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A review by sebby_reads
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
4.0
I tried this book six months ago but at that time, I couldn’t wrap my mind around it after first few pages. After seeing the trailer of its film adaptation, I was eager to get my hands on it again. Published in 2013 and winner of Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2014, The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt was a marvellous read and impossible to put down once I really get into it despite its length 784 pages.
Theodore Decker and his mother entered into an art museum in New York and from the exhibition, his mother showed him one of her favourite paintings, The Goldfinch by late artist Carel Fibritius. There was a sudden explosion at the museum which killed his mother but Theo survived miraculously. He didn’t understand why he did it back then but Theo took the Goldfinch along with him when he walked out of the museum. He was only 13 years old at that time. Following the death of her mother and absence of his father who abandoned them, he was staying with his schoolmate’s family, the Barbours while the States was looking for a solution whether to put him in the foster home or continue searching for his father.
Told from Theo’s perspective, the narrative is very moving and it gives an old-school vibe and classic feel. Haunted by the death of his mum, Theo had gone through the craziest life events, sometimes up but mostly down. Tartt told a common American coming of age story involving broken families, addiction and drug abuse but what makes the story more intriguing is that Tartt crafted an exhilarating story that includes wealth disparities, PTSD, and a mixture of getting caught for a stolen art piece and constant fear of losing it.
What I really like about this book is the drastic changes in its tempo and the reader gets to experience the rollercoaster ride of Theo Decker’s life. Sometimes it can be a quiet verbose. Heck, the entire book can be cut it down a hundred pages. Nonetheless, it was a great read and I enjoyed it vastly much. Although I was a bit disappointed about how things turned out for Theo, I love how Tartt wrote, through Theo’s contemplation, near the ending pages of the book with an argument on the meaning of life and what life is and is not. 4.5 out of 5 stars for the book and eagerly anticipating the film.
Theodore Decker and his mother entered into an art museum in New York and from the exhibition, his mother showed him one of her favourite paintings, The Goldfinch by late artist Carel Fibritius. There was a sudden explosion at the museum which killed his mother but Theo survived miraculously. He didn’t understand why he did it back then but Theo took the Goldfinch along with him when he walked out of the museum. He was only 13 years old at that time. Following the death of her mother and absence of his father who abandoned them, he was staying with his schoolmate’s family, the Barbours while the States was looking for a solution whether to put him in the foster home or continue searching for his father.
Told from Theo’s perspective, the narrative is very moving and it gives an old-school vibe and classic feel. Haunted by the death of his mum, Theo had gone through the craziest life events, sometimes up but mostly down. Tartt told a common American coming of age story involving broken families, addiction and drug abuse but what makes the story more intriguing is that Tartt crafted an exhilarating story that includes wealth disparities, PTSD, and a mixture of getting caught for a stolen art piece and constant fear of losing it.
What I really like about this book is the drastic changes in its tempo and the reader gets to experience the rollercoaster ride of Theo Decker’s life. Sometimes it can be a quiet verbose. Heck, the entire book can be cut it down a hundred pages. Nonetheless, it was a great read and I enjoyed it vastly much. Although I was a bit disappointed about how things turned out for Theo, I love how Tartt wrote, through Theo’s contemplation, near the ending pages of the book with an argument on the meaning of life and what life is and is not. 4.5 out of 5 stars for the book and eagerly anticipating the film.