Melissa answers “A lot of reviewers have called this book...”

Ami asked this question about The Goldfinch:

A lot of reviewers have called this book "Dickensian." What is it about The Goldfinch that reminds everyone of Charles Dickens so much?

Melissa The book has many similarities to Great Expectations. They both involve something happening to a boy in his childhood that then affects his entire lif…moreThe book has many similarities to Great Expectations. They both involve something happening to a boy in his childhood that then affects his entire life. In both, they fall in love at a young age with a girl who they never get. They both explore a long period in a young man's life, picking up details given far earlier to continue on that track a while. However, I don't know if Tartt intended it to be Dickensian. I think she more likely meant it to be like a long, complicated Russian novel, but I could be wrong about that.(less)

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