Book Review: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

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The Goldfinch Book Summary

Theo Decker is a thirteen-year-old New Yorker who experiences a traumatic event at the beginning of the book that changes his life forever.

It’s a day he should be in school, but because he got into trouble with one of his friends, he’s been suspended for the day. However, he and his mother are supposed to attend a conference at the school to discuss his recent behavior problems.

Before it’s time to head to the school, it starts to rain. Theo and his Mom take shelter in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Audrey, Theo’s mom, was an art history major, and she is a wealth of knowledge about art. Even the other museum goers stop and listen as she describes each painting.

But this is also when things take a turn for the worse. The museum falls prey to homegrown terrorists when a bomb explodes and kills his mother (although he doesn’t know this right away).

Theo survives the attack and finds himself next to a dying man, who does two things: he tells him to take ‘The Goldfinch’ painting, and he gives him his ring and tells him where to take it.

It’s the fallout of this event that drives the rest of the book and his life.

His father left the family months ago, so where will he go?

On the one hand, you see good people rise to the occasion and become almost like guardian angels, but you also see those who would seek to harm someone who is in a vulnerable position. “Seek to harm” may be the wrong way of saying it. It’s more that they want to take advantage of his situation, and they don’t really care how it affects his life in the process. For them, the ends justify the means.

This is a book about survival and trying to make it when the odds are stacked against you.

The Goldfinch was the long-awaited book by author Donna Tartt, published more than a decade after her previous book, The Little Friend.

The Goldfinch Book Review

What would happen if a 13-year-old boy all of a sudden finds himself without a mother and a father? What would the world look like for him? That’s exactly the position 13-year-old Theodore Drucker finds himself in.

I went into The Goldfinch knowing very little about the book. I knew that even though it was published more than a decade ago, people were still reading and discussing this book (just like they do with Tartt’s A Secret History).

I have since learned that readers also have very strong opinions about this book. As for me, I loved it. This book left me in a serious book hangover, which is both wonderful and depressing.

I was drawn into the story from page one, and I found myself genuinely caring about what was going to happen to Theo and how he would survive his new life. One element that struck me is the uncertainty (and lack of rights) kids have when they are thrust into the system.

The story is a first-person narrative, told from the perspective of Theo, which comes across as believable and authentic. As a reader, you feel like you are experiencing what Theo is experiencing.

Tartt’s writing is clean and engaging, and she definitely did a good job of making herself sound like a 13-year-old boy and a growing young man. (I always think it’s interesting to pay attention to this when a male author has a female main character or vice versa. Are they able to pull it off? I think Tartt definitely did.)

While this is very much a character-driven novel, it’s also full of interesting and unexpected plot twists that keep the book moving. One of the aspects that I liked the most about the book is the relationships he has with the various characters in The Goldfinch. These relationships also help drive the story as he navigates the various situations he finds himself in.

One of those characters is Hobie, who becomes a sort of father figure for Theo. One of the elements I’ve noticed I really like in a book is when someone is an expert in their craft. Hobie’s craft is restoring antique furniture. I loved his descriptions of how to tell an authentic antique from a reproduction and how to go about restoring the furniture without ruining it.

While the early part of the book focuses a lot on Theo’s first couple of years after the explosion, it actually follows him into young adulthood. It ultimately becomes a sweeping novel in this way.

I think books set in New York City are fascinating. I’ve spent a total of two days (and not two consecutive days) in NYC. It seems like such a different world from Southern California, where I live.

Tartt does such a good job of showing the city as a living, breathing entity, but told from the perspective of locals. For readers who love a strong sense of place, this book definitely delivers.

This book is surprisingly philosophical. In fact, the last chapter reads almost like an essay as it explores the idea of art and immortality and why art is worth preserving. (It’s a chapter you will want to re-read!)

Tartt’s writing style reminded me a lot of Liz Moore’s, author of Long Bright River and The God of the Woods. While Moore’s books are in the thriller/mystery genre, Tartt’s writing style had a similar vibe. If you like Moore’s writing, I think you would also like this one.

This is also a great pick for anyone who likes a long novel you can spend time with and sink your teeth into.

If you’ve read this book, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!

The Goldfinch FAQs

Is The Goldfinch LGBTQ?

I would say no. This question stems from one scene where Theo is kissed by his friend, Boris, during an intense moment. And there’s a hint that it wasn’t the first time the two had been physical in some way, but this is left as a bit of mystery because it doesn’t seem like the two were very conscious when it happened.

When you read it in its context, you get the desperate situation these two kids are in and the trouble the two got into together. Honestly, this is one of the more interesting relationships that Theo has in the book.

The reason I say no is because both characters spend the book being in love with women, and you can tell this is their natural attraction.

Is The Goldfinch Suitable for Young Readers?

Most of the time, when a book is about kids, it makes sense that it’s for kids to read, but there’s a reason you won’t find this book in the young adult section. It’s really not for kids.

The reason I wouldn’t give it to my kids to read is that it explores a lot of heavy topics that I’m not sure I’d want my kids to be exposed to at a young age. For example, at a certain point in the book, Theo, while he’s still a kid, becomes a heavy drinker and experiments with drugs. He also engages in some other nefarious behavior.

Is The Goldfinch About 9/11?

No, The Goldfinch is not about 9/11. The Goldfinch opens with a terrorist attack in a post-9/11 world. We learn early on in the book that the attack was the result of homegrown terrorists.

Why Is The Goldfinch Controversial?

The controversy surrounding The Goldfinch seems to stem from those who don’t think the book deserves the accolades it received. While it received rave reviews from many literary critics and received many awards, including the Pulitzer Prize, there are others who question the praise it received.

Does it deserve the praise it received? All I know is that this book had me hooked from the first chapter and left me in a serious book hangover when it was over.

I think part of it is that The Secret History was so popular that it may have paled in comparison for some.

If you want to read more about it, Vanity Fair did a deep dive on the topic in this article.

Is The Goldfinch a horror story?

No, The Goldfinch is not a horror story. It would describe it as very engaging literary fiction. There may be some parts that are thriller-ish, but that might be a bit of a stretch.

When Did The Goldfinch Book Come Out?

The Goldfinch was published in October 2013.

What to Read after The Goldfinch?

Authors that I think have a similar writing style to Donna Tartt, even though the genres might be different, include:

• Liz Moore, if you like mysteries and thrillers
• Ruta Sepetys, if you like historical fiction
• Kazuo Ishiguro, if you like science fiction and historical fiction

When Does The Goldfinch Book Take Place?

The Goldfinch takes place in the early 2000s through the 2010s. There is no precise given year given that it starts, but this is the time period implied.

Is The Goldfinch a Movie?

Yes, The Goldfinch was adapted into a movie in 2019, and it is available to watch on Amazon Prime. The movie stars Nicole Kidman as Mrs. Barbour, Jeffrey Wright as Hobie, and Ansel Elgort as the Adult Theo Decker.

Did you read this book? I’d love to hear what you think about it.