The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt

The Goldfinch

By Donna Tartt

  • Release Date: 2013-10-22
  • Genre: Literary Fiction
Score: 4
4
From 7,784 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 novel that "connects with the heart as well as the mind" (Stephen King, New York Times Book Review), named a New York Times Best Book of the 21st Century.
  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

  • Jaw dropping

    5
    By Savannah Gabbert
    I’ve read this book 3 times and am still in awe of the power of its language. The story is really about trauma: can we ever recover? Is there really beauty in this life? Vivid contrast of its settings-NYC and Las Vegas. Unique characters, all carrying open wounds that never heal. In spite of what I’ve said here, the story isn’t bleak. The power of her writing is worth the read.
  • The Goldfinch

    2
    By brooksea
    Way too long.
  • Donna tart muncher

    5
    By I barely read
    I love Donna holy S, book was a journey
  • Not for me

    2
    By Killa Lola
    Needlessly verbose and painful
  • Good story but easily get lost its way

    1
    By riskdb
    A few chapters are too long winded in the description and tedious.
  • The Goldfinch

    5
    By Gourd girl
    Phenomenal! Absolutely loved this story. The character depth depicted was amazing!
  • Best Book Ever

    5
    By MsAnnaBaxter
    Best book I’ve ever read. I read The Goldfinch after seeing how long it was atop the bestseller list. The characters are so real, the fractured relationships are nothing like my life experience. After reading it years ago, I started it again to relive the magic of the story. It grabs you from the beginning, and keeps you turning pages. I haven’t found another book that matches this one. Truly unforgettable.
  • I’d read it a third time!

    5
    By Tinasuez
    I loved The Goldfinch! I’ve reread it twice. Such a touching coming-of-age story of two mostly abandoned and abused boys struggling to make sense of their lives and the future. Beautifully written. Phrases that describe the goldfinch in the painting who might try to take flight, but is dragged back to the perch by the chain around his leg. Allegorical for the struggle the boys undertake in this beautiful story.
  • 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!