The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

This is the first book I purchased for my new Kindle (yes I’ve gone to the dark side – but I have room in my life for many reading methods).   The Goldfinch is over 700 pages and the hardback was almost $30 – while the Kindle version was $8.  Done!  I could not wait to read this.

Ms. Tartt is a precise and careful writer –her last book was 10 years ago, and her prior book 10 years before that, so I knew this would be well-written with a tautly crafted plot.  But at 771 pages I wondered how tight the storyline would be.

Well it turns out The Goldfinch has several story lines – it’s almost as if there are three books in this one novel.  But in her usual fashion Ms. Tartt keeps these narratives racing along without excess.

One of the reviews noted The Goldfinch was a Dickensian Bildungsroman , and yes, I had to look that word up.  

Here you go —  no charge:    

In literary criticism, a Bildungsroman, [a] novel of formation, novel of education, or coming-of-age story is a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood, and in which, therefore, character change is extremely important. 

At the risk of being hackneyed,  I could not put this book down.   I reluctantly went to sleep worried about the main character, Theo Dekker, as he moved from one miserable situation to a life threatening crises, to a hopeful place.

The detailed writing style requires a tenacious attention span but I was fully enthralled throughout the novel.  There are beautifully crafted scenes, vivid descriptions, wonderful characters – heartbreak, love and joy.

There are plenty of professional reviews out there,  go and read them and then please read this Pulitzer prize worthy novel.

(Edited later – The Goldfinch ultimately and deservedly did win the Pulitzer.)