The Goldfinch: A Novel (Pulitzer Prize for Fiction)

Could be the worst book I've ever not finished. I gave up. I had to.

I enjoyed the story well enough, but I had a lot of house cleaning to do while listening to it, and that made it easier to get through a story that could've been told with about 30% fewer words.

I'm on the fence with this one. I loved parts of it, but others just seemed to go on forever with no real purpose for all the wordiness and unnecessary character inner dialogue. Yes, it was pretty, gritty and whimsical, but a bit tedious to read. I did find myself skimming/scanning over a few chapters.

I found myself sharing the emotions of the main character.

I finished this book last night but literally had to sleep on it before writing anything about it. I really really wanted to give it 5 stars because I was expecting so much. All these fabulous reviews, so many people anxiously waiting Donna Tartt's 3rd novel in 20 years but I just couldn't do it. It is a beautifully written book, great characters (with flaws), engaging plot, but just ridiculously long! The book is divided into sections:1) Theo's early life in NY with his mom and after the museum bombing living with family friends, 2) life as a young boy/teenager in Las Vegas with his dad and girlfriend. Here is where you met Boris, his Ukrainian friend, who is a very interesting character. 3) life back in NY as a young adult trying to figure his life out. He ends up living with the older man who works in the antique shop that he met just after the museum bombing. But his life is still so f***ed up. Then many years later, Boris shows up in NY and Theo just happens to run into him. Believable? I don't really think so but here the story takes another turn. Way back at the beginning, Theo takes a painting from the museum (after the bomb exploded and it was complete chaos). He doesn't really know why he takes it (except that his mom loved the painting and an older, dying man seems to be encouraging him to do so...) but he has kept the painting wrapped & hidden from everyone. Or so he thinks. The painting isn't even really a part of the story until Boris shows up in NY. 4) Now we head to Amsterdam and there is some interesting action and plot turns. The underground art world is fascinating, but I found some of the art/antique references too laborious too read. (I admit I don't know much about art. I could not have a serious conversation with anyone about art.) After the business in Amsterdam gets cleared up, we travel back to NY and here is where I really lost interest. It just seems to be a complete philosophical rambling that lasted 100 pages!. The title is The Goldfinch (which is the famous painting taken from the museum) but it didn't always seem like the book was about the painting. So many other things going on. Oh, did I mention the love interest? I would liked to have seen that develop more. Too many unbelievable coincidences happening (people just happen to be in the right place at the right time & how anyone survived all the drug use is beyond me!) but overall an engaging story (until the last 100 pages).