• The Goldfinch

  • By: Donna Tartt
  • Narrated by: David Pittu
  • Length: 32 hrs and 24 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (41,254 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)

Featured Article: 55+ Quotes for Whenever You Need a Little Encouragement


We all have bad days and dry spells. We all experience moments of disappointment, sadness, and self-doubt. And occasionally, we all need an encouraging word—or several—to lift our spirits, boost our confidence, and fill us with hope. Straight from the works of best-selling and widely admired authors, here's a collection of positive and reassuring words you can turn to anytime you're in need of support.

What listeners say about The Goldfinch

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    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent narration of a controversial book

The Goldfinch is a Pulitzer Prize winning Novel and I was very surprised to see that no one had reviewed it on Audible yet. It is definitely worth a listen. The narration is excellent! Definitely one of the best narrations I have experienced.

As far as the book goes, there’s not much here that is uplifting or inspirational, and it’s depressing as hell. The characters make poor decisions over and over and over again. There are lengthy passages detailing the main character’s drug trips. And yet, it is compelling and you want to listen more. I can see why critics disagreed. The writing is excellent but can get pretentious. But I can also see why it won the Pulitzer. What is it about “coming of age” stories that makes them seem more important? At least Theo is much more likable than Holden Caulfield. I guess the main idea of the book is that beauty and art are eternal and everything else sucks. I recommend listening, but skipping the last hour because it gets incredibly preachy. It’s a great story with a not so great moral conclusion, but at least the incredibly verbose sermon is confined to the ending monologue which is easily skipped. While not the best book I ever read, it is still worth the time and effort and the narration makes it worth ALL the hours it takes to unfold.

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were the 5 star reviews robo-reviews??

If you are looking for the book in the official Audile summary page- this isn’t it. While beautifully read, the endlessly embellished prose become so difficult to listen to that I needed to re-play sections many times. The sections of “intrigue” would have been great if not for the endless discussion of what to do or whatnot to do or maybe I should do or what happens if I do..... The proselytizing doesn’t stop until the last truly worthwhile paragraph- if you can get through the book to it.

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More like this!!

Fantastic novel with an engaging plot line and very good characters. Very well read. Highly recommend.

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Stunning!

I cannot say enough about this book and the performance of the reader. It was so engaging and so, so well-done.

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Amazing story

This book is consuming and wonderful. I was so sad when it ended.. my new favorite

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A work of art

A beautiful gem of a story, which offers hope and joy amongst irreparable sadness and long-suffering love and friendship.

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good

amazing story, but the end was odd & a little too 'cheesy conclusion' compared to the rest of the content of the book. somehow I didn't expect a big happy wrapped up ending.

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A Little Bird Told me to Recommend this Book

Would you consider the audio edition of The Goldfinch to be better than the print version?

I listened to the book, and at no time wished for a hard copy. The performance was superb. I had no trouble visualizing the characters, the setting or the plot. It was a long book, but I wanted it to keep going.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Goldfinch?

One of the most memorable moments was in Amsterdam, when "Potter" gets the painting back, sort of.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene was in the museum the first time Theo sees Pippa and falls in love.

Who was the most memorable character of The Goldfinch and why?

Boris was the most memorable character because he never did what I thought he was going to do. Constant entertainment!

Any additional comments?

If you can only listen to one book this year, choose The Goldfinch. You will learn about art, history, antiques, drugs and sailing, to name a few. You will also hear one of the best stories of your life.

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Wow. Stop reading reviews and listen to this one

The story and the reader’s telling of it are transcendent and beautiful. I am so moved and thankful!

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It is worth the time.

Just wow. Heartbreaking, gripping, touching, and the narrator did wonderfully with the accents! I recommend this not just for art lovers, but for anyone who knows or wishes to understand the pain of loss.

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