The Goldfinch

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Synopsis:

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).

Excerpt:

WHILE I WASSTILL in Amsterdam, I dreamed about my mother for the first time in years. I’d been shut up in my hotel for more than a week, afraid to telephone anybody or go out; and my heart scrambled a...

Ratings (58):

Incredible (14)
Loved It (24)
Liked It (10)
It Was OK (2)
Did Not Like (8)

Reader Stats (94):

Read It (56)
Want To Read (29)
Did Not Finish (4)
Not Interested (5)

Reviews:

Molly Riggs
Incredible
Tags:
literary fiction, realistic fiction, character driven...More

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.

5/10/2023 1:40:28 PM

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The Goldfinch?