The Goldfinch

by Donna Tartt

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In a word: meandering

In a sentence: A life-shattering catastrophe in the Metropolitan Museum of Art leads Theo on a dark, twisting journey in art appreciation.

Synopsis: Theo Decker is caught in a terrorist bombing in the Met in which his mother is killed. He has a confused conversation with a dying man who urges him to take a masterwork painting away from the destruction. The bombing and the Goldfinch lead his life on a winding path through antiques dealing, substance abuse, and art appreciation.

Reactions: In perfect honesty, I was disappointed by The Goldfinch. Pulitzer winner by up-and-coming author, major motion picture, acclaim gushing from all sides, I had expectations. This was not a bad novel, but I believe it warranted neither an 771 page investment nor its hype.

I enjoyed the underlying theme of this book immensely. However, for the first 700 pages it was completely nonexistent. Rather, the majority of the book was the shell-shocked fumbling life of a child seemingly incapable of articulating himself, or being happy or satiated in any capacity. It was not until the ending soliloquy, which rather heavy-handedly spelled out what you were 'supposed' to get out of the book, that the appreciation of beauty theme was illuminated. All in all, The Goldfinch seems a brave amateur attempt at literary depth, and, if willing to overlook its minimal success in this category, is an overall pleasant easy read.

I will also say that the characters who surround Theo at every turn of his life are illustrated in glorious technicolor from the Barbour's WASPy tenderness, to his father and Xandra's general sleaze, to Hobie's misty warmth, and most importantly Boris's authentic Slavic emotiveness. However, Theo's stuttering awkwardness in almost all situations juxtaposes in an unconvincing way with his apparently dignified exterior.

Read if: you enjoy a nice NYT Bestseller.