Murrill 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?

Murrill When I think of Dickens the term "episodic" comes to mind: He was, after all, the author of the first soap operas that appeared in weekly newspapers. …moreWhen I think of Dickens the term "episodic" comes to mind: He was, after all, the author of the first soap operas that appeared in weekly newspapers. Tartt tells several stories in this book, but I think each is less definitive than Dickens' approach: Hers do not necessarily stand alone, and the common thread is apparent from the onset. That said, she has written an epic piece, just as Dickens might have done, and she confronts social and moral ambiguities. I enjoyed Tartt's book, but she drifted into overly descriptive passages that nearly lost me at times. The painting was Theo's ticket to immortality: As long as he had it, he said, he felt that way. He had what others wanted, what no one knew he possessed, and so he was special. Perhaps that had something to do with his self-destructive path; he did not think of himself as mortal. It was in letting go that he began to make amends and to take responsibility for his actions.(less)

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