The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

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The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt


The day Theo Decker lost his mother in an attack on a New York Museum, he saw “The Goldfinch” a painting by Carel Fabritius, for the first time. It was also the day he stuffed it in his backpack and kept it for years. It was his mother’s favorite painting and as much as he wanted to return it, he couldn’t. It reminded him too much of his mother, of his loss, of his pain and of how much things had changed. As he aged, he felt his life in many ways was defined by possessing the painting, as illegal as that maybe. “The Goldfinch” was with him as he lived with an acquaintance from school, travelled to Las Vegas to move in with his father and eventually with Hobart, back in New York, who lost his partner in the same attack that took the life of Theo’s mother. Theo changed and yet his dedication to the painting of the little bird in a chain never wavered.
                The Goldfinch is the coming of age story of Theo. With Theo as our narrator we are able to see his ups and downs, his challenges and his somewhat self-destructive nature. This was a novel that I was easily intrigued by and then consumed with. I found myself infuriated by some of the characters, fascinated by others and outright dumbfounded by the decision making of some, Theo included. Theo was thrust into an unimaginable situation: the unexpected loss of his mother after his father had abandoned the family months earlier. The subsequent question was what will happen to Theo now that he seemingly has no one. This novel took many different turns, all of which were unexpected and begged questions of chance and fate. Examining the circumstances surrounding him taking the painting and the friendship that spawns from that decision our great examples. As well as his decision to hide the priceless piece of art, while being uprooted from place to place.

                Prior to The Goldfinch I had never read anything by Donna Tartt. This is not a novel I would normally pick up but after scanning the review written by Stephen King about The Goldfinch I had to read it. I trust King’s opinion. Tartt’s narrative and use of language in this novel is beautiful, extremely intimate and honest. Filled with all of the angst of a youth, some of the wavering confidence we discover as an adult, and the uncertainty that unwillingly fills those gaps. I found myself reaching for this novel, every chance I got and losing myself in its depth. This novel was full of layers, differing personalities, and honesty. I give this novel 4 out of 5 stars and recommend this book because of the solid narrative. There were moments when I questioned the motives behind the actions in this novel but overall I was glad I took King’s advice and gave it a shot. 

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