The Goldfinch

By: Donna Tartt

Narrated by: David Pittu

Length: 32 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize For Fiction 2014

Longlisted – Baileys Women’s Prize 2014

Audie Award Finalist, Literary Fiction, 2013

Aged 13, Theo Decker, son of a devoted mother and a reckless, largely absent father, survives an accident that otherwise tears his life apart. Alone and rudderless in New York, he is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. He is tormented by an unbearable longing for his mother, and down the years clings to one thing that reminds him of her: a small, strangely captivating painting that ultimately draws him into the criminal underworld.

As he grows up, Theo learns to glide between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love - and his talisman, the painting, places him at the centre of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle.

The Goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through present-day America and a drama of enthralling power. Combining unforgettably vivid characters and thrilling suspense, it is a beautiful, addictive triumph - a sweeping story of loss and obsession, of survival and self-invention, of the deepest mysteries of love, identity and fate.

©2013 Tay Ltd (P)2013 Hachette Audio

Too much padding

Too descriptive for me - the story could have been told in half the time.
I could not bond with the central character- he had so much detail in every description and emotion but was could never get what others were on about in conversation- always wanting clarification.
I persevered with the book to the very end as the narrator did a good job and I had time to kill however I found the story a bit on the boring side except for a few little dramas. Maybe it was a bit deep for me however all the drug use could have added the over the top depth.
This book was recommended to me by a friend
who ‘loved it’ therefore you will just have to be your own judge on this one.

Evocative performance

If you could sum up The Goldfinch in three words, what would they be?

Rambling, compelling, absorbing

What other book might you compare The Goldfinch to and why?

Although not similar in content, it brought to mind The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, for its rich characterisation, intricacy and detail of plot and extreme differences in locale (possibly also because the bulk of both books is set in New York).

Which character – as performed by David Pittu – was your favorite?

It's a toss up between Boris and Hobie.

Any additional comments?

David Pittu's performance was excellent. The characters all sounded distinct and his voice is very easy to listen to. That, added to Tartt's characterisation, created a book full of rich characters who were easy to picture.

Pure gold

Brilliant writing and amazing narration. At times you would find it a bit macabre and sad but underneath it's pure gold.

Kept me guessing

It is a very intriguing story, I never knew what was coming around the corner.

Reread of fave

Great narrator. It was a delight to be able to listen to this book to enjoy it a second time.

Beautifully written

This is a delightfully crafted tale about choices and their consequences. The simple decision to talk to a friend while he smoked a cigarette on school grounds results in a life altering event for Theo Decker. All subsequent decisions set the stage for less than savoury entanglements. The underlying theme is about which of the myriad obvious or subtle decisions Theo makes could have changed his life's course for the better.

Although this book is an extraordinarily long and, at times, dense with psychological detailed, at no time does the story get bogged down or seem to drag. This is the first Danna Tartt book I've 'read' but it definitely not be the last.

The excellent narration and characterisations added another level of my enjoyment of this story.

What was all this about?

It starts and ends OK but all in between is for no reason. Is how America discovers the meaning of life after years and years of consumerism and drug use? I am confused. Also the narration is nice but too sssssslooooooow. I listened to it at 2x speed and some times at 3x.

Second listen even better than the first

I loved this book so much. Although I knew the basic story line already, there were parts that seemed new to me. David Pittu does a great job with the narration and all the different accents

Fabulous narration.

The thread of the story, which is a painting, weaves through the life of its main character and his tragedies, adventures, and friendships. Beautiful in prose. Poignant, I didn't want it to end.

Number one

Any additional comments?

I was delighted to find such a long and classy novel. Very pleased to think 'comtemporary Dickens' and find this confirmed in reviews! I will remember it - this is the highest accolade i can give.

I have given it to my 17 year old to read - she finds it hard to get into books as she is caught up in an instant gratification age of social media. Im pleased to report that she's hooked too!