On September 3, 2018, a rancher in Laredo, Texas, discovered a woman’s body shot execution-style on the side of the road. When investigators identified her as a local sex worker, their search for the killer took them into the darkest corners of the city. Then, after days of false starts and dead-ends, another body turned up, terrifying residents and leading law enforcement to conclude a serial killer is at large. More would die before a survivor finally came forward and identified the killer… but his motives proved as confounding as his crimes.  

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1994 to the present day. Jonathan Lethem comes from behind. And just whose world are we living in anyway—Bret’s, Donna’s or Jonathan’s?

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Cambridge, Massachusetts and New York, New York. Spring of 1986 to Fall of 1994. The Secret History is published. Plus, “The Purge” comes to Bennington.

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New York City. Spring of 1987 to Spring of 1991. Patrick Bateman is born.

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Bennington and New York City. Autumn, 1985-spring, 1986. Less Than Zero is published and Bret becomes a cultural phenomenon. Bret also becomes a college senior. The most famous artist of the 20th century crashes his graduation party.

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Bennington. Autumn, 1983-Spring, 1986. Donna begins The Secret History. Donna throws tea parties and frequents martini hours. Donna bides her time. Jonathan drops out of Bennington only to hang around Bennington.

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Bennington. Spring, 1983. Donna Tartt becomes “Donna Tartt.” Jonathan Lethem becomes an angry young man. 

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Bennington. Spring, 1983-Spring, 1985. Bret lives The Rules of Attraction, then sells Less Than Zero. Bret befriends David Lipsky, then be-enemies David Lipsky.

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Mississippi, 1963-1982. Donna’s origin story. And Lord Jim... revealed?

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Winter, 1982-1983. Over Non-Resident term, Donna gets closer to Jonathan, and becomes Paul McGloin's "Burning Boy."

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Bennington. Autumn, 1982. Donna falls under the thrall of a magus-like professor, and the very small, very elite, very male band of students to whom he teaches Ancient Greek. “I can absolutely distinctly remember the three of them, and then the four of them—the three guys but then the four. The guys with Donna.”

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