The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (#8 in 2020)
Quick Synopsis: 13 year old Theo survives an accident that takes the life of his mother and leaves him alone as his father abandoned him years ago. In the aftermath of his mother's death, Theo is bumped from one place to another and taken in. Though his home and belongings change frequently, one thing follows Theo to each new place: a small and priceless painting that he took from the museum on the day of the accident.
At a whopping 771 pages, The Goldfinch is quite the undertaking. It's not the kind of book you can fly through, so expect to dedicate some time to reading it. Many of you know that I'm a fast reader, and this big poppa took me a whole month to get through. The plot is as lengthy and complex as Theo's life is made out to be with each separate relationship leading down a different path.
You've probably seen me describe some books as those that give the reader the feeling of being "a fly on the wall." That's the case with The Goldfinch, but the reader is a fly on a great many walls as Theo's life circumstances frequently move him from place to place. Donna Tartt was creative with how she wove each of Theo's experiences together, creating a very intricate web. As I read, I kept thinking that there were significant chunks that could have been omitted entirely to make the story more concise. As the plot progressed, some of those seemingly unnecessary details came back around towards the end of the book. I do have to say that there were still a number of parts that could have been removed, and the story could have still been just as good.
Tartt's writing is very descriptive. She includes a fair amount of elements that read like stage directions, demonstrating why this book was made into a movie. I can, however, see this story being difficult to reproduce in film as a lot of the experiences that Theo has are private and express internal thoughts and emotions. 4 stars
If there was an award for "best supporting role in a book," it would definitely go to Boris! Boris is the unlikely friend that Theo makes when he moves away from New York. Boris is tough-love, fun-loving, spontaneous Ukrainian student who comes from a home just as broken as Theo's. While Boris makes some questionable decisions, his good heart vivacious spirit, as well as his penchant for foul language and odd pet names, make him one of the most unforgettable characters in the story. If anyone has read this book, please weigh in on this! 4 stars
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