The Goldfinch

De: Donna Tartt

Narrado por: David Pittu

A young New Yorker grieving his mother's death is pulled into a gritty underworld of art and wealth in this "extraordinary" and beloved Pulitzer Prize winner from the author of The Secret History that "connects with the heart as well as the mind" (Stephen King, New York Times Book Review).

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 a longing for his mother, he clings to the one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into a wealthy and insular art community.

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 mesmerizing, stay-up-all-night and tell-all-your-friends triumph, an old-fashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention. From the streets of New York to the dark corners of the art underworld, this "soaring masterpiece" examines the devastating impact of grief and the ruthless machinations of fate (Ron Charles, Washington Post).

©2013 Donna Tartt (P)2013 Hachette Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

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)

Show, dont tell.

In the art world, there is a term called DOUBLENESS. It refers to viewing a painting close up and seeing the composition of the lines and brushstrokes, the artists fingerprint, so to speak, and then backing up and seeing the painting as a whole piece, the resulting image meant for all to gaze upon. The difference between the two observations can sometimes be worlds apart, one perspective not even slightly resembling the other and both are of the same thing.

In this case the painting is the Goldfinch by Carel Fabritius - from 1654. It depicts a European goldfinch on top of its feeder that is attached to the wall. The bird is sitting on the top ring, to which it is chained by its foot. Imprisoned for life? Is this the only life the bird has ever known, chained to it's perch never to truly know life on the any other way? Will the bird ever be able to to experience flying?

The Goldfinch is a different kind of book in many ways. It is not just a story. Not just a narrative. It's not just about the plot or the characters. It's not just about the painting, It's about the work that has gone into it: the form, the structure, the internal memory of the events experienced by Theo, the resolution of dissonance into sweet tonality only that release is very rarely experienced.

Donna Tartt does not tell us about Theo Decker. She shows us.
Without giving anything away, Donna Tartt has carefully composed the literary equivalent of a grand symphonic work. A structure of composition that repeats upon itself several times, bringing back context and themes without belittling or underestimating to the reader.

So many ideas are spoken of in this book:

Doubleness - (looking at a thing close up vs viewing from a distance).
The love of Beauty
What is true value
Poor decisions and positive outcomes.
Immortality and timelessness
Imprisoned and chained (metaphorically speaking)
Loss and how it's dealt with.

The form of the book is ABA plus a CODA - to use musical terminology. What's so impressive about this is that Tartt used the form as a tool to write her story and still could create a work of art that does not sound arbitrary or academic in anyway, quite the opposite. The characters are carefully developed and the relationships created are natural and sincere. Her writing is beautiful and inspirational. Her prose are brilliant and smart.

I have become a little obsessed with this book, even before reading it, because of the attention it drew. What was so unique about it? Why is it so special?

Is it the best book I have ever read? NO, but it ranks.
Is it special? YES.

I am not completely done thinking about this book. I may, after several weeks of pondering, have more to say.

I hope my review gives some insight to the novel and encourages someone else to take the plunge and start the book.

So tedious I had to shut it off

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

I guess I am in the minority on this too. I listen to audible while I am working out or in the car. I need a compelling story. I love a well written book though. Not one for simple minded literature BUT I tried and tried to stay with this one getting frustrated and shutting it off. I only stayed with it because of all the good reviews, but realized today that life is too short. The author goes into so much detail with her descriptions that I found myself day dreaming. Scary thing is when I realized I was day dreaming I hadn't missed a thing. Looking for a new book today. God I am so glad to have this book out of my life now.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Anything but this book.

Was The Goldfinch worth the listening time?

No

I loved this great book

I loved this book. The narrator, who we meet when he is 13, recounts the often amazing story of how he, by chance, comes into possession of a priceless work of art, and over the many years of his life his connection with it and the often unseen control it exerts over his life.
The story itself is well plotted, a large (though not sprawling) machine with many cogs that work in wide, eccentric arcs; but what makes the book great is the deep insight into human connections and the often breathtaking quality of the prose, especially as it relates to those above mentioned connections.
I give nothing away by revealing the central character of the novel, Theo, loses his mother early in the book and the passages about his grief and longing for her are painfully, concisely accurate and movingly expressed. After her sudden and painful departure, Theo's life becomes a study in various kinds of deeply felt loneliness, but, by contrast, in a way the book is about the connections we make; the starkness of his isolation makes the glow of the love and friendship he finds and struggles with all that much stronger. In particular the central relationship is the one between him and the painting itself and even the simple physical descriptions of the painting are informed and radiant. And, of course, since it's a Donna Tartt novel there is a dream sequence that is absolutely electric, I don't know if it's fair to call this a trope of hers but it's something she writes exceptionally well and you spend half the novel looking for it and when it arrives it does not disappoint.
I have read all three of Donna Tartt's novels ( I really loved 'the Little Friend' ) and I would have to say I think this one may be my favorite.
The narrator does an excellent job, he has consistent voices for each character, he has a great instinct for delivery and his voice is a great match for this story, it's hard for me to think of Theo and not hear his voice.
I would just like to say, one more time, this is a great, great book. It starts strong, and goes and goes and mostly does not disappoint. I don't leave a lot of reviews but every now and then, and I'm sure you've had this experience, you read something so good you just want to tell everybody. great book, please go and enjoy.

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.

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