The Goldfinch
Book - 2015
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Quotes
Add a Quote"What if maybe opposite is true as well? Because, if bad can sometimes come from good actions—? where does it ever say, anywhere, that only bad can come from bad actions? Maybe sometimes — the wrong way is the right way? You can take the wrong path and it still comes out where you want to be? Or, spin it another way, sometimes you can do everything wrong and it still turns out to be right?”
Watched the film adaptation today and decide to add this quote to contrast the film script:
“Well—I have to say I personally have never drawn such a sharp line between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ as you. For me: that line is often false. The two are never disconnected. One can’t exist without the other. As long as I am acting out of love, I feel I am doing best I know how. But you—wrapped up in judgment, always regretting the past, cursing yourself, blaming yourself, asking ‘what if,’ ‘what if.’ ‘Life is cruel.’ ‘I wish I had died instead of.’ Well—think about this. What if all your actions and choices, good or bad, make no difference to God? What if the pattern is pre-set? No no—hang on—this is a question worth struggling with. What if our badness and mistakes are the very thing that set our fate and bring us round to good? What if, for some of us, we can’t get there any other way?”
“Caring too much for objects can destroy you. Only—if you care for a thing enough, it takes on a life of its own, doesn’t it? And isn’t the whole point of things—beautiful things—that they connect you to some larger beauty?”
Why does it cost so much, a thing like from kindergarten class? 'Ugly Blob.' 'Black Stick with Tangles." - Boris
That life -- whatever else it is – is short. That fate is cruel but maybe not random. That Nature (meaning Death) always wins but that doesn’t mean we have to bow and grovel to it. … It is a glory and a privilege to love what Death doesn’t touch (the Goldfinch painting). For if disaster and oblivion have followed this painting down through time – so too has love….
Notices
Add NoticesOther: Prolific drug and alcohol use. So much so that a young person may be drawn to experimentation due to the descriptive sensations of peace as described by the author. Also, anyone struggling with addictions should likely steer clear of this book.
Age Suitability
Add Age SuitabilityChapel_Hill_KenMc thinks this title is suitable for 15 years and over
Summary
Add a SummaryLeo is in a museum in New York City when a terrorist sets off a bomb. Alive but stunned, Leo comforts a dying man who gives him a ring with instructions where to take it, and then he grabs a valuable painting of a goldfinch and makes his way out of the museum and home. His mother has died in the bombing, and his life from then on revolves around the painting, the girl Pippa who alerted him to the bomb, Pippa's uncle Hobie who takes in Teo and teaches him to restore antiques, and Boris who is just bad news. This is the story of the power of great artworks to grab you soul and not let go. It is also a powerful reminder of the plight of children who lose their parents, or whose parents don't care for them.
Comment
Add a CommentThe Goldfinch by Donna Tartt is about a teenage boy named Theodore who lost his mother due to a terrorist attack in a museum at New York. After the death of his mother, he is put into the custody of his father before moving to Las Vegas. This experience is highly traumatizing for Theodore, as he is left without a responsible, loving adult figure in his life. As Theodore deals with his unexpected and unfortunate life circumstances, he learns the importance of independence, friendship, and love. The story follows him into adulthood and details his lonely life in Las Vegas and his chaotic journey back to his home town.
To this day, “The Goldfinch” remains one of my favorite books. Donna Tartt does a spectacular job of building a connection between Theodore and the reader. I was able to live vicariously through Theodore’s heartbreaks, depressive episodes, and joyful days. This book provides its readers with a deep understanding of mental health and life, and after finishing this story, I found that I built more empathy and was able to learn so much about the world. For things I did not like about the story, I felt as if the story became unraveled and unnecessarily messy towards the end.
Some theories about this book:
1. "Donna Tartt" is actually an AI program.
2. Donna Tartt has never actually talked to another human.
3. They will give Pulitzers to anyone these days.
4. She turned the manuscript into her editor, who, seeing the length, said "Looks good to me."
5. She is compared to Dickens, but it reminded me of Edith Wharton in parts, if Edith Wharton had been dropped on her head as a child.
6. No self-respecting terrorist would blow up an art museum.
7. Dickens would blush at some of the improbable plot twists and turns.
8. This is a very, very bad book.
A beautiful book that is both an incredible journey by the character and a great celebration of how powerful and important art can be.
Couldn't really get interested in this book so didn't finish it. I don't care for Dickens either and this book is compared to Dickens.
Certainly a compelling story but I definitely had to skim read many parts. The author has a bit of an overly-descriptive and rambling style to her writing that was hard to get through during some parts. But there were many beautiful and endearing qualities about this book too. I'm interested to see the movie now!
I began the book - twice. When I realized I was skimming, I realized I was wasting my time. If the beginning didn't grab me, what hope was there for the rest? In these days of Covid-19 and home-bound because of unhealthy air quality, I look for books to immediately draw me in. This definitely didn't.
Basically, a good book, but the author was way too wordy.
Donna Tartt’s 2013 novel turned film, The Goldfinch, follows New York native Theodore Decker in a journey, of the simplest words, of life, self-discovery, friends, family, and secrets. The Goldfinch starts when Theodore is 13 years of age, when his mother is killed in a tragic museum explosion, sending him on a life long exploration of guilt and mourning, love, friendship, and recovery. Something that Tartt’s novel excellently performs is the expansive theme of loss of innocence, tag-teaming off of the never ending guilt, good vs. evil, and childhood trauma that Theodore experiences. It is clearly demonstrated in the book that Theo was forced to grow up very fast, as the death of his mother was abrupt and untimely, and that the lack of a father figure and permanent family takes an extensive toll on his well being, moral compass, and self worth. Theodore’s journey throughout The Goldfinch was a new experience for me, and unlike any “coming-of-age” novel I have ever read. While essentially the novel can be grouped under the category of COA, the story is not as light-hearted as most teen or young adult novels, demonstrating how things do not always work out, and that a coming-of-age does not always end up in a way that favours the main character. With aspects of both tragedy and light-heartedness, The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt provides readers with an inside look at a story that can be both familiar and strange at the same time, filled with adventure and action, and turns at every corner.
@readingmouse of the Hamilton Public Library's Teen Review Board
Am totally giving this book a five-star rating! Absolutely loved it! It is long but was I was very engaged with it from start to finish. Couldn't stop listening to it so I could find out how it ended! Very well written! Strongly recommend it!
It ruined reading for me too sjarrell0, but in a different way. It took me almost a full year to read this book, and I usually read 20 to 30 books a year. While I was "reading" it, I felt like I couldn't really start another book until I got this one finished (although I did sneak a few others in). At one point I had to re-read the first 350 pages because I couldn't pick up where I had left off. I think the pandemic stress affected my concentration as well. I finally finished it today and now I am wondering why I wasted so much time on this unsatisfying book. I was sympathetic to the young Theo and parts of the story were good but it just went on and on and the ending did not redeem the effort.