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A review by gracealyssaa
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.5
wow. i have conflicting feelings about this book.
i didn't feel a particularly strong connection to any of the characters. i feel like i am definitely one of those people who seeks out character-driven books, so this was different for me. inevitably, despite their many flaws, i cared for theo & boris, so even though i didn't feel that connected to them, i was still engrossed in the story because i wanted to know what would happen to them both.
the plot was well-thought out and detailed, but i did find some passages included way too many details about either furniture and repairing furniture or social events theo attended and the people he encountered there (loved the francis abernathy references tho <3)
it's important to mention that this book has several problematic aspects. some language/passages did not sit right with me. i know some of it is maybe supposed to be because theo and boris are thirteen year-olds, but i was uncomfortable with the casual racism and some remarks related to women, and definitely uncomfortable with boris, a white, Russian male, using the n-word (several times).
this book took me quite a long time to read, and it did feel like it was dragging on sometimes. especially toward the middle, i wasn't sure i was going to enjoy the rest of it. but it got so much better & the last twelve pages alone deserve an award. if you can stick it through til the end, i promise you will be rewarded.
in general, i rate books based on how long after reading i'll be thinking about them. acknowledging its faults, i will definitely be thinking about this one for a while. maybe even making a pinterest board...
i didn't feel a particularly strong connection to any of the characters. i feel like i am definitely one of those people who seeks out character-driven books, so this was different for me. inevitably, despite their many flaws, i cared for theo & boris, so even though i didn't feel that connected to them, i was still engrossed in the story because i wanted to know what would happen to them both.
the plot was well-thought out and detailed, but i did find some passages included way too many details about either furniture and repairing furniture or social events theo attended and the people he encountered there (loved the francis abernathy references tho <3)
it's important to mention that this book has several problematic aspects. some language/passages did not sit right with me. i know some of it is maybe supposed to be because theo and boris are thirteen year-olds, but i was uncomfortable with the casual racism and some remarks related to women, and definitely uncomfortable with boris, a white, Russian male, using the n-word (several times).
this book took me quite a long time to read, and it did feel like it was dragging on sometimes. especially toward the middle, i wasn't sure i was going to enjoy the rest of it. but it got so much better & the last twelve pages alone deserve an award. if you can stick it through til the end, i promise you will be rewarded.
in general, i rate books based on how long after reading i'll be thinking about them. acknowledging its faults, i will definitely be thinking about this one for a while. maybe even making a pinterest board...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Homophobia