A review by floorse
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

dark mysterious sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

A solid read, pretty similar in tone and fashion to Tartts other work. I find her characters quite difficult to sympathize with (not least because of the social echelon they tend to occupy, but also because of the strange ignorance of non-upper-class life that seems to pervade all of her works). The latter third of the book dragged on twice as long as I'd have liked. There's also something painfully annoying about a character moralizing for a dozen pages on issues that should be evident to anyone who isn't a oxy-snorting nihilist. Prose was excellent, though, and I really did enjoy it up until about page 600.
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