• The Goldfinch

  • By: Donna Tartt
  • Narrated by: David Pittu
  • Length: 32 hrs and 24 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (41,226 ratings)

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The Goldfinch  By  cover art

The Goldfinch

By: Donna Tartt
Narrated by: David Pittu
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Editorial review


By Sam Danis, Audible Editor

THE GOLDFINCH IS A COMING-OF-AGE EPIC THAT WILL STEAL YOUR HE(ART)

The Goldfinch was one of the first novels I listened to when I started working at Audible nearly a decade ago. I joined the team in September, and with this title releasing in a month’s time, I remember what a very big deal it was that a new Donna Tartt book was forthcoming (she only publishes about once a decade, after all). The plot is gripping: During a bombing at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, two events alter the course of 13-year-old Theo Decker’s life. His mother—the most prominent figure in his life—is killed, and he grabs the painting they were there to see (the titular Goldfinch by Carel Fabritius), thereby becoming an accidental art thief. What follows is a coming-of-age story of epic proportions—about fate, loss, consequences, and the intangibility of home and family. It is at turns sentimental, suspenseful, melancholy, and hopeful.

I watched as the glowing reviews poured in, with no real intention to listen myself. A 32-hour audiobook seemed incredibly daunting when I was new to the world of audio entertainment—primarily, a podcast and short audiobook listener. And this, after all, was literary fiction.

Why did I ultimately decide to pick it up? I can’t recall exactly, but I imagine it had something to do with peer pressure. My fellow editors and I influence each other in the best of ways—nobody wants to be the last one to hear something truly amazing—and I think it was our fiction editor, Tricia, who first sung the praises of this one. So, I buckled in (read: put on my headphones) and prepared for whatever was to come.

Continue reading Sam's review >

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Winner, Solo Narration - Male, 2014

Audie Award Winner, Literary Fiction, 2014

The author of the classic best-sellers The Secret History and The Little Friend returns with a brilliant, highly anticipated new novel.

Composed with the skills of a master, The Goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through present-day America and a drama of enthralling force and acuity.

It begins with a boy. Theo Decker, a 13-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new home on Park Avenue, disturbed by schoolmates who don't know how to talk to him, and tormented above all by his unbearable longing for his mother, he clings to one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into the underworld of art.

As an adult, Theo moves silkily between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty labyrinth of an antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love - and at the center of a narrowing, ever-more-dangerous circle.

The Goldfinch is a novel of shocking narrative energy and power. It combines unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and breathtaking suspense, while plumbing with a philosopher's calm the deepest mysteries of love, identity, and art. It is a beautiful, stay-up-all-night and tell-all-your-friends triumph, an old-fashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention, and the ruthless machinations of fate.

©2013 Donna Tartt (P)2013 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

Narrator David Pittu accepts the task of turning this immense volume into an excellent listening experience. Pittu portrays 13-year-old orphan Theo Decker with compassion, portraying his growing maturity in this story of grief and suspense…Pittu adds pathos to his depiction of the troubled Theo as he deals with addiction and finds himself in a dance with gangsters and the art world's darker dealers. ( AudioFile)
"Dazzling....[A] glorious, Dickensian novel, a novel that pulls together all Ms. Tartt's remarkable storytelling talents into a rapturous, symphonic whole and reminds the reader of the immersive, stay-up-all-night pleasures of reading." ( New York Times)
"A long-awaited, elegant meditation on love, memory, and the haunting power of art....Eloquent and assured, with memorable characters....A standout-and well-worth the wait." ( Kirkus, Starred Review)

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What listeners say about The Goldfinch

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Worth it.

Hot damn the last 30 minutes were beautiful too. Took a break about 10 hours in but eventually got back to it. Worth going through to the end for sure!

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A Work of Art

At times I wanted to fly away but I was tethered by the tiniest gold chain. I found this to be poetically dark and twisty, and satisfyingly contemplative.

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A must read!

I read this first when it came out hardcover and then listened to it on audio. A great book. Incredible character development. An incredible description of the experience of trauma and psychological response to trauma. The author also created age appropriate characters which was pleasant. Love this book. Have recommended it to many. Always looking for her next novel!

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Unforgettable

Just finished this book and felt it important to write a little review which I normally do not do. I was stuck from the moment I started listening to this book, I couldn't put it down, hours and hours of listening. Head phones on at work, playing it in my car while I drove, listening to it on my speaker while I cleaned the house, as I lay down for bed. Some parts were rough, hard to listen to, hard to get through, the days in Amsterdam seemed never ending and depressing. But I understand it's importance, the author created this world that we saw through the eyes of a boy who had suffered a huge traumatic event that changed the course of his life forever, changed who he was, and was never able to get past. It was necessary to depict this and Boris was the opposite, sees and walks through life a completely different way. I loved when Boris was around. I feel like this accurately depicted the struggles and thought/life of the character. Plus living in New Mexico "art" has never been something I was exposed to, imaging these famous works of art and museums full of art made me really feel like I have missed out on something. I definitely view art in a different way.

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Unforgettable

I was at first daunted by the length of this listen. It was compelling in every way. David Pittu is masterful with giving voice to many different characters. This is going down as one of my favorite listens! Truly unforgettable!

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Best Narration Ever

There are so many things about this book that I love. I fell in love with the characters-even the bad people and never wanted it to end. I'm so grateful for the pleasure I got from it.

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Recommended Listening

Donna Tart’s words create images that transport you in a way a movie never can. The narrators keep you engaged throughout.

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One of my all time favorite books

This book had me gripped from the very beginning. Usually even good audio books take me some getting used to with the characters before I really get interested and this book is gripping and thoughtful all the way through. The only book I’ve listened to twice. About a 13 year old kid that survives a museum explosion and how that affects the rest of his life, his loves, his interests, his family and life difficulties. Truly fascinating. I wish I could figure out what to read after this. The narrator is excellent too!

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Hmmm...

Well, maybe I would have appreciated actually reading (not just Audible) version of the story. Although I liked the varied voices, the narrator’s depressive tone (although I guess to mimic the main character’s psyche) was depressive and always left me with an anxiety of negative feelings after listening for awhile. Not sure I got much out of this pretty deep message other than life is pretty messed up and we just need to go with it... not on my favorite list for sure.

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This book had me from the first sentence!

As soon as I started listening I knew instantly this was going to be a great read! It grabs you and never lets go. It is rich and layered and you are compelled to continue as you wanted to know what is next in Theo's life. The protagonist is a flawed man for sure but his recognition of the beauty and significance of The Goldfinch gives his life meaning. The people in his life are complex and interesting as well. The narration might be the best I have heard. It truly increases the pleasure of the book. Really enjoyed listening to Boris.

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