The Goldfinch

by Donna Tartt
March 20–May17, 2014

I can't believe it's been just over a month since I finished this book. Not only did it take me FOREVER to finish, it's now taken me forever to post. I guess I've been as busy as a one-legged man ... well, you get the idea. The delay, however, has nothing to do with what a fabulous book The Goldfinch is.

I wasn't prepared for how heavy this book would weigh on me. The subject matter, characters and circumstances were quite exhausting. At a whopping 771 pages, Goldfinch has a lot to cover. Theo is just 13 when a terrorist attack in an art museum kills his mother, leaving him with horrific visions of the dead and the survivors, as well as life-long post-traumatic stress. In a split-second decision on his way to safety, Theo's life is forever tied to that museum, with art and antiques becoming his passion. All this not before a horrendous childhood filled with drugs, alcohol, and the desperate need to fit in. While Theo makes poor decisions constantly throughout his life, the reader will inevitably keep cheering for him. He wants to be a better person.

The entire cast of characters will take your emotions for a wild ride. From hatred to pity to compassion, Tartt was able to capture the full gamut. It's no wonder The Goldfinch has won countless literary prizes, including the 2014 Pulitzer for fiction. One of the better books I've read in a while.

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