History Trivia / TheSecretHistory

----->'''Todd O'Neal''': Henry's apartment was like my apartment. His eye problems, the chip in his tooth. I smoked Lucky Strikes. I wore suspenders and glasses. I'd gone to a Benedictine monastery for high school, where I learned Latin, and I taught myself Greek, French, Italian, Spanish, Sanskrit. I was very deep into the study of Plato and Plotinus, as Henry is described as being. I did go on a trip with Matt, and I did end up having to pay for it because his father didn't give him much money and he was a bit of a sponge, though he and I always had fun together. And what Henry said about Julian--"I loved him more than anyone in the world"--was true of how I felt about Claude. He was the single greatest influence on my life.

----->'''Matt Jacobsen:''' I called my mother and said, "I've been caricatured in a book, and my character gets killed." And she said, "No, no. No one would ever kill you, not even in print, no." Then she read the book and said, "That's you all right." I wore wire-rimmed glasses like Bunny. I had dyslexia--that's what they called it in the 70s, anyway--like Bunny. And, like Bunny, I was an extremely affected young man. I'd make broad, questionable statements. One day in the dining hall I was gawking at some girl and said, "Reminds me of the way Diana's painted on the ceiling of my father's club," and that line found its way into Donna's book. And I'd invite people to lunch and then realize I didn't have any money, something dear old Bunny does.

** Hampden is based on Bennington, Donna Tartt's own Vermont liberal arts college.

** Julian is based on Claude Fredericks, the professor who taught Classics at Bennington. The hard-to-find office that felt like the inner sanctum.
** In 1982 at Bennington, the Greek class consisted of Matt Jacobson, Todd O'Neal, and Paul [=McGloin=]. Paul [=McGloin=] was Donna's boyfriend at the time, and the second person she dedicates the book to. Todd is Henry and Matt is Bunny.
*** Henry and Todd O'Neal.
---->'''Todd O'Neal''': Henry's apartment was like my apartment. His eye problems, the chip in his tooth. I smoked Lucky Strikes. I wore suspenders and glasses. I'd gone to a Benedictine monastery for high school, where I learned Latin, and I taught myself Greek, French, Italian, Spanish, Sanskrit. I was very deep into the study of Plato and Plotinus, as Henry is described as being. I did go on a trip with Matt, and I did end up having to pay for it because his father didn't give him much money and he was a bit of a sponge, though he and I always had fun together. And what Henry said about Julian--"I loved him more than anyone in the world"--was true of how I felt about Claude. He was the single greatest influence on my life.
*** Bunny and his way of (likely intentionally) being a conversational bull in a porcelain shop has long been attributed to Donna's school friend Creator/BretEastonEllis, and there's probably some truth to that. However, Anolik's work has found that another model for the character--probably a stronger one--was Matt Jacobsen.
---->'''Matt Jacobsen:''' I called my mother and said, "I've been caricatured in a book, and my character gets killed." And she said, "No, no. No one would ever kill you, not even in print, no." Then she read the book and said, "That's you all right." I wore wire-rimmed glasses like Bunny. I had dyslexia--that's what they called it in the 70s, anyway--like Bunny. And, like Bunny, I was an extremely affected young man. I'd make broad, questionable statements. One day in the dining hall I was gawking at some girl and said, "Reminds me of the way Diana's painted on the ceiling of my father's club," and that line found its way into Donna's book. And I'd invite people to lunch and then realize I didn't have any money, something dear old Bunny does.
** Richard is an AuthorAvatar of Donna, although far more obliquely so than Henry and Bunny. The outsider. Doesn't like to talk about their background, a hometown where they never felt at home, trying to reinvent themself at college.
** Charles, Camilla, and Francis seem to be more or less original creations.
** In case you need any conformation of AuthorAppeal GuyOnGuyIsHot, there are anecdote about Donna dressing very androgynously and someone mistaking her and her at-the-time boyfriend Paul [=McGloin=] for a gay male couple, being homophobic to them, and this making her happy or at least intrigued.
** Charles and Camilla's incestuous relationship is theorized to derive from an incident where Tartt and her at-the-time boyfriend Paul [=McGloin=] were MistakenForIncest by their landlords, which she recounted to her friend Creator/JonathanLethem in a letter.
--->'''The letter:''' Paul & I were almost kicked out of our lodgings last Tuesday. The charges? Incest. That's really rather impressive, isn't it? Fortunately we are not brother and sister, or else we would have been quite guilty.

** Charles and Camilla's incestuous relationship is theorized to derive from an incident where Tartt and her at-the-time boyfriend Paul McGloin were MistakenForIncest by their landlords, which she recounted to her friend Creator/JonathanLethem in a letter.

* NamesTheSame: As noted on the main page, the novel shares a name with a number of other works, including several other novels, a French comic book, and the ''Secret History'' by Procopius, a highly slanderous account of the reign of Byzantine emperor Justinian I. That last one has caused quite a bit of confusion on sites like Tumblr; Procopius's ''Secret History'' is notoriously NSFW and bizarre, and fans of the novel are occasionally surprised when they search the book's name only to find stories about demonic possession and outlandish sexual depravity in Justinian's court.

*** Hampden is closed during January and February because the buildings were old and expensive to heat. Bennington had what they called "NRT, Non-Resident Term," when the college closed for 6 weeks in the dead of winter to avoid the costs of heating the dorms.

*** Bennington had what they called "NRT, Non-Resident Term." The college closed for 6 weeks in the dead of winter to avoid the costs of heating the dorms.

* ReferencedBy: In ''Literature/TheRulesOfAttraction'' (1987), Creator/BretEastonEllis mentions the not-yet-published book, saying:

* WriteWhoYouKnow and WriteWhatYouKnow: It's long been known that Hampden College is based on Donna Tartt's own school, Bennington College, and that Bunny Corcoran is based on Donna Tartt's college friend Creator/BretEastonEllis (who she also dedicated the book to). In recent years, journalist Lili Anolik has looked extensive on the topic. For a condensed version of her findings see her article [[https://web.archive.org/web/20190601231613/https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/a27434009/bennington-college-oral-history-bret-easton-ellis/ The Secret Oral History of Bennington: The 1980's most Decadent College]] and for a more extensive version, see her 14-part podcast [[http://www.lilianolik.com/once-upon-a-time-at-bennington-college Once Upon A Time… at Bennington College]]. The short version, though, is that ''The Secret History'' is far more extensively based on real life than previously known.

** In 1982 at Bennington, the Greek class consisted of Matt Jacobson, Todd O'Neal, and Paul [=McGloin=]. Paul [=McGloin=] was Donna's boyfriend at the time, and he's the second person Donna dedicates the book to. Todd is Henry and Matt is Bunny.

** In 1982 at Bennington, the Greek class consisted of Matt Jacobson, Todd O'Neal, and Paul [=McGloin=]. Paul [=McGloin=] was Donna's boyfriend at the time, and he's the second person Donna dedicates the book to. Todd was Henry and Matt was Bunny.

*** While Bunny has long been attributed to Creator/BretEastonEllis and there's surely some truth in that, Anolik's work has found that another inspiration--probably a stronger one--was Matt Jacobsen.

** In 1982 at Bennington, the Greek class consisted of Matt Jacobson, Todd O'Neal, and Paul [=McGloin=]. Paul [=McGloin=] was Donna's boyfriend at the time, and he's the second person Donna dedicates the book to. Todd was Henry and Matt was Bunny. Charles, Camilla, and Francis seem to be more or less original creations.
*** While Bunny has long been attributed to Creator/BretEastonEllis and there's surely some truth in that, Anolik's work suggests that another inspiration--probably a stronger one--was Matt Jacobsen.
*** Henry is based on another of Tartt's classmates, Todd O'Neal.

** Hampden is based on Bennington, Donna Tartt's own Vermont liberal arts college. Bennington really did closing in the winter because it couldn't afford the heating, to the admission process.
** Julian is based on Claude Fredericks, the professor who taught Classics at Bennington at the time Donna Tart attended.
** In addition to Creator/BretEastonEllis, another inspiration for the character of Bunny was her classmate Matt Jacobsen.
** Henry is based on another of Tartt's classmates, Todd O'Neal.
*** AvertedTrope with Charles and Camilla, however, who seem to be original creations.

* WriteWhoYouKnow and WriteWhatYouKnow:
** Bunny Corcoran is heavily based on Donna Tartt's college friend Creator/BretEastonEllis. Who she also dedicated the book to.
** Lili Anolik has done extensive journalism on the topic in recent years. For a condensed version, see her article [[https://web.archive.org/web/20190601231613/https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/a27434009/bennington-college-oral-history-bret-easton-ellis/ The Secret Oral History of Bennington: The 1980's most Decadent College]] and for a more extensive version, see her 14-part podcast [[http://www.lilianolik.com/once-upon-a-time-at-bennington-college Once Upon A Time… at Bennington College]]. The short version, though, is that ''The Secret History'' is far more based on real life than previously known.
--->'''Todd O'Neal''': The Secret History isn’t so much a work of fiction. It’s a work of thinly veiled reality--a RomanAClef.
*** Julian is based on Claude Fredericks, the professor who taught Classics at Bennington at the time Donna Tart attended.
*** In addition to Creator/BretEastonEllis, another inspiration for the character of Bunny was her classmate Matt Jacobsen.
*** Henry is based on another of Tartt's classmates, Todd O'Neal.

*** Hampden is based on Bennington in many specific ways, from closing in the winter because it couldn't afford the heating, to the admission process.

** [[https://web.archive.org/web/20190601231613/https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/a27434009/bennington-college-oral-history-bret-easton-ellis/ The Secret Oral History of Bennington: The 1980's most Decadent College]] details several more classmates who worked their way into the book:

---->'''Miles Bellamy:''' Well, first of all, it was hard to find. It was in Commons, at the top of this sort of secret staircase that was outside the building and led only to his office. So you’d climb this tall flight of stairs, and walk in, and there’d be these exquisite flowers, Japanese flowers—I don’t know how or where he got them—in a vase, and everything was polished, beautiful. You’d sit across from him, and he’d serve you tea, and you really felt like you were in the inner sanctum.
*** In addition to Creator/BretEastonEllis, another inspiration for the character of Bunny was her classmate Matt Jacobsen:
---->'''Matt Jacobsen:''' I called my mother and said, “I’ve been caricatured in a book, and my character gets killed.” And she said, “No, no. No one would ever kill you, not even in print, no.” Then she read the book and said, “That’s you all right.” I wore wire-rimmed glasses like Bunny. I had dyslexia--that’s what they called it in the 70s, anyway--like Bunny. And, like Bunny, I was an extremely affected young man. I’d make broad, questionable statements. One day in the dining hall I was gawking at some girl and said, “Reminds me of the way Diana’s painted on the ceiling of my father’s club,” and that line found its way into Donna’s book. And I’d invite people to lunch and then realize I didn’t have any money, something dear old Bunny does.
*** Henry is based on another of Tartt's classmates, Todd O'Neal:
---->'''Todd O'Neal''': Henry’s apartment was like my apartment. His eye problems, the chip in his tooth. I smoked Lucky Strikes. I wore suspenders and glasses. I’d gone to a Benedictine monastery for high school, where I learned Latin, and I taught myself Greek, French, Italian, Spanish, Sanskrit. I was very deep into the study of Plato and Plotinus, as Henry is described as being. I did go on a trip with Matt, and I did end up having to pay for it because his father didn’t give him much money and he was a bit of a sponge, though he and I always had fun together. And what Henry said about Julian--“I loved him more than anyone in the world”--was true of how I felt about Claude. He was the single greatest influence on my life.

---->'''Todd O'Neal''': The incestuous twins, though, I don’t know where Donna got them.

---->'''Donna Tartt''': Tell me something, I heard that Bennington requires SAT scores now, is that true? ...Because I wouldn’t have been there if they had required them when I applied. I think I got in on a short story I sent in. Nobody I know would have been there if they had required SAT scores. That was part of the reason I went to Bennington... [E]verybody there was like the oddly gifted person who made bad grades and hung out in the parking lot.\\
'''Bret Easton Ellis''': We would all joke about the application process. Like, I got in because of my drawings, because of the pictures I drew.\\
'''Jonathan Lethem''': [...] It was the anti-college college--no grades, and they’d admit you without a high school diploma. Essentially, it was self-selecting.

** [[https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/a27434009/bennington-college-oral-history-bret-easton-ellis/ The Secret Oral History of Bennington: The 1980's most Decadent College]] details several more classmates who worked their way into the book:

*** Another inspiration for the character of Bunny was her classmate Matt Jacobsen:

*** Charles and Camilla, however, seem to be original creations. It has been suggested that he incest idea possibly stems from an incident where her landlords accused her and her boyfriend at the time of that:

---->'''Donna Tartt, in a letter from 1983''': Paul & I were almost kicked out of our lodgings last Tuesday. The charges? Incest. That’s really rather impressive, isn’t it? Fortunately we are not brother and sister, or else we would have been quite guilty.
*** Julian is based on Claude Fredericks, the professor who taught Classics at Bennington at the time Donna Tart attended.
---->'''Miles Bellamy:''' Well, first of all, it was hard to find. It was in Commons, at the top of this sort of secret staircase that was outside the building and led only to his office. So you’d climb this tall flight of stairs, and walk in, and there’d be these exquisite flowers, Japanese flowers—I don’t know how or where he got them—in a vase, and everything was polished, beautiful. You’d sit across from him, and he’d serve you tea, and you really felt like you were in the inner sanctum.

---->'''Donna Tartt''': Tell me something, I heard that Bennington requires SAT scores now, is that true? ...Because I wouldn’t have been there if they had required them when I applied. I think I got in on a short story I sent in. Nobody I know would have been there if they had required SAT scores. That was part of the reason I went to Bennington... E]verybody there was like the oddly gifted person who made bad grades and hung out in the parking lot.\\

--->'''Todd O'Neal''': The Secret History isn’t so much a work of fiction. It’s a work of thinly veiled reality--a roman à clef.

---->'''Matt Jacobsen:''' I called my mother and said, “I’ve been caricatured in a book, and my character gets killed.” And she said, “No, no. No one would ever kill you, not even in print, no.” Then she read the book and said, “That’s you all right.” I wore wire-rimmed glasses like Bunny. I had dyslexia—that’s what they called it in the 70s, anyway—like Bunny. And, like Bunny, I was an extremely affected young man. I’d make broad, questionable statements. One day in the dining hall I was gawking at some girl and said, “Reminds me of the way Diana’s painted on the ceiling of my father’s club,” and that line found its way into Donna’s book. And I’d invite people to lunch and then realize I didn’t have any money, something dear old Bunny does.

*** Charles and Camilla, however, seem to be original creations--possibly stemming from an incident where her landlords accused her and her boyfriend at the time of that:

---->'''Donna Tartt''': Tell me something, I heard that Bennington requires SAT scores now, is that true? . . . Because I wouldn’t have been there if they had required them when I applied. I think I got in on a short story I sent in. Nobody I know would have been there if they had required SAT scores. That was part of the reason I went to Bennington. . . . [E]verybody there was like the oddly gifted person who made bad grades and hung out in the parking lot.\\

* WriteWhoYouKnow: Bunny Corcoran is heavily based on Donna Tartt's college friend Creator/BretEastonEllis. Who she also dedicated the book to. Another inspiration for the character was her classmate Matt Jacobsen:
-->''I called my mother and said, “I’ve been caricatured in a book, and my character gets killed.” And she said, “No, no. No one would ever kill you, not even in print, no.” Then she read the book and said, “That’s you all right.” I wore wire-rimmed glasses like Bunny. I had dyslexia—that’s what they called it in the 70s, anyway—like Bunny. And, like Bunny, I was an extremely affected young man. I’d make broad, questionable statements. One day in the dining hall I was gawking at some girl and said, “Reminds me of the way Diana’s painted on the ceiling of my father’s club,” and that line found its way into Donna’s book. And I’d invite people to lunch and then realize I didn’t have any money, something dear old Bunny does.''
-->--[[https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/matt-jacobson-profile-color-1557766214.jpg?crop=1xw:0.8401792382374906xh;center,top&resize=768:* Matt Jacobsen]]
* Henry is based on another of Tartt's classmates, Todd O'Neal:
-->''Henry’s apartment was like my apartment. His eye problems, the chip in his tooth. I smoked Lucky Strikes. I wore suspenders and glasses. I’d gone to a Benedictine monastery for high school, where I learned Latin, and I taught myself Greek, French, Italian, Spanish, Sanskrit. I was very deep into the study of Plato and Plotinus, as Henry is described as being. I did go on a trip with Matt, and I did end up having to pay for it because his father didn’t give him much money and he was a bit of a sponge, though he and I always had fun together. And what Henry said about Julian—“I loved him more than anyone in the world”—was true of how I felt about Claude. He was the single greatest influence on my life.''
-->--Todd O'Neal
* Julian is based on Claude Fredericks, the professor who taught Classics at Bennington at the time Donna Tart attended.
-->''Well, first of all, it was hard to find. It was in Commons, at the top of this sort of secret staircase that was outside the building and led only to his office. So you’d climb this tall flight of stairs, and walk in, and there’d be these exquisite flowers, Japanese flowers—I don’t know how or where he got them—in a vase, and everything was polished, beautiful. You’d sit across from him, and he’d serve you tea, and you really felt like you were in the inner sanctum.''
-->-- Miles Bellamy, from [[https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/a27434009/bennington-college-oral-history-bret-easton-ellis/ The Secret Oral History of Bennington: The 1980's most Decadent College]]

* WriteWhoYouKnow: Bunny Corcoran is heavily based on Donna Tartt's college friend Creator/BretEastonEllis. Who she also dedicated the book to.
** Julian is based on Claude Fredericks, the professor who taught Classics at Bennington at the time Donna Tart attended.

->''Well, first of all, it was hard to find. It was in Commons, at the top of this sort of secret staircase that was outside the building and led only to his office. So you’d climb this tall flight of stairs, and walk in, and there’d be these exquisite flowers, Japanese flowers—I don’t know how or where he got them—in a vase, and everything was polished, beautiful. You’d sit across from him, and he’d serve you tea, and you really felt like you were in the inner sanctum.''

* WriteWhoYouKnow: Bunny Corcoran is heavily based on Donna Tartt's college friend Creator/BretEastonEllis.

* EveryoneIsGay: In keeping with the popular trope that gay people are disproportionally fond of Greek mythology, fanfic usually goes in this direction. Francis is canonically gay; Charles is canonically bi. Most fans think that Richard's HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday is evidence he's ''not'' straight, probably for Henry, or maybe for Francis. Henry may have an old-school Greek LoverAndBeloved thing going on with Julian.