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)

What an Author!

Such an amazing talent. When I first saw how long this book was, I admit I hesitated. But it was an incredible journey and I enjoyed every minute. The story was great but the skill with the description of everything-- the story, the characters, the surroundings.....wonderful.

Entertaining, not great

Although the story and narration were good, it would not be on my "Must Read" list

Enjoyed it

I enjoyed this one. Got a little frustrated with theod inability to communicate. But he did redeem himself in the end.

Amazing

I really enjoyed the goldfinch!!! Originally intimidated by the length, but it was so interesting that I didn't notice. A must read!

Great listen. Painted pictures with words.

Enjoyed the listen. Many mental images conjured with her words. Xxx. Dxx. Xxx. Xxx. Xxx. Cc I cc crb fjx

kinda painful

It's well-written, and very well performed. It just felt like interminable description. If you like Jeffrey Eugenides and Jonathan Franzen, this is for you.

Immersive

I enjoyed this book very much for its immersion into the world of a tragic flawed hero. Expertly researched and delicately crafted. A fine example of traditional archetypes manifested in a contemporary story.

The Goldfinch Narration

Where does The Goldfinch rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is the best book I have listened to on Audible due to the incredible narration by David Pittu and Donna Tartt's gift of storytelling.

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

The scenes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art were among my favorites in the book.

Any additional comments?

I cannot say enough good things about the narrative by David Pittu - he really made this complex Audible recording a great experience. The whole time I was listening I was amazed at his ability to make each of these colorful characters and situations so real for me - I am so glad I didn't read this - it would seem so bland compared to this recording.

The BEST Narration EVER by FAR!

What made the experience of listening to The Goldfinch the most enjoyable?

David Pittu is amazing as the narrator. His voices and accents are perfect. He draws you in to the story and the characters immediately and whole heartedly. Add to that the beautifully written story, the development of the characters slowly over the length of the book. They are all so real, that as they move in and out of the main character's life, you miss them - even the ones you don't particularly like - because they are interesting to you.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters.

What about David Pittu’s performance did you like?

EVERYTHING - I'd purchase another book JUST to hear him perform it. It's like listening to a play with the curtain closed.

If you could take any character from The Goldfinch out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Hobie - I would like to be just like him.

Any additional comments?

The best book I've read or listened to in a long time. I just couldn't stop thinking about it and the characters.

Great Gift

This book is an instant classis and it would be great to see as a movie on the big screen.