One of my all-time favorite books

The story begins with the main character, Richard, who is trying to find a way out of his "miserable" (re: middle class) life in California. He applies to a private college in Vermont and is accepted. Once there, he decides to major in Greek and meets the other characters in the story--Henry, Francis, Camilla, Charles, and Bunny. These characters are all from wealthy families and, out of boredom, attempt to recreate ancient Greek rituals. They actually succeed at one point, but during the course of the evening they murder a farmer accidentally. When Bunny begins to fall apart over the stress of keeping this secret, the others bring Richard into it. What unfolds is a series of increasingly anxious encounters and an ever-present need to silence Bunny.

Perhaps I'm a little biased, since I've read this story so many times over the years, but I really do think it is one of the best written novels of our time. A friend in college recommended it to me, and I can still remember being on the edge of my seat once the plot began to move. I felt the characters' anxiety as Bunny talked about the murder incessantly no matter where they were. I felt their fear as the police seemed close to discovering the truth. Most of all, I felt their joy in living and learning. Though I never studied Greek myself, I'm enough of a scholar to appreciate the quiet solitude of the library and the challenge of learning to think in a dead language.

Donna Tartt has the amazing ability to develop characters subtly through nuances in speech, dress, and manner. However, they aren't predictable, which, in my experience, is entirely real. Even people we've known for years can surprise us, and these characters are no exception. Despite their having committed murder, I found myself sympathetic to their plight and fear, though I can't say I really liked all the characters. What didn't come as a surprise to me was the very human reaction of going with the herd. Richard should have been appalled at the murder, but instead he's flattered that they've included him in their secret, and he stays quiet because he feels he's finally been accepted into the group. While I wanted to dislike him for this, I can't honestly say that I would have done things any differently.