THE GOLDFINCH by Donna Tartt ⭐⭐⭐

(Original review written November 30, 2019)

*Spoilers Ahead*

This was a rocky one, a sentiment that seems to be common.

I had a strong streak of reading and reviewing, and then this book ground things to a halt. I’m not entirely sure what it was that slowed things so much. At times it felt like reading a masterpiece, others felt like I could barely find the motivation to pick it back up. Even the beginning catastrophe was somehow a lukewarm entry into the world of Theo. There was a simple elegance to the writing to be sure, but the pages seemed to slog on, and every peek at what was left was like looking into the abyss; I was getting nowhere.

As Theo ventured out to Vegas, the book appeared to take a turn, and I was fully invested again. The drug and booze filled adventures Theo had with Boris are written in the chaotic and fuzzy tinge that perfectly hazes the events that may (or may not) have happened in their time together. The rest of the book was a continuation of that up/down pattern, mostly enthralling before the 700 page mark.

It’s clear that the Goldfinch painting is the cornerstone for Theo’s life trajectory, coming full circle in the final wrap-up with the thought that maybe some good can come from some bad, or maybe nothing matters and just being part of something beautiful in the world is all we can really hope for. Maybe this is a good take-home thought after reading the book itself; just enjoy what you can. Either way, the message is there, the final sentence a fitting summary wrapped in a nice bow. But the journey to that point could use a trimming.