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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
To be clear, I actually listened to the audiobook of this.
Like many, I fell in love with THE SECRET HISTORY. So when I saw this tome on the shelf with the name Donna Tartt on the cover I was super excited to get my hands on it. I opted for the audiobook just cause it was more convenient. I have to give major props to the performer for reading at a comfortable pace all 771 (I think?) pages of this book.
Now then....
Tartt is a gifted writer, however, this book could have done with some editing. It was just way too long and her protagonist was not strong enough to carry it along. There are twists and turns for sure, but I never really felt connected with Theo. The character of Boris, Theo's friend who pops in and out of his life was so much more interesting to me! During the latter half of the book I found myself thinking, why wasn't the book about Boris? Not only does Boris undergo a change, but he does things about it. Theo's changes are so slight that I feel like it doesn't make up for the scope of the story Tartt was trying to tell. Oh yes, there are many wonderful passages in this book that will make you say, "Wow, what a writer.". But I feel like most of those portions occupied the first half of the story. By the end, I was more excited seeing the timer go down than I was with the story. It sounds like a thrilling climax, but Tartt is so knowledgeable about her characters, that it ends up hurting the structure of the book. After being stuck in the head of Theo Decker for the first 500 pages, I found myself running out of steam when faced with yet another sprawling inner monologue about drug use. Not to mention, some of the conversations just drag on.
That being said, Tartt at her worst is already miles ahead of most at their best. She is a talented author who unfortunately seemed to get bogged down in all the little details, that she seems to have lost sight of the grand prize.
3/5
Like many, I fell in love with THE SECRET HISTORY. So when I saw this tome on the shelf with the name Donna Tartt on the cover I was super excited to get my hands on it. I opted for the audiobook just cause it was more convenient. I have to give major props to the performer for reading at a comfortable pace all 771 (I think?) pages of this book.
Now then....
Tartt is a gifted writer, however, this book could have done with some editing. It was just way too long and her protagonist was not strong enough to carry it along. There are twists and turns for sure, but I never really felt connected with Theo. The character of Boris, Theo's friend who pops in and out of his life was so much more interesting to me! During the latter half of the book I found myself thinking, why wasn't the book about Boris? Not only does Boris undergo a change, but he does things about it. Theo's changes are so slight that I feel like it doesn't make up for the scope of the story Tartt was trying to tell. Oh yes, there are many wonderful passages in this book that will make you say, "Wow, what a writer.". But I feel like most of those portions occupied the first half of the story. By the end, I was more excited seeing the timer go down than I was with the story. It sounds like a thrilling climax, but Tartt is so knowledgeable about her characters, that it ends up hurting the structure of the book. After being stuck in the head of Theo Decker for the first 500 pages, I found myself running out of steam when faced with yet another sprawling inner monologue about drug use. Not to mention, some of the conversations just drag on.
That being said, Tartt at her worst is already miles ahead of most at their best. She is a talented author who unfortunately seemed to get bogged down in all the little details, that she seems to have lost sight of the grand prize.
3/5
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow I LOVED this journey I actually was sooo hooked on this story and loved watching him grow
I could not finish this book. Literally, this morning before I started this book. I was watching a video of a little 10 yo Syrian boy being interviewed directly after 40 of his family members had been killed by a bomb “falling” off target. I could not get into this book. Clearly written from a point of privilege for the entertainment of other people of privilege. I found it extremely disturbing.
A boy tragically loses his beloved mother in a museum bombing where in the chaos, he steals a famous painting, the Goldfinch. His life thereafter is a constant spiral of turmoil and fear and yet he is chained to the past, not unlike the bird in the painting. How can he amend past sins when he cannot forgive himself?
Throughout the book, Theo is holding on to his childhood innocence ironically by way of a painting which he's obtaining illegally. He takes years to realize he's lost his innocence long before he ever thought he had. His life is unfair, a catastrophe that he cannot escape from. Why do angel mother's die and terrible father's live? In the end, he realizes that good can come from bad, anyone can be redeemed, it is possible to experience joy. Immerse yourself, keep eyes and hearts open, even if you're not happy to be here.
I have such mixed feelings about this book. 100% could have been told in 200 pages, rather than 700+. I listened to it on audiobook and it was 36 hours of my life, and that is with it sped up to 1.5x. I literally could not bear listening to it at normal speed because it was so droning and dull, but speeding it up added a sense of urgency to Theo's inner thoughts that made the whole story feel desperate and anxious. Every minuscule event in this book is stretched out and dissecting, when they could have been done away with completely. I understand the message. I sympathize with Theo. Every character is morally grey, though I think the author thinks she has redeemed them when the story fell short of doing so.
Throughout the book, Theo is holding on to his childhood innocence ironically by way of a painting which he's obtaining illegally. He takes years to realize he's lost his innocence long before he ever thought he had. His life is unfair, a catastrophe that he cannot escape from. Why do angel mother's die and terrible father's live? In the end, he realizes that good can come from bad, anyone can be redeemed, it is possible to experience joy. Immerse yourself, keep eyes and hearts open, even if you're not happy to be here.
I have such mixed feelings about this book. 100% could have been told in 200 pages, rather than 700+. I listened to it on audiobook and it was 36 hours of my life, and that is with it sped up to 1.5x. I literally could not bear listening to it at normal speed because it was so droning and dull, but speeding it up added a sense of urgency to Theo's inner thoughts that made the whole story feel desperate and anxious. Every minuscule event in this book is stretched out and dissecting, when they could have been done away with completely. I understand the message. I sympathize with Theo. Every character is morally grey, though I think the author thinks she has redeemed them when the story fell short of doing so.
I am giving up. I got to the stage, where every time I picked it up I would squeeze it to see how far I had left to go. It's a shame, well-written and absorbing but oh so painfully slow.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book… but wished it hadn't dragged on in some parts.
I enjoyed the writing style and story-telling, however I'm not really sure why the author chose to tell this story. Even though it didn't resonate with me, I respect how Tartt really explored each character's development, not skipping over explanations just to cut down on page-length - actually showing the consequences of the characters' actions. It was definitely long, but I would have faulted the author had it been 300 pages shorter.