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lizzyyreadss's review against another edition
3.0
it was a little too slow for my taste plus i watched the movie before reading the book so that probably had something to do with it too. i skipped a few parts and mostly read the chapters with Boris in it lmao
ninethreeo's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to like this, but I found it a bit of a slog. There were parts I loved, some beautiful prose, some great scenes, I really enjoyed the characters, but ultimately I think it just went on for a bit too long.
This really became apparent for me at the end, the summing up, the lessons learnt. It meandered so much I became lost as to what point Theo was making. The pointlessness of life? But the joy of life? It felt like the sort of long rambling conversation you might have when you were drunk, and as by this time we know Theo is writing this I longed for a spine-tingly, succinct answer to reward me for the long journey I'd just been on, which I'd stayed on for the conclusion. Even if the answer was "there is no answer", putting it succinctly would have carried more weight for me at this point.
This really became apparent for me at the end, the summing up, the lessons learnt. It meandered so much I became lost as to what point Theo was making. The pointlessness of life? But the joy of life? It felt like the sort of long rambling conversation you might have when you were drunk, and as by this time we know Theo is writing this I longed for a spine-tingly, succinct answer to reward me for the long journey I'd just been on, which I'd stayed on for the conclusion. Even if the answer was "there is no answer", putting it succinctly would have carried more weight for me at this point.
letamcwilliams's review against another edition
4.0
I did really love the story and the writing, but I felt like every time the author couldn’t come up with a new subplot she just killed a character to shake things up. By the third death it kind of felt disingenuous.
aliciablack's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Book on CD performed by David Pittu
3.5****
From the book jacket: 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 longing for his mother, he clings to the one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into the criminal underworld.
My Reaction:
There is much about this novel to like, and quite a few things not to like. In the end I’m struggling with how to rate it because of these conflicting issues.
I like the way Tartt writes, particularly the way she so vividly depicts the scenes in this book. Her descriptions of the Barbour’s apartment, Hobie’s antique shop, the wasteland of an abandoned Las Vegas suburban development, or Amsterdam at Christmas all put me squarely into the landscape of the novel. For example, here is Theo’s reaction on seeing his room at his father’s house: ”the kind of room where a call girl or stewardess would be murdered on television.”
I also really found myself caught up in the basic plot – Theo’s coming-of-age. I liked how Tartt explored the effects of one violent act on the survivors, how Theo was left to negotiate his way through life pretty much on his own, and how easily he fell prey to bad influences. There was many a time when listening to the CD that I’d yell out loud – “Don’t do that!” I did not really sympathize with him or like him; but I understood, intellectually, how his circumstances would lead to his behavior. I wanted desperately for some adult to rescue this poor motherless (and for all intents and purposes, fatherless) child. But then …
I got really tired of the repeated bad choices. How often did Tartt have to describe how Boris and Theo got drunk, laughed hysterically, passed out, stole stuff, etc. I got it the first time – they were without supervision and basically grew up as feral kids. I couldn’t help but wonder where the novel was going in that long Las Vegas interlude. And then Theo returns to New York and to a fairly stable influence, the kindly Hobie, who takes him in and gives him an honest trade in his antiques & restoration business. But despite this apparent good influence, Theo never seems to mature, except in age.
And let’s just talk about the painting for a minute. I’m not sure what Tartt was trying to say here. Does art transform? Is obsession an understandable reason for living? There were long sections of the book where the painting isn’t even mentioned, and apparently not thought about by Theo.
Which brings me to the ending. Tartt takes us on a wild ride into a criminal underworld that had me on the edge of my seat for about 100 pages. Then … well I don’t want to spoil the resolution for anyone, so I won’t say what happens, but I was very unhappy with the way the characters got out of that mess. And for the last several pages I get some long philosophical treatise, and the novel is finished. I have no problem with ambiguous endings, in fact I rather like them most of the time. But this time? I have to admit that when the audio ended I said – aloud – “Is that it?!”
David Pittu does a superb job narrating the audio version of this novel. He has great pacing, and his skill with voices made the characters come to life. I particularly liked how he voiced Hobie, and he did a credible job with the women as well. I was confused about Boris, though, because Tartt describes his accent as a cross between Aussie and Russian, and yet Pittu seemed to lose the Aussie almost immediately. But that’s a small quibble. I’d give Pittu 5* for his narration.
3.5****
From the book jacket: 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 longing for his mother, he clings to the one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into the criminal underworld.
My Reaction:
There is much about this novel to like, and quite a few things not to like. In the end I’m struggling with how to rate it because of these conflicting issues.
I like the way Tartt writes, particularly the way she so vividly depicts the scenes in this book. Her descriptions of the Barbour’s apartment, Hobie’s antique shop, the wasteland of an abandoned Las Vegas suburban development, or Amsterdam at Christmas all put me squarely into the landscape of the novel. For example, here is Theo’s reaction on seeing his room at his father’s house: ”the kind of room where a call girl or stewardess would be murdered on television.”
I also really found myself caught up in the basic plot – Theo’s coming-of-age. I liked how Tartt explored the effects of one violent act on the survivors, how Theo was left to negotiate his way through life pretty much on his own, and how easily he fell prey to bad influences. There was many a time when listening to the CD that I’d yell out loud – “Don’t do that!” I did not really sympathize with him or like him; but I understood, intellectually, how his circumstances would lead to his behavior. I wanted desperately for some adult to rescue this poor motherless (and for all intents and purposes, fatherless) child. But then …
I got really tired of the repeated bad choices. How often did Tartt have to describe how Boris and Theo got drunk, laughed hysterically, passed out, stole stuff, etc. I got it the first time – they were without supervision and basically grew up as feral kids. I couldn’t help but wonder where the novel was going in that long Las Vegas interlude. And then Theo returns to New York and to a fairly stable influence, the kindly Hobie, who takes him in and gives him an honest trade in his antiques & restoration business. But despite this apparent good influence, Theo never seems to mature, except in age.
And let’s just talk about the painting for a minute. I’m not sure what Tartt was trying to say here. Does art transform? Is obsession an understandable reason for living? There were long sections of the book where the painting isn’t even mentioned, and apparently not thought about by Theo.
Which brings me to the ending. Tartt takes us on a wild ride into a criminal underworld that had me on the edge of my seat for about 100 pages. Then … well I don’t want to spoil the resolution for anyone, so I won’t say what happens, but I was very unhappy with the way the characters got out of that mess. And for the last several pages I get some long philosophical treatise, and the novel is finished. I have no problem with ambiguous endings, in fact I rather like them most of the time. But this time? I have to admit that when the audio ended I said – aloud – “Is that it?!”
David Pittu does a superb job narrating the audio version of this novel. He has great pacing, and his skill with voices made the characters come to life. I particularly liked how he voiced Hobie, and he did a credible job with the women as well. I was confused about Boris, though, because Tartt describes his accent as a cross between Aussie and Russian, and yet Pittu seemed to lose the Aussie almost immediately. But that’s a small quibble. I’d give Pittu 5* for his narration.
msmoxiemae's review against another edition
5.0
This book tore my heart out and then tenderly returned it to me, battered yet reminded that sorrow and joy are forever entangled.
It might be a few days before I can face the world again.
It might be a few days before I can face the world again.
belanaborealis's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
should have been gayer
octobah's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
4.0
chitzke's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5