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)

Compelling, compulsively listenable, unorigional

This was a page-turner for me (or whatever the audio equivalent is), by the time we got to Vegas I was completely sucked in. I found the plot quite engaging and surprising, if contrived. The main character isn't particularly likable, but I don't think he is supposed to be, he's a bit blank, the better to draw you in and make you imagine yourself in his shoes. Boris and Hobie are, of course the standout characters of the book and they are both completely charming. Because you get such a claustrophobic perspective, always inside Theo's head, it's quite a depressing listen and actually this is one of it's best qualities, Tartt is a master of pulling you in and dragging you down.

Why the three stars? It ultimately doesn't live up to what it promises. This is almost bound to happen when one writes a book that centers around an artistic masterpiece, the author can't help but write a bunch of claptrap about the nature of art which is almost never a good idea (the authors who do pull this off successfully are called geniuses because they are so rare). On top of that, the big reveals about the central plot device just aren't satisfying, Tartt seems to have written a nihilistic book but tacked on some borderline new-age spiritual 'meaning' at the end. If this is really Theo's big epiphany, he'll be using again by the end of the year.

Lots of talk about this - for a reason!

Anyone familiar with Donna Tartt knows that she never wraps things up with a "happily ever after." It is also true that her stories are long, complicated, and packed with characters. This book is so beautifully written that I am sad to see the end of these characters, even after more than 30 hours of listening. She and Ken Follett are among the only writers who can keep one completely captivated in a book requiring this sort of time commitment.

Our hero/antihero, Theo, is deeply flawed, although he didn't bring it all on himself. His friend, Boris, is more scarred and troubled, but has a better grasp on how to navigate the world in many ways. Together, they muddle through adolescence, and the resulting impact that their behavior has on their adult lives. This book illustrates how art, beauty and love can malevolently intertwine with danger, betrayal and self destruction. A number of great character studies combined with beautiful story telling make this a great book. Mr. Pittu makes every voice and accent believable. Buy this.

What's all the fuss about?

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

This book was way too long for me. Wordy to the max. Some may appreciate the prose and artful use of language, but I mostly found it a tangled mess of abstract description. There were numerous passages where minutes would go by and I would wonder what I was supposed to be gaining from such extensive narrative. This is all a matter of personal preference but I would have enjoyed this book more had it been much more concise.

What about David Pittu’s performance did you like?

His performance of each of the characters was great--definitely added to the audiobook experience.

Any additional comments?

Be warned, this book is a bummer from the very beginning and doesn't get much lighter. I'm still reflecting on what the author intended for the listener to take away from the story, but mostly I feel heavy and depressed for having listened to such a long story with such consistent themes of cruelty, selfishness, and neglect. I'm sure the message the author was trying to convey was not such a dark one, but for now it remains lost on me. Again, it's a matter for personal preference, but I don't think I would recommend this book to my friends and family.

Disjointed and unimpressive

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I have never read or listened to any books by Donna Tartt before. I mostly listen to biographies/non-fiction while I commute and wanted some easier listening and chose this book based on the reviews. I was hoping for a suspenseful/engaging story. Sadly I found the story meanders along in a disjointed fashion lacking the suspense to carry it well. The characters are not particularly interesting or appealing. It would seem the author is trying to wax philosophical near the end, bringing meaning to be book, but she falls short. I found myself looking forward to the end so I could move on to my next title.

Would you ever listen to anything by Donna Tartt again?

No

Have you listened to any of David Pittu’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Lukewarm

What did you like best about The Goldfinch? What did you like least?

I have to say that I was extremely excited about this book. There was so much buzz about it and the synopsis sounded very promising. This was my first audiobook and what I really enjoyed about this book was David Pittu's narration. What an amazing job he did with all the characters. I have to say, with confidence, that had I not listened to this book as an audiobook and instead read the actual book, I probably would not have been able to finish it.

Would you recommend The Goldfinch to your friends? Why or why not?

I would recommend this book despite the fact that this book fell short on my expectations. I would warn them that the book is extremely long and a good 200+ pages of this book could have been removed and probably would have been a more enjoyable book.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes. As I mentioned David Pittu saves this book.

Was The Goldfinch worth the listening time?

It was a little TOO long for my taste.

It will keep your attention til the very end!

Excellent narration, story line, attention to detail . Couldn't stop listening. Disappointed in the last chapter.

Would have been great...if it was half as long

This was an amazing story, however the book was so long and drawn out that I really did not enjoy reading it. I am not sure how this became a best seller. Ultimately i found myself feeling sorry for the main characters as they all left the story somewhat broken and never really getting what they wanted in life.

Enjoyed!

One day, listening to talk radio, I heard an actress talking about this book. She is desperate to play one of the female roles in the movie to be made from this story. The way she talked about the character got me interested in reading this book. Beautifully written, with so much emotion, this story took me two weeks to get through. Now that I’m finished, I am going back to listen to certain parts again. At the time I didn’t realize how pivotal these parts would be. I’m anxious to see the movie someday

I wanted to love it

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I spent ALOT of time listening to this book. Tarrt is a good writer, but way too much time describing Theo getting/being wasted - just not an interesting thing to read about/listen too. Theo, while sympathetic because of his situation with his parents, is not very likeable.

Has The Goldfinch turned you off from other books in this genre?

no

What does David Pittu bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He was great - he brought life to the characters - although I kind of felt that Boris would have lost his accent somewhat by the time he was in his 20's

Could you see The Goldfinch being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

I won't watch it if they do

Any additional comments?

Maybe my expectations were too high? I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this book

hated the main character

main character was supposed to flawed - but he was so flawed I didn't enjoy the story.