7 Novels that Show Us How Dangerous a College Campus Can Be
Ideally, college is an environment of learning and personal development. For some it’s also a place of stress and failure—but even that’s better than a place of murder, conspiracy, and violence, which is what you’ll find in the seven books listed here.
The Devil and Webster, by Jean Hanff Korelitz
There’s very little actual violence in this novel, but the story is nonetheless soaked in a sort of free-floating menace. Naomi Roth is the new president of Webster College, once as old-school conservative as it comes, now transformed into a liberal, haven that prides itself on its inclusiveness. Roth herself is old-school progressive who led demonstrations in her youth. When the college denies popular black professor Nicholas Gall tenure, a protest movement led by the charismatic, clever Omar Khayal springs up. Roth’s instinct is to be sympathetic—an attitude that leads her into a twisting knot of hypocrisy, as she finds you can’t be both part of the establishment and a protester. Watching Roth dig herself in deeper and deeper due to her own blinkered bubble becomes entertainingly excruciating, proving that danger on campus doesn’t always involve murder and mayhem.
The Secret History, by Donna Tartt
Tartt’s debut makes living on campus seem like the worst thing you could possibly do for your physical and mental health. The murder at the center of the story is no secret—the book’s often described as “whydunnit” instead of a “whodunnit”—and the real mystery lies in the relationships between the narrator, middle-class Michael Papen, and a mysterious group of students studying Ancient Greek under a charismatic professor. Where most students get caught up in parties, romance, and grade-stress, these kids become obsessed with manslaughter, blackmail, and straight-up homicide, leading to psychological breakdowns. Which, come to think of it, isn’t that different from your typical college campus experience.
White Noise, by Don DeLillo
DeLillo’s classic gave English the wonderful phrase “airborne toxic event,” and it is that event that translates the growing paranoia and unease of the novel’s first section into physical form. The campus of the fictional College-on-the-Hill is where professor Jack Gladney pioneers the field of Hitler studies (despite not speaking German), and where he and his wife Babette obsess over death and their own mortality. The atmosphere on campus and in their home is one of decreasing connection to reality as their death obsession takes over, poisoning everything around them and driving them to the brink—or possibly over the brink—of madness. Violence does occur, but like the toxic airborne event itself, the story makes you feel like the college campus is a slowly constricting trap that will eventually crush you.
The Accursed, by Joyce Carol Oates
Set in Princeton in the early 20th century, when Woodrow Wilson was president of the university, Oates’ meticulously structured novel follows the misfortunes of the school’s elite families after a real, honest-to-God curse is activated against them. What follows should be a mess: it involves vampires and ghosts, angels and demons, alternate universes and extremely horrifying violence. But it does work, because Oates has planned the story so very well. You might think attending Princeton would be a great start to a successful life, but Oates makes the case that being anywhere near this Ivy League institution might result in madness, death—or worse.
Gaudy Night, by Dorothy L. Sayers
One of Sayers’ best-loved Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, the true protagonist of this book is Harriet Vane, erstwhile lover of Wimsey, once accused of poisoning her lover (until proved innocent by Peter himself). Vane returns to her alma mater for its annual gaudy, but worries she will be received coolly because of her notoriety. In fact, she’s greeted warmly. Then the campus begins to suffer from anonymous pranks and ominous messages that seem to imply some act of terrible violence is coming, and Harriet is drafted into the effort to uncover the mystery before paranoia and fear destroy the college entirely. Before the story’s over, you’ll be convinced here’s a dark side to being part of a insular campus society—even if the book does end with a marriage.
Rules of Attraction, by Bret Easton Ellis
Ellis’s literary reputation is increasingly complicated, but this book remains a great read, detailing the students living on a debauched college campus that no one leaves unscathed. Binge-drinking, drug abuse, rape, and psychological warfare gild this lily, starring Ellis’ trademark breed of sociopaths—beautiful, smart kids who are both self-destructive and destructive in general. Written from multiple points of view and structured so as to seem infinite and looping, the story settles into your brain like an unending low-fi nightmare. If you’ve ever been in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people (like, say, the first day of school on campus), and felt isolated and unhappy as a result, this book replicates the sensation perfectly.
Obedience, by Will Lavender
Three students enroll in a 200-level Logic and Reasoning course, expecting dull lectures. Instead, their professor assigns a project: use the clues he offers to find a missing teen girl from town within sex weeks, or she’ll be murdered. Is it real? At first, the students are pretty sure it’s just a strange project, but as the professor releases more clues, they slowly begin to harbor doubts. The investigation takes them places they really don’t want to go, and once the word “conspiracy” starts to creep into their discussions, the campus no longer seems like a very safe place.