You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by brookemzlibrary
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
4.0
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
4.4 Stars
VAGUE SPOILERS AHEAD - Nothing major but if you want to go into this book blind then don't read this.
The Goldfinch is a story set mostly in New York that follows 13 year old Theo Decker and how his life unravels following an accident. In his despair, he latches on to a very captivating and very famous painting that he later finds out is worth millions. This painting is what pulls him into the rich world of art and antiques, but also into an underworld of crime. It is a novel that explores trauma, hope, beauty, friendship, art, love, grief and conflict.
Something that really stuck with me about this novel is that it feels like a love letter to life. The Goldfinch has been expertly crafted by Donna Tartt in a style that is so distinctly hers that I wouldn't change anything about it. I can understand why it's won a Pulitzer and is praised by many to be a masterpiece of literature. The characters all felt very flawed in a way that doesn't feel like an author wrote it, but in a way that these characters are real people. Tartt's ability to create such realistic yet daunting scenes in this novel is what makes it so great to the point where it becomes ineffable. Since this is a Donna Tartt novel, I can't help but compare it with The Secret History. In The Secret History, I felt I was able to take a step back and consider whether I could trust Richard as a narrator and if his version of events was accurate. With this novel, in the best way, I couldn't do that. The way this book is written forces the reader to become Theo. Each time he is scared, we are scared. Each time he is sad, we are sad. The way that Donna Tartt was able to bring me so close to relating to Theo as a character is something that I find so rare in storytelling and is what makes it so difficult as I try to translate the genius of The Goldfinch in this review.
In another reality, I probably would rate this five stars. I can completely understand why so many consider it to be five stars. However, I have to round it down to four because of how overwhelmingly long this book is. It may seem ridiculous because I loved the length of The Secret History and had no problem getting my way through that. However, The Goldfinch is so much more. It is overwhelmingly descriptive, exceedingly complex and is overall a very dense novel to work through. Even though I am saying this, I wouldn't change it. I do think what Donna Tartt has made with this novel has accomplished everything it set out to. It is entirely my own issue when I say that this book was so long. Additionally, this book lies heavily in the literary fiction genre. This means that the narrative is widely focused on Theo's internal monologue, themes and emotions rather than the plot, action and characters. This made it difficult for me to engage with it at times.
Overall, I do think this book is worth the read if you're in the right place to do it. I'd recommend this book to people who are looking for something complex to annotate and think about for days after. I'd also recommend it to people who enjoy long classic novels, especially those who enjoy reading Dickens. I think this book would be great if you're in a monthly book club, there is a lot to talk about! I will warn you now - don't read this if you're easily susceptible to reading slumps, this book has the potential to put you in one if you're not ready for how heavy it is.
Favourite Character:
Boris Pavlikovsky is easily the most interesting character in this novel. He acts as a foil to Theo as they share similar backstories and trauma. Despite his chaos and impulsivity, he always steals the scenes when reading with his general approach to life. He lives life to the fullest, which doesn't always mean the best for those around him. Either way, it makes him the most entertaining character to read about.
Favourite Line:
“That life - whatever else it is - is short. That fate is cruel but maybe not random. That Nature (meaning Death) always wins but that doesn’t mean we have to bow and grovel to it. That maybe even if we’re not always so glad to be here, it’s our task to immerse ourselves anyway: wade straight through it, right through the cesspool, while keeping eyes and hearts open. And in the midst of our dying, as we rise from the organic and sink back ignominiously into the organic, it is a glory and a privilege to love what Death doesn’t touch.”
4.4 Stars
VAGUE SPOILERS AHEAD - Nothing major but if you want to go into this book blind then don't read this.
The Goldfinch is a story set mostly in New York that follows 13 year old Theo Decker and how his life unravels following an accident. In his despair, he latches on to a very captivating and very famous painting that he later finds out is worth millions. This painting is what pulls him into the rich world of art and antiques, but also into an underworld of crime. It is a novel that explores trauma, hope, beauty, friendship, art, love, grief and conflict.
Something that really stuck with me about this novel is that it feels like a love letter to life. The Goldfinch has been expertly crafted by Donna Tartt in a style that is so distinctly hers that I wouldn't change anything about it. I can understand why it's won a Pulitzer and is praised by many to be a masterpiece of literature. The characters all felt very flawed in a way that doesn't feel like an author wrote it, but in a way that these characters are real people. Tartt's ability to create such realistic yet daunting scenes in this novel is what makes it so great to the point where it becomes ineffable. Since this is a Donna Tartt novel, I can't help but compare it with The Secret History. In The Secret History, I felt I was able to take a step back and consider whether I could trust Richard as a narrator and if his version of events was accurate. With this novel, in the best way, I couldn't do that. The way this book is written forces the reader to become Theo. Each time he is scared, we are scared. Each time he is sad, we are sad. The way that Donna Tartt was able to bring me so close to relating to Theo as a character is something that I find so rare in storytelling and is what makes it so difficult as I try to translate the genius of The Goldfinch in this review.
In another reality, I probably would rate this five stars. I can completely understand why so many consider it to be five stars. However, I have to round it down to four because of how overwhelmingly long this book is. It may seem ridiculous because I loved the length of The Secret History and had no problem getting my way through that. However, The Goldfinch is so much more. It is overwhelmingly descriptive, exceedingly complex and is overall a very dense novel to work through. Even though I am saying this, I wouldn't change it. I do think what Donna Tartt has made with this novel has accomplished everything it set out to. It is entirely my own issue when I say that this book was so long. Additionally, this book lies heavily in the literary fiction genre. This means that the narrative is widely focused on Theo's internal monologue, themes and emotions rather than the plot, action and characters. This made it difficult for me to engage with it at times.
Overall, I do think this book is worth the read if you're in the right place to do it. I'd recommend this book to people who are looking for something complex to annotate and think about for days after. I'd also recommend it to people who enjoy long classic novels, especially those who enjoy reading Dickens. I think this book would be great if you're in a monthly book club, there is a lot to talk about! I will warn you now - don't read this if you're easily susceptible to reading slumps, this book has the potential to put you in one if you're not ready for how heavy it is.
Favourite Character:
Boris Pavlikovsky is easily the most interesting character in this novel. He acts as a foil to Theo as they share similar backstories and trauma. Despite his chaos and impulsivity, he always steals the scenes when reading with his general approach to life. He lives life to the fullest, which doesn't always mean the best for those around him. Either way, it makes him the most entertaining character to read about.
Favourite Line:
“That life - whatever else it is - is short. That fate is cruel but maybe not random. That Nature (meaning Death) always wins but that doesn’t mean we have to bow and grovel to it. That maybe even if we’re not always so glad to be here, it’s our task to immerse ourselves anyway: wade straight through it, right through the cesspool, while keeping eyes and hearts open. And in the midst of our dying, as we rise from the organic and sink back ignominiously into the organic, it is a glory and a privilege to love what Death doesn’t touch.”