A Bird's Eye View on The Goldfinch
I was in a pretty bad reading slump recently, feeling the dread of trying to finish all of my schoolwork and read simultaneously, but I found The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt and I have not been able to put it down! After starting If We Were Villains, I saw many others reading the book were reminded of The Secret History, another Tartt novel. I had never read any of her books, but I decided to check the Uni High Library website and see what they had on the shelves. The Secret History was on hold, but The Goldfinch was available, so I put in a request. Unfortunately, I have not finished it yet (It is almost 800 pages, so I'm trying my best), meaning no big spoilers are in this post!
The first thing I noticed upon starting the novel is the detail Tartt adds to her descriptions, specifically her settings. The novel is in a first-person point of view but set in the future of the events that the main character, Theo Decker, is reflecting on. The way she describes each movement throughout Theo's life is almost anxiety-inducing, as you never quite know what will happen next. I am not completely sure how I feel about how 'scary' the book immediately feels, but the descriptions help hook you into reading more.
Regarding the plot, Theo's life is quite depressing, which we learn extremely early on. Since the book is almost like a recounting of how he felt throughout the events leading up to where he is at (similar to Purple Hibiscus' introduction in a way) It is a little sad, feeling painfully real.
So far, I believe I will end up enjoying this novel, and I am more interested in finding out more about Tartt's work. If you have read The Goldfinch or The Secret History, I would love to talk about both with you!
Thanks for reading,
Nona R.
Not having that much time to read because of school work is honestly so relatable and I'm glad someone else recognizes it. Glad that you found a book that keeps you keeps you hooked. I'll have to give it a try. Nice job on the post!
ReplyDeleteI recently just purchased The Secret History after hearing about Donna Tartt's books, and I had yet to realize this was another one of her books. Whenever I finish The Secret History, I'll definitely have to read this as well, as I love how it sounds so far; I absolutely love detail-heavy books with complex characters, so thanks for posting about this book!
ReplyDeleteGood post, I liked how described the main characters life as very unpredictable and anxious. I like books that are in set in the future where a character reflects on something so I might give this a try.
ReplyDeleteI have yet to read this book (mostly due to it's length) but I have seen the movie and I quite like the story. Your descriptions are really intriguing and I'll try to get around to reading the book. Once you finish reading, I recommend watching the film; it's really good!
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