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)

By far my favorite audiobook

The characters, the storyline, that voice! This is the third time I’ve listened to this story and let me tell you, I get so wrapped up in the events that I don’t mind commuting. I look forward to my drive. I recommend this book to everyone.

Great narration!

You will swear there are different readers. Good story but drags a bit. Liked it.

Long soliloquies tell a compelling story

I enjoyed this book - the tale of boy on his tragedy worn path to adulthood. I found myself continuously drawn into the story, anxious to learn what happens next.

At times Theo is so wrapped in his own thoughts and analogies that the book drags. if I were reading rather than listening, I'd likely skim through these pages.

I recommend this, the audio recording and narration is excellent.It's long but worth it.

Interesting characters

Would you try another book from Donna Tartt and/or David Pittu?

Maybe

Any additional comments?

Found the characters interesting but seemed like the story dragged on. Think it could have been shorten with same results for ending.

Loved it!

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

One of the best books i have listened to so far.

What did you like best about this story?

Excellent characters.

Which character – as performed by David Pittu – was your favorite?

I can't pick just one

Thought provoking, if a bit long

I enjoyed this book. Well written, lots of poetic and visually evocative language. It’s a long book but no regrets. I enjoyed it.

loved but too lazy to write review

What is the equivalent of "page-turner" in the audio book world? I binge-listened to this smart, coming-of-age mystery.

Brilliant book meets amazing narration.

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

In this case, I would. David Pittu's narration made the characters come alive and the voice he chose for each of them was perfect.

What did you like best about this story?

The Goldfinch is a surprising story. A hero's journey that begins with terror and destruction, goes down to the pits of hell and meets redemption in so many unexpected ways. Every character is fascinating and real and the plot is delicious. I didn't want it to end.

What about David Pittu’s performance did you like?

I wish David Pittu would narrate EVERY good book there is on Audible. He is the BEST narrator I have heard. He is clearly in his element and the voice he creates for each character is as good as the characters themselves. I didn't think it was possible for a person to switch from one accent to another so quickly, but David even switches from one gender to another. It's fascinating and completely enjoyable to hear his performance.

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

Beauty Transformed.

Any additional comments?

Donna Tart: please keep writing! David Pittu: please be the official narrator for all good books on Audible!

One of the best performances ever.

One of the best audio voice performances in any book. Many different languages and accents.

Beautifully written but DARK

Don't read this if you have a tendency toward depression. Interesting story but so much sadness.