The Goldfinch

By Donna Tartt

The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt
  • Release Date: 2013-10-22
  • Genre: Literary Fiction
Score: 4
4
From 7,654 Ratings

Description

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 from the author of The Secret History 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). 

Reviews

  • better than i could have wished for

    5
    By grace raye!
    If you’re considering reading The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, please do. I experienced this book in such a visceral way, the details are incredible and the story is so vivid. I genuinely could not put this down. Heartbreaking at times, this book is a wonderful journey through Theodore Decker’s wonderful and painful life. I went into this read completely blind and I suggest you do too! It was so suspenseful, wholesome, gut wrenching and so so much more. Definitely the best book I’ve read by far.
  • Drudgery!

    1
    By LindenGrandma
    A very rough read. Way to verbose and overwritten when describing the drug and alcohol indulgence. The actual story gets lost in all the self analysis and psycho-babble. I’d like a refund of my time!
  • Annoying.

    2
    By Emoney83
    It was very detailed and frustrating, By the time you got to the point… it was like ehhh. Some parts were really good but then ending was lame.
  • Pros and Cons

    4
    By SANTA THE FANTA
    A great read besides the fact that it was wordy and too descriptive. it could’ve easily been shortened by a few hundred pages.
  • This book will stay with you

    5
    By featherhead🪂
    Existential, nihilistic, adventurous masterpiece
  • Enjoyable And Very Long

    2
    By bfreediffthansafe
    Saw the movie first then read the book. Detailed in ways and lacking in others. Pippa, Lucious, Horst follow ups? Literally skipped through 30-40pages cuz uninteresting detail. Cannot say “So glad I read the book!” Wish I would have left it at the movie
  • Good Read but...

    3
    By Consuelagong
    The last pages after Amsterdam were boring and went on for way too long and trying to be philosophical. Keep fiction fiction 3.5/5
  • Good but long

    3
    By Val.Levin
    Good book, but too much details and I think it can be easily shortened
  • Goldfinch

    2
    By nmrmc
    The beginning of the book and first half were so riveting, but the second half was terrible; boring, wordy, overly descriptive, and made me hate the protagonist. I could not root for such a reprehensible character. The more I read, the more depressing it became.
  • Enthralling

    5
    By SherrilN
    Donna Tartt is an expressive writer without using boring or incessant adjectives. The characters stay true to themselves and the reader remains captivated throughout this rather long journey. The Goldfinch is a literary classic - beautifully written!