Book Review: The Goldfinch

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I almost did not read this book. Though I LOVED The Secret History, I was so disappointed by Tartt's second book, The Little Friend (as well as the flurry of positive trade reviews that clearly were more influenced by Tartt's literary reputation than the actual story), I vowed not to read her again unless someone I knew personally and respected recommended her. This was a particularly difficult vow to keep because everything about The Goldfinch interested me from the outset. Art, museums, drug abuse, messed up psyches, a stolen painting... Still, I resisted.

Well, I got the recommendation (3 of them, actually), and so I kept the promise I'd made to myself and reluctantly set out to read.

I was captivated from the first sentence, and though the book is long, I could not put it down. I inhaled it. The characterizations are first rate, the atmosphere compelling, the tension inescapable from the very start. I found myself thinking about it when I wasn't reading it and wanting to get back to it.

Though I think the last few pages (probably the last ten or so, the summing up), are a bit heavy-handed for a book that was, to that point, so beautifully deft, it is a small quibble. This is certain to be one of my favorite books of the year, and it has inspired me to go back to read The Secret History again (I will not, however, be revisiting The Little Friend :)) An excellent read. Highly recommended.



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