A review by avokaitotoast
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

challenging reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt
☆ ☆ ☆ (3/5)

How to describe this book to someone asks “What are you reading?”:
700 pages of visual-escapism so beautifully written that you don’t realise until you’re at the end how incredibly boring the last 600 pages were.

Short Review (TL;DR):
  • standard tartt : gorgeous prose, flawed-to the point of “is this problematic” characters, technically amazing writing
  • thematically a let down
  • grief and guilt themes could have been so much more gut wrenching
  • i have mixed thoughts on if this is a “good” book, but i DO think it’s worth a read

Before You Read:
Things to think about as you read this book.
  • how does your perception change with age and trauma
  • grief and guilt (specially survivors guilt)

Long Review:
This was a complicated review to complete. Normally by the middle of a book I can tell what my star rating is, what my general thoughts are about the writing - both on a technical and thematic standpoint - and what the author was trying to say with their work. However, by page 500 of The Goldfinch I couldn’t figure it out.

I couldn’t put the book down, I anticipated reading more, I got lost in her world — and yet I had a constant feeling of unease and confusion: I couldn’t put it down, so why do I not like it? Seems oxymoronic. 

A Vox interview from when the film released describes my feelings perfectly. To summarise: this book is beautiful, you can get lost in the prose, you feel like you’re reading something special - until you try and pin point what that “special” is. You feel duped in a way.

The time between the releases of her previous novels and The Goldfinch brings a lot of questions to me. When I decided to pick up TG and realised how long it had been between her releases I had mixed feelings. Is this a cash grab or did Tartt feel like she finally had something worthwhile to say? 

Tartt is objectively an incredible writer: her prose and her technique are lovely. But in the case of The Goldfinch it seems as though she hides her (let’s be honest) boring and overdone themes behind her technique.

It also felt like she was trying to appeal to a 2013 audience — manic pixie dream girls, euphoria-esque (well before euphoria) dramatic drug use, trauma galore — and it just didn’t feel natural. The intellect of the book seemed so much lower compared to The Secret History, which was a huge part of why I was drawn in by Tartt.

I hate to compare two books to each other (especially for review purposes), but after loving TSH so much, I can’t help it. While reading TSH I was constantly discovering subtle connections to philosophical works I had read in school (Hegel shout out), or retold themes from epic poems. I had tabs and tabs and tabs open of research to put together the connections I was making as I read. I found it less accessible, but a read that made me feel both accomplished and satisfied.

As I read the The Goldfinch I felt nothing. I was escaping - like Theo - into a world of beautiful words and leaving feeling empty. And if that was the intent, then this is the smartest book I’ve ever read. However, I don’t think that’s the case.