The Goldfinch

Boy, am I in the minority on this one.

I wanted very much to love this book. I loved Secret History. I'm almost 3/4 of the way through The Goldfinch, trying to hang in there, switching it off in irritation . . . thinking "this is getting such positive reviews; maybe it ends up somewhere better than this," switching it back on . . . and now I'm giving up. It has a great story idea. The opening, particularly once we get to the museum, is very well done. Most of the rest of the book I found incredible repetitive and overwritten. Often the writing is just not good. The author uses seven descriptive terms rather than choosing the best. The protagonist often walks around dazed, confused, blasted out of his mind, stoned out of his mind, and did I mention dazed and confused? It beggars belief that someone this drug- and alcohol-addicted could make it to the age of 27 or 30 able to function in his job and without the people around him noticing. I wanted to send him to rehab. People ask him questions and he repeatedly answers "huh?" "what?" "but –" There is some good in the book, certainly. Boris is a great character and David Pittu does such a good job with him that he keeps talking in my head. Overall I feel David Pittu tries too hard to inflect every single word, and it's exhausting. Let the words speak for themselves. I feel the book is at least half again as long as it should have been. How many detailed and exhaustive scenes of teenage boys getting blasted, stoned and drunk do we need to convey this part of the narrator's life? It just goes on and on. Like my review. So I'll sign off now.

892 of 959 people found this review helpful

Stellar narration but depressing story

Wow, I got through this lengthy, drug and alcohol fueled story by wanting to find out what happens. Not glad I did. It got maudlin and depressing with long descriptions of drug-fueled dreams/trips. The narrator was so wonderful though. The accents were great and each character had a distinct voice. I will look for more books read by him. The book starts out with a literal bang and is very exciting at first, but quickly goes downhill where we meet more and more damaged people and sad things keep happening.

102 of 110 people found this review helpful

Wow

Where does The Goldfinch rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top Five for sure, probably second after Infinite Jest.

What other book might you compare The Goldfinch to and why?

Performances like this are difficult to compare

Which character – as performed by David Pittu – was your favorite?

All fantastic

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It's too long to listen to in one sitting. Also, this audiobook is not one to blow through as fast as possible. It is one to take your time with. It is one to appreciate for the writing and the narration.

Any additional comments?

This book starts off a little slow, but stay with it. You'll be glad you did. It incrementally gets better up until the very end. I didn't want it to be over. Some books, or audiobooks, give the listener/reader a sense of satisfaction after finishing it. I haven't felt that type of satisfaction since listening to Infinite Jest. And while The Goldfinch didn't strike me in the way that Infinite Jest did, it came close, and I never thought another book would. The narrator is amazing. The writer is amazing, and it takes both to create a performance so perfect. Listen to it. You won't be sorry.

85 of 92 people found this review helpful

A stunning achievement - for author and narrator

No question, this will be on my "favorite books of the year" list - and very near the top. Tartt examines some very big topics - love, loss, death, life, forgiveness, redemption and addiction - and she does so with a skill that's secondary to none.

The main characters are BIG - in personality, flaws, strengths - and enormously engaging. I adored Theo, Boris and Hobie and have loved having them live at my house while I was listening. There's a sense of loss now that they're gone.

I've read some harsh reviews of the narrator and I don't understand that. I thought he was perfect for this book. It was a fresh take. His interpretation of both Boris and Hobie was delightful. I never would have imagined those voices if I'd read this in print. It was an added dimension that made it all the more enjoyable.

With more than 30 hours of engaging story, this is one of the most credit-worthy books around. Really, what could be better? It's a good long listen that's beautifully read. I wish they were always this good.

288 of 316 people found this review helpful

Tried twice couldn't make it through

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

There is no doubt this is an interesting story idea but it is a slog to get through. Scenes are painfully long and tedious. The book would benefit from some editing. Maybe half as long would have been more than enough.

My second attempt was in a 14 hour care ride with my wife. Nothing else to do but listen to the book. We made it about 4 hours before we gave up

Would you ever listen to anything by Donna Tartt again?

I would only give Donna Tart another try if the reviews were by people who didn't like this book and could explain why the other book was different. Her writing is terrific but the pacing is glacial.

68 of 76 people found this review helpful

A Bildungsroman worth tackling.

The Goldfinch is well worth the time investment that it takes to complete this book. It's truly entertaining and brilliantly written. I was instantly captivated while I ebbed and flowed right along with Tartt's work. I think the best way to describe this book would be a present day Oliver Twist or Great Expectations. Tartt writes the male perspective extremely well and seems to grow right along with the protagonist. One of my parents died when I was thirteen years old. This book brought similar thoughts and feelings that I had at that age that I had forgotten. The author, if not orphaned herself, is extremely intuitive.

In the Goldfinch, Theo Rekker . the protagonist, narrowly escapes a terrorist attack at 13 years old that takes he lives of many, including his mother. Since she has been his guardian parent, he is now at the mercy of others. From seconds after the incident he meets extraordinary people that form his life over the next 14 years.

Tartt brings in just the right amount of characters and gave each the perfect amount of weight. to the story. She also didn't dwell too much on any point, brought in new characters and events at just the right time, keeping a fascinating pace. Is The Goldfinch perfect..no. The last hour was like listening to Charlie Brown's teacher, for me. I can't understand why this book ended this way. It felt like the book lost its final chapter and moved right into the epilogue. In spite of that - it's still a wonderful book that I am glad I read.

David Pittu's narration is breath taking. Xandra, a female character, speaks and instantly we know that she is a user whom smokes and works in as a cocktail waitress. Each and every voice is crafted in a similar manner. One does not need to wait till the author lays out the charactor like when someone was near death or drunk for Pittu created the picture through voice. I was completely blown away by his performance.

90 of 101 people found this review helpful

Survival story of a non-heroic hero

As an artist and museum professional, I have spent my career encouraging people to view things left behind as more than just "stuff" to be trashed or relegated to flea markets. The objects, beautiful or utilitarian, can reveal much about the lives and vales of the people who created, used, or saved them. They have stories to tell to those who will listen. 

Such treasured things don't merely "decorate" this book, rather they inhabit it, anchoring  wounded characters to the world as they weather unthinkable loss. In the hands of the author, works of artists and craftsman come to embody memories of the past and hopes for a tolerable  future. 

Don't worry! This is not a book about dusty furniture and paintings! It is a story about survival, but not the heroic survival of nonfiction tales (a genre I love, by the way). This is a case of fiction being "truer" than nonfiction. Only heroic tales earn nonfiction book contracts! It takes a novelist to plumb the depths of what nonheroic Theo (mixed-up but not evil) does when confronted with tragic misfortune. 

The story is told in first-person and the narrator did an excellent job as Theo, while distinctly voicing other characters to indicate dialog. 

In my personal life at the moment, I'm adjusting to the loss of my own mother (very different circumstances, of course) and the things she left behind, much of which is imbued with meaning and memory for me. So many acquaintances (my friends know better!) counsel, "It's just stuff -- get rid of it!"  Not to me. Those things are tangible connections to the people I've loved and lost.

So if you are a collector who others suspect of being One of Those Hoarders, you'll find justification in this book and possibly better understanding of why inanimate objects mean more to you than to others. 

You don't have to be a collector to enjoy this The Goldfinch, but you should enjoy long, thoughtful books. Even action sequences, filtered through the Theo's thoughts, take much longer than they  would in a thriller, but I was never tempted to fast-forward. On the contrary, I regret reaching the end and wish I could follow Theo further along his journey to see how he fares. 

148 of 169 people found this review helpful

Split Feelings: Great story but Needs editing

GREAT story but the author needs to get out of her own way with her penchant for beating us over the head in almost every scene with toooo much detail. I found myself, several times, actually shouting at my ipod, "GET ON WITH IT! I get it, I got it 10 minutes ago, I'm not getting anything else from it, I don't care what you are saying,...... move the plot along PLEEEEZE!!!! I found myself thinking, "If any story could actually be better in an abridged version, this is it." For example (not spoiling anything here), the description of the aftermath of the big event at the beginning of the book went on for about 20 minutes with nothing happening in the story, just describing the scene. Maybe Marcel Proust could get away with it but it's not for me - sorry. That being said, when Ms. Tartt DOES tell the story it is WONDERFUL! I love it and have taken to 1.50x - ing my way through the needs-an-editor parts.

11 of 12 people found this review helpful

Modern Dickens, Expertly Narrated

I'd read Donna Tartt's Secret History years ago and loved it; I became aware of this latest work via a recent NYT book review by Stephen King.

This is mostly an homage to Dickens, but the layer of art history--specifically Dutch masters--makes it all the more compelling.

Like Dickens, Tartt weaves an epic and sympathetic tale, replete with colorful characters--both virtuous, villainous, and somewhere in-between--(which are, of course the most interesting ones). Dickens fans will love picking out the numerous references throughout the book, but you do not need to be familiar with his works to appreciate this book.
After all, there is a reason Dickens was so popular--he could tell a story and make you love and/or hate his characters, and Tartt is definitely able to weave that same kind of magic.

David Pittu does a masterful job narrating this behemoth of a book. Considering he's carrying the protagonist's voice from age 15 to....late 20's?, plus so many other voices, accents and dialects, I'm not sure who could have done it better..

As is often the case with these long books, we become habituated and truly hate for them to end.
I'm thirsting to download another epic novel--any recommendations?

129 of 151 people found this review helpful

A Not So Secret History

Any additional comments?

The good news:
∙Easy to read, interesting, and thought-provoking.
∙Lots of words for the money, and for the most part, it doesn't drag or seem like filler.
∙Called Dickensonian by many (e.g. Stephen King), the book has many of the elements of other accomplished author's works. Obvious ones are "On the Road", "The Catcher in the Rye", "The Painted Bird", "The Great Gatsby", "The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death", "Dark Places", "Snobs", and "The Kite Runner". Most of the Dicken's comparisons mention "Oliver Twist" or "David Copperfield", but I found that it borrows the most from "Great Expectations" if plot is excluded. It's probably pointless to make comparisons to Tartt's classmate, Bret Easton Ellis, but you can't read "Lunar Park" and escape the kinship.
∙It has a lot of what made "The Secret History" great.
∙The setup is as compelling as any book in recent memory.
∙One of the main character's friends is as developed and memorable as any character in popular fiction.

The bad news:
∙The first couple chapters are tedious. I was relieved when the book finally took off. You'd think the editor didn't get a say.
∙The painting serves somewhat as a MacGuffin, reducing its impact as a near-character in the novel.
∙The 2nd quarter of the book goes on an indulgent interlude. The book is the length of 4 standard novels, so this section could easily have been tightened up with no harm done.
∙Toward the end, the novel's themes are reiterated in narrative exposition as if the author doesn't trust the reader to understand them from the story itself.
∙At least one important character is very static and woefully underdeveloped.
∙It may be personal preference, but I tend to dislike characters that repeatedly behave immorally or amorally, but constantly fret about it. Fine if the character grows over time (or devolves), but frankly, who likes a shit that constantly feels bad that he's such a shit. There's Byronic and there's embryonic. I imagine Tartt might say, "But some people are actually like that". Yes, but perhaps that makes them more bland than a hero or an anti-hero.

Other thoughts:
Some movie comparisons might be "Closer", "Good Will Hunting", and "Ordinary People" with a little "True Romance" thrown in for feathers.

184 of 216 people found this review helpful