The Goldfinch

What does the painting The Goldfinch represent in this novel? What does the goldfinch itself represent?

The Pulitzer Prize for fiction recognizes distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life. What do you think qualified this book for the Pulitzer? Take a look at other books that have been winners or final nominees. What purpose do you think the Pulitzer serves, if any?

Having now read two books by Donna Tartt, what are some distinctive features of her writing that you see in both books? What marks her style as an author?

This book was very lengthy. Do you feel all of its length was justified or should it have been compressed at points? (Compare it to Tartt’s The Secret History, Ken Kesey’s Sometimes A Great Notion, or other lengthy-and-artistic books if you are having trouble deciding.

Does this book remind you of any other books you’ve read? In what ways?

Secrets run throughout this novel—try and list just some of them. Are they destructive or salvaging forces in characters’ lives?

Boris remarks to Theo, “And I know how you think, or how you like to think, but maybe this is one instance where you can’t boil down to pure ‘good’ or pure ‘bad’ like you always want to do—? Like, your two different piles? Bad over here, good over here? Maybe not quite so simple.” Do you feel more like Boris or more like Theo in your appraisal of the world and the people in it? Who would you like to be more like (sans the abundant drug use and criminal undertakings)?

A great deal of this book considers the what ifs and if onlys that come with thoroughly unpredictable disasters—as well as with predictable ones, as seen in the case of Theo’s father and Theo’s own shady business practices. Consider this in relation to the following quote: "We looked at each other. And it occurred to me that despite his faults, which were numerous and spectacular, the reason I’d liked Boris and felt happy around him from almost the moment I’d met him was that he was never afraid. You didn’t meet many people who moved freely through the world with such a vigorous contempt for it and at the same time such oddball and unthwartable faith in what, in childhood, he had liked to call 'the Planet of Earth.'" In light of this quote, what do you think Tartt is trying to say about “fate”? Do you agree with her point of view?

Certain types of visual art have only one original—which, once destroyed, is gone forever. Compare this to digital artwork or literature, where infinite copies can be made. Compare also to music or drama, where one version may be lost but the potential for other versions remains. In what way does the irreplaceable nature of the painting feature in this novel that would not be served in the same way by other art forms?

For fun, what are some works of visual art that have affected you deeply? Do you find yourself more easily affected by copies of artwork (when you can study them at length and at your leisure) or by the original artwork itself (when you see it for the first time in a museum)?

Theo talks about loving objects more than people the majority of the time. Is it immoral to love an object, such as a painting, a piece of music, a piece of clothing? Often we say “people are more important than things”—and hopefully we think this way most of the time. But we could easily donate every extra dollar we earn and every spare hour of our time to helping other human beings, and we don’t. We spend money and spend time on art—whether it’s every day art or once-in-a-lifetime art. How do you reconcile these facts?

Theo spends a great deal of time numbing himself to emotion—but then admires such emotion in Boris and despises Kitsey’s lack of emotion. Given that art is meant to inspire emotion, what do you think this seeming contradiction is saying?

The conclusion of the novel alternates between Theo’s summary and flashbacks to Theo and Boris in Antwerp. Why Boris? Why not Pippa? Or Hobie? On a related note, do you think Theo’s and Boris’s relationship was dealt with in a satisfying way? Did you expect more or did you feel there was enough?

Theo sums up what the novel is trying to say in the last few pages of the book. How do you feel about this ending? Was it too blatant or was it appropriate to the tone of the novel?