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

Awesome book, brilliant narration

Loved this book. Beautifully written, suspenseful, intellectually stimulating, profound. Narration was exquisite. Didn’t want it to end.

I loved it. Mostly.

The storyline was wonderfully engaging and the writing was fabulous. I noticed at times I found it a bit hard to come back to. This was mainly towards the end in a section that felt drawn out and frustrating. But I think the character also felt the time was moving very slowly and so maybe it was not an accident that this was how I felt.

The narration was a highlight.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME!!!

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A younger voice and other characters did not sound engaging. It was was a painful listen.

What was most disappointing about Donna Tartt’s story?

The story was completely disjointed, hence was not able to engage or interest. It was just a complete waste of my time.

Would you be willing to try another one of David Pittu’s performances?

Yes.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Goldfinch?

The book is needlessly long, with scenes not going anywhere or communicating anything that could engage.

The Goldfinch

I found this book annoying on several levels. We are told of a disaster looming in Theo's life early in the book but the time taken to get to the deails of the event nearly drove me crazy. I found the narrators monotone voice nearly put me to sleep, especially bad as I was on a long drive. Finally I find books about people on a path of self destruction very irrating and the insights I got into drug induced minds wasn't for me.

Huge waste of my time

was waiting for it to end the whole time. I always finish the books I start and think they might get better further in and I really regret not quitting this one because it 's so long and it never got better.

Well written but not enjoyable

There is no doubt that Donna Tartt is an excellent writer but unfortunately I found the main character to be annoying I also found parts of the story so unlikely that it was unenjoyable.

how did this get such good reviews???

There are good patches of writing. But why write it? mostly miserable characters sinking lowly and repetitively into boring self obsessed darkness. Endless pages of drug and alcohol abuse with violence. Meandering plot. I found it a chore with no reward. The only good thing i got from it, is that i found one other reviewer who didn't enjoy it and she has recommendations that are interesting for me.