Novel by Donna Tartt
Reactions: Compelling, Page-turner

A friend recommended this 2014 winner of the Pulitzer Prize to me. I had no idea what to expect and I was a bit daunted by its 962 pages. And then I picked it up. The words drew me in, page by page. I couldn’t stop. I devoured 300 pages on the very first day.

The story starts off with a bang, literally, and follows teenage Theo in the aftermath of that event. The artwork The Goldfinch plays a major role in Theo’s life. I won’t say much more to avoid spoilers.

Tartt’s writing style is compelling and fluid. I couldn’t believe how quickly those first 300 pages flew by. The remaining pages felt equally as elegant and easy to consume (well, until the end, but more on that later). Tartt brings characters to life so vividly that I felt deeply connected to each character, as if they were real people I know or have met. As for the plot – the twists and turns in Theo’s life are so dramatic that I felt like I had to keep pressing on to be sure he’d be ok.

No here’s where I have to comment something a bit critical. The first 867 pages deserved the Pulitzer. Hands down, no questions asked. But the last 90 or so pages were a let down. In the last section of the book we’re mired in a 40-page depression and half-suicide attempt while Theo is stuck in his hotel room. The final 60 pages are what I can best describe as an attempt at a philosophical connect-the-dots ending. It’s all just Theo opining with almost no action, interaction, or dialogue. Which might have be fine if that had been more common throughout the book. But it’s not. The book is fast paced and in constant motion. For the last 100 pages to grind to a halt felt awkward and disappointing. And quite frankly, the ending denies us any evidence of Theo’s evolution as a character, a character we’ve become obsessed with over 900 pages.

All that being said, (and I’m not the only one with these criticisms), The Goldfinch is still a piece of literary genius. I’ve never read anything like it and I’d absolutely read it again, knowing what I know about its lackluster ending.

I highly recommend The Goldfinch.