So here we are reading a secret history

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

In a nutshell: At a university in Vermont a small group of eccentric Classics students, fascinated by ancient Greek culture and in search of moral boundaries, murder one of their own.

The blurb: This book is written in the first person by Richard, a middle class newcomer from California who joins a group of five high-society, intellectual and Epicurean students of Ancient Greek. We learn in the Prologue, page one, that they will murder Bunny, a jovial and boisterous member of this select group. The pacing and pattern of the book are what sets it apart: at first, we follow Richard's arrival in Vermont and discover with him the different characters that make up this strange fellowship, and the reason for the unavoidable murder unfolds; it is like reading a fast-paced thriller, only looking for a motive before there has been a murder. In the second part we sink into the bleakness that settles as the characters deal with the consequences of their action. As we follow everything from Richard's point of view, what and how we understand the various events that unfold are linked to his own physical and psychological state, and his own perception of what is happening. The result is an unsettling psychological thriller, set in a modern campus, infused with an ancient and eery sense of doom.

IMHO this is an awesome, extremely accomplished novel. The main characters, from Henry who lives in a world between Vermont and ancient mythology to the victim Bunny, are gripping and, as Richard, we follow them deeper and deeper into a world of ancient beliefs and betrayal. This is a book about the fall from innoncence, friendship and its costs, finding refuge in alternative morals, and its price. A book full of erudition and ideas, memorable characters and a very strong plot. Very highly recommended.