The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt is a coming-of-age novel that follows the life of Theodore Decker. The novel was released September 23, 2013, and would go on to win the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. The book is a whopping 771 pages, with the audiobook equaling 32 hours and 24 minutes. The story revolves around the painting also named The Goldfinch by the Dutch painter Carel Fabritius, created in 1654.
Beginning in the early 2000s Theo loses his mother during an explosion at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. In the midst of the explosion, Theo meets an old man who gifts him a ring and tells him to save the painting, The Goldfinch. After escaping the explosion Theo runs home where he realizes his mother will not be returning. Theo is then forced to live with his friend and his parents before he is taken by his father and his father’s girlfriend to live in Las Vegas, all while taking his stolen painting with him. In Las Vegas, Theo meets Boris and gets caught up in drugs and alcohol. Following his father’s death, Theo flees Child Protective Services by going to back New York City. He then marries his childhood friend’s sister and their relationship is quite rocky. On a random day, Theo encounters Boris who has a new mysterious job and Theo learns that Boris stole his beloved painting and sold it off. At a party, Boris tells Theo he needs him to go with him and he takes him to Amsterdam. In Amsterdam, the boys try to get the painting back and end up losing it after a bloody battle. At the end of the novel, Boris informs Theo that the painting was found and given back to the art world where it belongs.
Overall, the book is amazing and while it is a time-consuming read, it is worth every second. The characters feel real and you will become attached to them and their story. For me, the novel has brought on a new appreciation for art and the art world. The story is one worth reading and I would recommend it to anyone who is willing to take on this 771-page challenge. I mean the book didn’t win the Pulitzer Prize for nothing.
