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  • The Goldfinch

  • By: Donna Tartt
  • Narrated by: David Pittu
  • Length: 32 hrs and 24 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (41,442 ratings)

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The Goldfinch

By: Donna Tartt
Narrated by: David Pittu
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Editorial review


By Sam Danis, Audible Editor

THE GOLDFINCH IS A COMING-OF-AGE EPIC THAT WILL STEAL YOUR HE(ART)

The Goldfinch was one of the first novels I listened to when I started working at Audible nearly a decade ago. I joined the team in September, and with this title releasing in a month’s time, I remember what a very big deal it was that a new Donna Tartt book was forthcoming (she only publishes about once a decade, after all). The plot is gripping: During a bombing at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, two events alter the course of 13-year-old Theo Decker’s life. His mother—the most prominent figure in his life—is killed, and he grabs the painting they were there to see (the titular Goldfinch by Carel Fabritius), thereby becoming an accidental art thief. What follows is a coming-of-age story of epic proportions—about fate, loss, consequences, and the intangibility of home and family. It is at turns sentimental, suspenseful, melancholy, and hopeful.

I watched as the glowing reviews poured in, with no real intention to listen myself. A 32-hour audiobook seemed incredibly daunting when I was new to the world of audio entertainment—primarily, a podcast and short audiobook listener. And this, after all, was literary fiction.

Why did I ultimately decide to pick it up? I can’t recall exactly, but I imagine it had something to do with peer pressure. My fellow editors and I influence each other in the best of ways—nobody wants to be the last one to hear something truly amazing—and I think it was our fiction editor, Tricia, who first sung the praises of this one. So, I buckled in (read: put on my headphones) and prepared for whatever was to come.

Continue reading Sam's review >

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)

Featured Article: The Audible Essentials Top 100


The spirited (but friendly) debate over these titles could have gone on indefinitely. With years of listening, countless customer reviews, and a catalog of seemingly infinite great listens, 100 suddenly felt like a very small number. What we know for sure—each title that made it to this collection is elevated and made special in some way by audio, whether by a layered performance from a single narrator, a brilliantly cohesive full cast, original music, or immersive sound effects. Discover an audio experience for the ages.

What listeners say about The Goldfinch

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    24,269
  • 4 Stars
    10,103
  • 3 Stars
    4,330
  • 2 Stars
    1,602
  • 1 Stars
    1,138
Performance
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    28,222
  • 4 Stars
    6,391
  • 3 Stars
    1,774
  • 2 Stars
    544
  • 1 Stars
    426
Story
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    21,060
  • 4 Stars
    8,920
  • 3 Stars
    4,356
  • 2 Stars
    1,715
  • 1 Stars
    1,260

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Poor narration of a story that might have been goo

What would have made The Goldfinch better?

Narrator needs to distinctly separate character voices, even if one did die off and the other is a family relative. My mind still has the auditory impression that this voice belonged to the dead character - a very, very frustrating listen that completely got in the way of my enjoyment. I couldn't finish it. Perhaps I will try reading it in print version some day.

Would you be willing to try another book from Donna Tartt? Why or why not?

Yes. the story seemed appealing and her writing style was interesting to me.

What didn’t you like about David Pittu’s performance?

See above.

What character would you cut from The Goldfinch?

None as far as I read.

Any additional comments?

No.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

My all time favorite book!

I'm listening to this for the 2nd time and loving it even more than the first. I just love all the characters...the details aren't boring or pretentious as I've heard some say. Yes, it is long but the characters are so unique and the narrator is excellent at changing voices and really capturing the spirit of each very unique character in this book. He really gives them life. Theo is the "anti-hero"- a troubled character yet both likable and relatable. Highly recommend!!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Overall a good story but nothing special...

Story drags on at first but it ends well. Lots of fluff in this story to make it long. Nothing great, imo

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Very well written and narrated

The Goldfinch is an odd book .... At times very engaging, at others not so much. The subject is not so much the art world as how young person(s) are affected by profound loss. The narration is excellent.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing!

Amazing story that captures you from the beginning. No detail left out! A book everyone should read or listen too.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

What a masterpiece!

I am in awe. This is THE best book I have ever read. Beautifully written.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Haunting

Incredible narration. I will long be haunted by the pain and heartbreak of this story as well as the beauty in the language with which it is told. So glad I chose to listen to the story. The narrators voicing of accents and differing characters added a richness I think I may have missed in print.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Goldfinch review

The story is amazing but at times it dragged on. Worth the listen, though. The narrator is amazing!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Listening to this was my best decision ever!

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt is without a doubt an excellent book. No question. But it was better than I expected because of the fantastic performance of the narrator, David Pittu. His ability to do voices enhanced this experience for me. Thanks to both author and narrator!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Self-indulgent writing and editing

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

While no doubt brilliant, Donna Tarte tries too hard to show off her deftness. Her descriptions of drug-induced states go on her listening hours, as do her endless descriptions of everything from Las Vegas skies to furniture repair. David Pittu's narration amazed me, though. Clear, dramatic and nuanced. How did he manage?

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Tighter editing would have helped this novel. Every drug scene was not rapturous!

Which scene was your favorite?

The terrorist attack in the museum was riveting as were selected scenes in New York and Amsterdam. Least favorite scenes included repetitive descriptions of drug induced states. After a while, main characters lost my sympathy. Poor boys lost gets old after a while. Nevertheless, there is enough in the novel to have kept me going to the end, which I found satisfying.

Do you think The Goldfinch needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No 32-hour follow-ups, please.

Any additional comments?

My book club had a lot to say about this novel. Opinions differed greatly, which makes this a good read.

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