The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt follows the life of Theo Decker, a boy whose life is shattered when a terrorist bombing at an art gallery in New York kills his mother. Theo survives the tragedy and leaves the museum with a priceless painting, The Goldfinch, which becomes a central element in his life. The novel explores Theo's journey from boyhood to adulthood, navigating themes of loss, trauma, unrequited love, art theft, drug addiction, and the complexities of human relationships. The story is narrated through Theo's perspective, offering a deep dive into his emotional turmoil and struggles as he grapples with the aftermath of the tragedy.
The narrative style of The Goldfinch is characterized by rich, detailed prose that vividly describes various settings, from the aftermath of a bombing in an art museum to the backwaters of Las Vegas and the high society of New York City. The novel weaves together a complex tapestry of characters, including pretentious and unrealistic figures, intriguing New York personalities, and Theo's enigmatic friend Boris. As Theo's life unfolds amidst a series of challenges and encounters, the painting of The Goldfinch serves as a symbolic thread connecting his past, present, and future, shaping his identity and moral dilemmas.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Triggers include violence, terrorism, drug addiction, death, and mental health issues such as PTSD.
Has Romance?
While there are elements of romance, including Theo's feelings for Pippa, it isn't the primary focus of the narrative.
From The Publisher:
A young New Yorker grieving his mother's death is pulled into a gritty underworld of art and wealth in this "extraordinary" and beloved Pulitzer Prize winner that "connects with the heart as well as the mind" (Stephen King, New York Times Book Review).
Theo Decker, a 13-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new home on Park Avenue, disturbed by schoolmates who don't know how to talk to him, and tormented above all by a longing for his mother, he clings to the one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into a wealthy and insular art community.
As an adult, Theo moves silkily between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty labyrinth of an antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love - and at the center of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle.
The Goldfinch is a mesmerizing, stay-up-all-night and tell-all-your-friends triumph, an old-fashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention. From the streets of New York to the dark corners of the art underworld, this "soaring masterpiece" examines the devastating impact of grief and the ruthless machinations of fate (Ron Charles, Washington Post).
Ratings (276)
Incredible (66) | |
Loved It (85) | |
Liked It (56) | |
It Was OK (27) | |
Did Not Like (35) | |
Hated It (7) |
Reader Stats (510):
Read It (276) | |
Currently Reading (7) | |
Want To Read (165) | |
Did Not Finish (12) | |
Not Interested (50) |
6 comment(s)
Well I did at least give Donna Tartt a good try. I have now read three of her books and I have not enjoyed anything by her. She isn't a bad writer by any means but her books do nothing for me. This was a pretty big book but it was hard getting into the story and connect with it. Never felt truly invested in it and forgot most of it when I put it down to read something else so I had to read a few of the previous pages before continue on where I was. Never a good sign. It's safe to say that her books are simply not for me
Walter Benjamin. That is all.
No, there is a lot of visual arts "theory" in the backbone of this book, but it is much more than that. Less than a hundred pages in I thought this was a book about time travel, that characters would actually travel through time. And although they do of course (but only forwards, as we all do), it isn't a time travel novel like
The Time Traveller's Wife or something so literal. It more flits through time, from Theo and Pippa's flashbacks to the explosion, to the bubble of "outside" time Theo experiences in the gallery with Welty, to the lost time he shares with Boris in Las Vegas. And of course, the painting has travelled through time, Theo's lodestone through all of his troubled youth. Theo relies on the painting almost as a stand-in for his mother, a tether to the world even when he is high on dangerous drugs and living on the edge of the law. This beautiful book covers not only a beautiful reading of "The Goldfinch" as a text, but contains wonderful character studies and even an aspect of a thriller. Cannot wait to read her other books.
It took me 15 days to read this , but still worth it.
I had heard about the book as its an murder mystery and all, but its not.
It is a story of a boy Theo, who looses his mother in a bomb attack in a museum. He couldn't cope with his life without his mother and is little troubled with his behavior. As the narration is through Theo, we never come to know till the end that he has some real problems in his behavior which are rather suicidal.
Theo steals a painting, The goldfinch and is obsessed with it. He knows that it will be considered as an art theft but still takes it all around secretly. He is also a drug addict , fraud but still a sensitive person and doesnt want to come out of his pathetic life till the end.
A very good book if you are a serious reader :)
I absolutely loved this book. Such a realistic and unflinching look at a child experiencing trauma(s) and trying to go on with his life even when it makes no sense & he seems bent on self-destruction, but so lonely and desperate for human connection, even when it is damaging to himself. Very well-developed characters, symbolism, and so many quotable sections. I was reminded of [b:The Catcher in the Rye|5107|The Catcher in the Rye|J.D. Salinger|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1398034300s/5107.jpg|3036731] and think it would make a good high school book to teach.
Deep and thoughtful
Although The Secret History will always be my #1 from Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch comes extremely close, and is also an undeniable masterpiece. I was captured from the first page, and gobbled up the 800 page story in just 2 days. It was un-put-downable! The characters were vibrant, the story engaging, and the overall feeling exactly the sort of dark academia I love from Tartt.
What can you read after
The Goldfinch?
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