The Secret History, Donna Tartt's first novel, was published in 1992, when the author was 29 years old. Similar to the protagonist Richard, Tartt had transferred to a small elite college in New England (Bennington College) after beginning her studies elsewhere. Tartt graduated from Bennington in 1986, along with classmates who became notable authors, such as Brett Easton Ellis and Jonathan Lethem. Tartt worked on The Secret History during her time at Bennington, and a number of classmates and individuals associated with the college have argued that there are parallels to her time there.
These literary connections from her time at Bennington served Tartt well when she was trying to...
