I got The Secret History as a gift for my birthday one year. I knew nothing about the book, nor the author going in, only to find out that this book is considered the start of a whole literary genre, dark academia. Ironically, Donna Tarrt started a whole aesthetic by making fun of it. With that said, I can still see the appeal, and grandeur that dark academia carries.
The story is told by Richard Papen. He starts off by confiding he always had a "longing for the picturesque", lived a dreadful life in California. As a way to find some escape from the mundane, Richard applies to Hampden College in New England. At Hampden, he enrols in a Greek class with five other students: Francis, Charles, Camilla, Bunny, and Henry; it's also taught by Jullian Morrow. Before he knows it, Richard finds himself complit in the murdering of Bunny.