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A review by annisavalerie
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
5.0
*Pro tip for anyone reading this book: I enjoyed looking at pictures of the artworks mentioned while reading. I found a blog post in which all the paintings are pictured with the piece of text where they are mentioned in the book. Definitely a must do while reading!*
This book unites three elements that are indispensable in my life; reading, old paintings by the Dutch masters and the Netherlands itself. So naturally, I just hád to read it.
It was my first Donna Tartt book, and woww the writing style is phenomenal. You are immediately sucked into the story and you experience it as if you were there yourself. How she describes a scene or an atmosphere is just downright amazing.
I also felt so close to the characters in the story! They all have a certain depth and background story that makes them really come to life as you read and you feel like they are real people you know in real life.
As the reader I actually felt so close to them, I also got a sparkle of their passion for certain things I know nothing about. For example antique furniture -not my hobby or interest, but I got excited about it just because of the way it is described. It was like I was there; I could almost smell the sawdust in the workplace, feel the veins in the old wood... okay, see, i got carried away in all this passion. My point exactly.
The story actually always goes at a slow, friendly pace, so I was a bit shocked when I finished a part/chapter and suddenly the next part turned out to be eight years later (and this was also casually said in one sentence). Overall I enjoyed the slow pace and let myself be carried away with it.
The only thing about the story where I experienced a little bit of annoyance... is when Dutch is often confused with German words or phrases (mostly always by Americans). So if you want to give the Netherlands or Dutch a prominent place in your book, do it right and do your research. I know it looks and sounds alike, but it's a whole different country and language.
Anyway.
The main character's pessimistic tone, especially towards the end, doesn't make him unlikable to me - it makes him human. It's nice that at the end a clear message is given based on the object that ultimately the whole book is about; the goldfinch painting. The symbolism and the way in which you will learn to look at the painting is beautiful. Depth with a touch of melancholy: that pretty much sums up the moral of the painting (and.. actually the entire book) in a few words.
Allright, now I'm going to schedule a day to watch the movie and go to the museum to see the painting in real life (like the whole time I've been reading about an adventure that seems to go all over the world while the actual painting itself is just 50 minute drive away from me?? crazy!!)
This book unites three elements that are indispensable in my life; reading, old paintings by the Dutch masters and the Netherlands itself. So naturally, I just hád to read it.
It was my first Donna Tartt book, and woww the writing style is phenomenal. You are immediately sucked into the story and you experience it as if you were there yourself. How she describes a scene or an atmosphere is just downright amazing.
I also felt so close to the characters in the story! They all have a certain depth and background story that makes them really come to life as you read and you feel like they are real people you know in real life.
As the reader I actually felt so close to them, I also got a sparkle of their passion for certain things I know nothing about. For example antique furniture -not my hobby or interest, but I got excited about it just because of the way it is described. It was like I was there; I could almost smell the sawdust in the workplace, feel the veins in the old wood... okay, see, i got carried away in all this passion. My point exactly.
The story actually always goes at a slow, friendly pace, so I was a bit shocked when I finished a part/chapter and suddenly the next part turned out to be eight years later (and this was also casually said in one sentence). Overall I enjoyed the slow pace and let myself be carried away with it.
The only thing about the story where I experienced a little bit of annoyance... is when Dutch is often confused with German words or phrases (mostly always by Americans). So if you want to give the Netherlands or Dutch a prominent place in your book, do it right and do your research. I know it looks and sounds alike, but it's a whole different country and language.
Anyway.
The main character's pessimistic tone, especially towards the end, doesn't make him unlikable to me - it makes him human. It's nice that at the end a clear message is given based on the object that ultimately the whole book is about; the goldfinch painting. The symbolism and the way in which you will learn to look at the painting is beautiful. Depth with a touch of melancholy: that pretty much sums up the moral of the painting (and.. actually the entire book) in a few words.
Allright, now I'm going to schedule a day to watch the movie and go to the museum to see the painting in real life (like the whole time I've been reading about an adventure that seems to go all over the world while the actual painting itself is just 50 minute drive away from me?? crazy!!)