The Goldfinch

By: Donna Tartt

Narrated by: David Pittu

Length: 32 hrs and 24 mins

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)

Love it on so many levels

Would you listen to The Goldfinch again? Why?

I absolutely love this book. It's complex, intriguing and mysterious. And I love love the performance. David has done such a great job! David - if you are reading this - this is the best performance of a book IMO. Well done!! I look forward to listening to more books performed by you.

Loved it!

I have listened to it twice and loved the story as well as the narration.

Toooooooo looooonnng

There were parts that were wonderful but other parts which took way too long. The problem with an audiobook is that it is difficult to skim. You just have to plug along. The story actually ends about an hour before the book does. I kept thinking there might be something of interest but it was a very long tedious exposition of the book's themes.

I loved the narration! I think I will continue to hear Boris's "Potter!" in my head for some time. But really, this could have been edited significantly without losing the story.

Depressing

Because it's on the best seller list, I had high hopes for this book. I think the performer does an appropriate job with what he's got. But it is a depressing book about a depressing boy who grows into a depressed young man. After the first quarter I started skipping whole sections, so maybe I missed something important. But the mood was the same wherever I started again. I've given it a 3 rather than a lower score because I think it's well written.

Nicely balanced

Narration was superb. A gifted linguistic intonation is used throughout. The balance between storyline and state of mind is perfect, a sort of Catcher in the Rye angst coupled with suspense with constant elements of surprise.

Amazing!

A brilliant story told with beautiful, yet authentic language. Characters that will grab you and hold you until then end!

Highly original but too long

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes because the story is very original. I would recommend reading it rather than listening to it because I wish I could have fast-forwarded so many passages.

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

The most memorable moments happen once Boris enters the story. I wish some parts of the story were narrated from his point of view since Theo is so wimpy at times. Something to do for the sequel!!

How did the narrator detract from the book?

In the audiobook the female voices were unbearable to listen to, the narrator made me cringe. Right from the beginning Theo's mother voice was so unnerving I first thought it was a joke, then I thought of giving up on the 32 hour audiobook after one hour!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"We made a movie of it because she wrote it as a script"

Any additional comments?

One more thing: As I said the story is highly original but the author writes too much. This is especially true during plot twists (there are a couple): The twist is delivered, then again, then again, then we talk about it some more, then we wrap it up again to make sure you got it.

Long read/listen but worth it!

The last hour of the book was probably my favorite. Part 1 was a little bit hard to get into but it was necessary for the storyline -- which overall is incredible. The narration is the true magic of this though!!!

Fantastic journey with all the right notes...

A wonderful coming of age story with so much more. Smart. Emotional. Deeper themes that don't feel heavy handed. The book is worth the hype.

The Narrator did a brilliant job reading and with the voices.

I loved it.

Literary confusion

I loved the beginning and the ending, but almost gave up reading at times in between. The main character was lovable and yet often tremendously hatable. While I am glad I stuck it out, I will have a tough time recommending it to my friends due to the language and irresponsibility.