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Deal.ai › Literary Novels
Penguin Books
The Secret History
Penguin Books

The Secret History

5(4 ratings)

Best price now

$11.23at AbeBooks.comChecked 1 h ago

47% under what the other stores charge

Compared across 11 stores. Prices are checked against each store and labelled with when.

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Price facts

  • Lowest price today: $11.23 at AbeBooks.com (checked Nov 12, 2026).
  • Checked at 11 stores.

Our take on the The Secret History

Donna Tartt's debut novel follows a tight group of classics students at an elite New England college who, under a charismatic professor, adopt a rarefied way of thinking and living. Their attempt to go beyond ordinary morality changes their lives permanently. It is a literary thriller built on atmosphere, guilt and slow dread rather than action, and it suits readers who like campus settings and morally complicated characters. It remains one of the defining dark-academia novels and is the usual comparison point for newer books in that vein.

Best forReaders of dark academia and campus novelsFans of literary thrillers with moral weightBook clubs that like moral debateReaders who prefer atmosphere over fast plotting
Pros
  • Atmospheric, immersive campus setting
  • Morally complex, memorable characters
  • Tense structure that builds dread
  • Tartt's prose is precise and controlled
  • A landmark of the dark-academia genre
Cons
  • Slow pacing in the middle sections
  • Unlikable, detached characters
  • Long stretches of description over plot
  • Some readers find the ending abrupt

The Secret History prices at every store

  • WalmartNew

    In stockSold by Rarewaves.comReturns: Sold by a Walmart Marketplace seller; returns go to the seller under the seller's returns policy.

    $18.29Free shippingChecked 1 h ago
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  • TargetNew

    In stock

    $12.41+ $5.99 shippingChecked 1 h ago
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  • Sundog BooksNew

    In stock

    $21.00+ $2.75 shippingChecked 1 h ago
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  • eBayNew

    In stockSold by globaldispatchusa

    $23.76Free shippingChecked 1 h ago
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  • RJ Julia BooksellersNew

    In stock

    $21.00+ $4.95 shippingChecked 1 h ago
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  • The Mizzou StoreNew

    In stock

    $18.00+ $7.99 shippingChecked 1 h ago
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  • Square BooksNew

    In stock

    $21.00+ $10.00 shippingChecked 1 h ago
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  • Kinokuniya Book Stores of AmericaNew

    In stock

    $35.00Checked 1 h ago
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  • AbeBooks.comNew

    Availability unknown

    $11.23Checked 1 h ago
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  • AmazonNew

    Availability unknown

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    $15.84Checked 1 h ago
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  • Third Street BooksNew

    Availability unknown

    $21.00Checked 1 h ago
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The Secret History price history

Lowest price we've seen: $11.23 on Nov 12 at AbeBooks.com. Tracked across 10 stores since Nov 12.

What reviewers say

Readers widely praise the atmosphere, prose and psychological tension, and many call it a defining dark-academia novel. Some find the pace slow and the characters hard to like.

What people mention
  • PacingMixedSome readers find the middle stretches slow, while others say the tension carries them through.
  • CharactersMixedReaders call the group memorable but often hard to like or sympathize with.
  • AtmospherePraisedThe elite college setting and mood are widely called immersive and distinctive.
  • ProsePraisedTartt's writing is praised as precise, elegant and controlled.
  • EndingMixedOpinions split on whether the conclusion lands or feels abrupt.

About the The Secret History

The Secret History is a literary novel published by Penguin Books in paperback.

The story follows a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college. Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, they discover a way of thinking and living that is far removed from the ordinary lives of their contemporaries.

Then they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality.

Format
Paperback
Publisher
Penguin Books
Genre
Literary fiction

Questions and answers

Is The Secret History hard to get into?
The opening establishes the group and the setting quickly, but the pace is deliberate. Readers who want fast plotting may find the middle slow.
Is it a thriller or literary fiction?
It is usually shelved as a literary thriller. The tension comes from psychology and consequence rather than action.
Does it suit book clubs?
Yes. The moral questions and the characters' choices give clubs plenty to argue about.
Is this a good first Donna Tartt book?
It is her debut and the one most readers start with. It shares her long, atmospheric style with her later novels.
Is it suitable for younger readers?
It deals with death, guilt, alcohol and moral transgression. It is generally read as adult literary fiction.
Where is the The Secret History cheapest?
At AbeBooks.com, for $11.23, 47% under what the other stores charge, as of our latest check.
What do buyers say about the The Secret History?
Rated 5 out of 5 from 4 ratings.
Where can I buy the The Secret History?
11 stores we checked sell it, including Walmart, AbeBooks.com, Amazon, Target, The Mizzou Store.

Stores we've priced the The Secret History at

  • Target deals and prices

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