognition—and a fresh listen!

Featured Article Who's the best Rediscover the greatest most notable American writers of all time
Best of #BookTok on Audible Listen to what everyone’s raving about
Compelling Plot • Beautiful Writing • Author's Authentic Interpretation • Rich Character Development • Intriguing Mystery

Highly rated for:

All stars
Most relevant
I'm not sure why people hate Donna Tartt narrating this book; I found the narration to be perfect. Yes, she's a woman talking from a man's point of view, but I still got lost in it. I am usually really picky about my narrators too.

Excellent story, Excellent narration

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It is a good story but way too long. I didn't care for the author's reading voice, and the characters sounded pretty much the same making the story difficult to follow at times.

Well written, poorly narrated

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Listen, I understand that these characters don’t all sound necessarily the way you want them to with Donnas voice, but she wrote this and I feel there’s something special about that, all the accents and such for each of the characters are how she thought them up and intended them to be and that’s the only way I’d want it.

I adore this book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I was never a fan of audiobooks until this. I adored Donna Tartt’s narration, her voice was soothing but also I loved hearing the characters sound exactly the way she intended. I’ve seen some people say they felt a disconnect listening to a woman voice Richard Papen, but I never found that to be an issue and her voice I think really highlighted the writing in the story.

The story really left me thinking and I’d love to do a reread with a different perspective. I enjoyed this story very much and recommend to anyone who likes similar genres and styles.

Truly captivating

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is a story that stays with you. I think about it a lot. I don’t really know how to process it. But not knowing how to feel about something is an indication of a good work of art, in my opinion.

Dark and interesting

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews