The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

I thought I would start off my book reviews with one of my recent reads - Donna Tart's The Goldfinch.




This was a book that was coming up over and over again on must read lists, best-sellers, and of course, Goodreads. And then the cover won it's beautiful golden stamp - The Pullitzer Prize. Everyone was in agreement - this novel was great! After much resistance (I tend to avoid books that are super popular, for awhile and then I give in) I picked up the Goldfinch from my library and began my journey. The size of the book itself is a bit daunting, coming in at 760 pages. However, right away the book draws the reader in.

I began to read the book with very little fore-knowledge, my preferred method of reading (who else hates book-flap spoilers? Anyone?). I prefer going into a book knowing very little of what is about to happen.

The story starts off describing a traumatic event in Theo's childhood. I don't want to say too much about it as it is a worthwhile read...It is from this singular event that the rest of the narrative unravels. We follow Theo as he navigates adolescence, as well as watching him in adulthood.

The Goldfinch truly does center around Theo and the events in his life; however, Tartt's character development surely has to be one of her main strengths as a writer. Even if we wouldn't be making the same choices that we see Theo making, Tartt's description of his character is so vivid that we understand the why very clearly. And of course no one grows up alone in life, and Tartt has blessed the narrative with other brilliant characters to allow the novel to shine even brighter. We meet Boris, Theo's childhood friend - one of the most interesting characters in the novel. Pippa, a young girl who was part of the same traumatic event that Theo was. And then there is Hobie, the loveable older gentleman that takes Theo under his wing when it is needed most.

Not a particularly plot driven novel, The Goldfinch is driven by the incredible characters that Donna Tartt has brought to life. As readers we yearn to find out where Theo is going next, and what unfortunate circumstance he may find himself in. Rather slow-paced for its size, The Goldfinch is nevertheless worth following through to witness Theo as he navigates the choppy waters of life.