Scan barcode
ibisette's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastisch. Tweede boek van deze auteur en wederom een topboek.
amberindia's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very conflicting read - there were times where I wanted to abandon it, sections that dragged out a little and didn't grab my attention, but then the story that kept me engaged was what got me to the end.
I wanted closure on this story, it was at times a very intense and anxiety inducing read so I felt I was owed closure.
It's a 4 star read for me more than a 3 star because it's so beautifully written and the message about beauty in life really struck me but it was definitely a long read!
I wanted closure on this story, it was at times a very intense and anxiety inducing read so I felt I was owed closure.
It's a 4 star read for me more than a 3 star because it's so beautifully written and the message about beauty in life really struck me but it was definitely a long read!
hbmcc's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
michaslam's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
“You can look at a picture for a week and never think of it again. You can also look at a picture for a second and think of it all your life.”
I get the feeling this is a ‘think of it all your life’ kind of book (though I will admit, I’ve been reading it for months). I’m not sure what made me pick this up, since the story isn’t something I’d usually gravitate towards. And aside from the incredibly vibrant characters, I’m not sure what kept me reading to get to the end. I suppose part of me was always eager to get just one more taste of the heart wrenching prose sprinkled in every other chapter.
There is a deep, almost innate anxiety in Theo that I feel like I share. This constant unshakable fear of being found out, exposed, and losing everything because of it. That all the things we cling to with love are always seconds away from crumbling away in our fingers. In childhood, I might have attributed it to my own deficiencies. The heart-sinking-to-my-stomach feeling every time my dad picked up the phone, because what if it was the school calling to let him know I failed a class and needed to attend summer school? Can’t invite my friends over to my house, because what if they see how strange my immigrant family is and realize that I’m actually some kind of freak? In adulthood, that ‘I’m about to get in trouble’ feeling doesn’t fade, it evolves. Now, it’s a lingering fear of time running out. That there is something urgent to be done somewhere that makes all of this time and effort worth it.
I’m not sure I’ve heard a story that captured that anxious feeling more accurately than The Goldfinch. It’s strange that I never considered these feelings to be a shared human experience until now. But like Theo, I’ve come to understand how that deeply held anxiety is tied to joy and love.
“And I'm hoping there's some larger truth about suffering here, or at least my understanding of it - although I've come to realize that the only truths that matter to me are the ones I don't, and can't, understand. What's mysterious, ambiguous, inexplicable. What doesn't fit into a story, what doesn't have a story. Glint of brightness on a barely-there chain. Patch of sunlight on a yellow wall. The loneliness that separates every living creature from every other living creature. Sorrow inseparable from joy.”
I get the feeling this is a ‘think of it all your life’ kind of book (though I will admit, I’ve been reading it for months). I’m not sure what made me pick this up, since the story isn’t something I’d usually gravitate towards. And aside from the incredibly vibrant characters, I’m not sure what kept me reading to get to the end. I suppose part of me was always eager to get just one more taste of the heart wrenching prose sprinkled in every other chapter.
There is a deep, almost innate anxiety in Theo that I feel like I share. This constant unshakable fear of being found out, exposed, and losing everything because of it. That all the things we cling to with love are always seconds away from crumbling away in our fingers. In childhood, I might have attributed it to my own deficiencies. The heart-sinking-to-my-stomach feeling every time my dad picked up the phone, because what if it was the school calling to let him know I failed a class and needed to attend summer school? Can’t invite my friends over to my house, because what if they see how strange my immigrant family is and realize that I’m actually some kind of freak? In adulthood, that ‘I’m about to get in trouble’ feeling doesn’t fade, it evolves. Now, it’s a lingering fear of time running out. That there is something urgent to be done somewhere that makes all of this time and effort worth it.
I’m not sure I’ve heard a story that captured that anxious feeling more accurately than The Goldfinch. It’s strange that I never considered these feelings to be a shared human experience until now. But like Theo, I’ve come to understand how that deeply held anxiety is tied to joy and love.
“And I'm hoping there's some larger truth about suffering here, or at least my understanding of it - although I've come to realize that the only truths that matter to me are the ones I don't, and can't, understand. What's mysterious, ambiguous, inexplicable. What doesn't fit into a story, what doesn't have a story. Glint of brightness on a barely-there chain. Patch of sunlight on a yellow wall. The loneliness that separates every living creature from every other living creature. Sorrow inseparable from joy.”
sadtourist's review against another edition
5.0
This book was phenomenal. Tart's writing pulls on heartstrings. I highlighted and bookmarked so many passages that could easily make me cry. I highly recommend this book.
"Why do I care about all the wrong things, and nothing at all for the right ones? Or, to tip it another way: how can I see so clearly that everything I love or care about is an illusion, and yet — for me, anyway — all that's worth living for lies in the charm?"
"Why do I care about all the wrong things, and nothing at all for the right ones? Or, to tip it another way: how can I see so clearly that everything I love or care about is an illusion, and yet — for me, anyway — all that's worth living for lies in the charm?"
emilieeisenberg's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Way way way too long
andrewsutton's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mrsdryoder's review against another edition
4.0
Long story, but I found it moved more quickly the last 200 pages or so. I enjoyed it overall - much more so than A Secret History.