'The Goldfinch' by Donna Tartt

The Goldfinch Donna Tartt (3.5)

I had looked forward to this book for some time – given its haughty accolades (Pulitzer Prize, NYT best seller list for eons) – but I must say I was a bit disappointed. While the story is interesting and the characters quite new and different, I found it suffered from the flaw of too many words. There were significant areas that dragged, and considering the depressing nature of the book (loss of family and personal direction), longer did not seem better. The book begins with the main character, Theo, and his mother on what seems like a typical day in New York City. Unfortunately, their ill-timed visit to an art museum corresponds with a bomb attack and leaves Theo without his mother. He also somewhat inadvertently leaves the museum with a priceless work of art: The Goldfinch. The rest of the book follows this lost boy as he navigates a world without his beloved mother. Since his father had abandoned them a year earlier and cannot be found, his fate is uncertain. Along his life’s journey he meets some well-written characters. I had read a review that mocked Tartt’s characters as all ‘goodies and baddies’. I disagree. I found almost all of them containing good and bad in such a way that questioned their overall goodness or badness, which made them more realistic even with their quirks. I think I may have rated this a ‘4’ if I had not had such high expectations. There are many good features, if you can slog through the length.