The Goldfinch
2013 • 774 pages
Ratings180
Average rating4
15
Ratings180
Average rating4
"The Goldfinch is a rarity that comes along perhaps half a dozen times per decade, a smartly written literary novel that connects with the heart as well as the mind....Donna Tartt has delivered an extraordinary work of fiction."--Stephen King, The New York Times Book Review
Composed with the skills of a master, The Goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through present day America and a drama of enthralling force and acuity.
It begins with a boy. Theo Decker, a thirteen-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new home on Park Avenue, disturbed by schoolmates who don't know how to talk to him, and tormented above all by his unbearable longing for his mother, he clings to one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into the underworld of art.
As an adult, Theo moves silkily between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty labyrinth of an antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love-and at the center of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle.
The Goldfinch is a novel of shocking narrative energy and power. It combines unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and breathtaking suspense, while plumbing with a philosopher's calm the deepest mysteries of love, identity, and art. It is a beautiful, stay-up-all-night and tell-all-your-friends triumph, an old-fashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention, and the ruthless machinations of fate.
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Reviews with the most likes.
If you're expecting a book with a clear "point" or philosophical message, this might not be the book for you.
That being said, this is an excellent book from a storytelling perspective. Seeing Theo's entire life journey unfold really makes you care about both him and the other characters. I will definitely re-read this just to relive the story again.
I think this was my first fictional autobiography. It dragged a bit, in places, but overall it was an interesting and (mostly) entertaining read. But, y'know? The end really grated. The whole thing was full of soooo much angst, and in the end? All wrapped up so nicely and neatly and positively and innocently and legally. And annoyingly.
I'm 2/3 through and really hating this book. I'm really tired of reading about the misadventures of this little psychopathic junkie who never makes a good decision. At this point, I really detest the protagonist and don't much care what happens to him.
So, I guess that the “goldfinch” symbolizes Theo, who is bound by his addictions and trauma. Is that about it? Otherwise, Tartt has written a novel that reads as if it were co-written by Dickens and Dostoevsky, with the most annoying qualities of both. Double the bathos, double the prolixity.
I've read books about antiheroes that were worthwhile and enjoyable. This one is not. In the beginning, I sympathized with Theo because of his trauma. By the midpoint, though, it became clear that Theo's character disorder is inborn and not a result of his mother's death. He is simply a weak, addictive, sociopath just like his father. Hard to see any redeeming qualities.
The endless, pointless minutiae of the writing cries out for editing. This story might have made a good short story. It's a miserable novel.
I know that, based on the reviews and the awards, many people will disagree with me. I'm extremely puzzled about the highly favorable reviews. Of course, I'm also puzzled about the popularity of reality TV, which involves millions of people hanging on the shenanigans of detestable people. Coincidence?
Enjoyed, Boris was the highlight for me as I'm sure was the same for many others.Although I did struggle with some of Theo's streams of consciousness, and found them slightly too waffly and drawn out. But overall some great themes and lessons learnt by Theo.
