kaffeogbok's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Favoritt<3
sophieecook's review against another edition
5.0
i’ve forced myself to wait a few days before writing this review so i know for sure that what i’m feeling about this book isn’t an ephemeral reaction… it isn’t. i’ve been thinking about the goldfinch non stop, this book is a treasure trove of truly detailed characters, full-bodied plot, and most of all, gorgeous writing. Donna Tartt is a gem, and throughout the length (which is long), it’s the writing over the content that drew me back in again and again. i loved this book, with its gentle yet persistent glow and life, just like the painting itself.
alicemcquillann's review against another edition
3.5
objectively a good book but i would not want to be friends with donna tartt
odysseyofcha's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
l30n4s's review against another edition
5.0
This book is so well written. I really enjoyed reafing it. My favorite thing about the book is that, even tho its fiction, none of the characters are neither villain nor a hero(good guy). Everybody feels so human. Almost like i could meet them on the street and have conversations with them. The story is also very touching. I adore the frendships between all the characters. They are so real and not exaggerated. Overall a great book.
laura_boyd05's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
tarajoy90's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Gun violence, Drug abuse, and Drug use
ferris_mx's review against another edition
3.0
Despite being beautifully written, and representing the pinnacle of good descriptive text - not boring or tedious, but really putting the reader in the scene, I couldn't get above three stars.
It would have been better to compare Theo to The Goldfinch than Fabritius. Theo is tied down by feeling responsible for the loss of his mother, the loss of his father, and an MRA-like attachment to the girl who attracted his attention the day of the pivotal catastrophe. Nothing is provided to elaborate on Theo's feelings for Pippa beyond a single shared experience and some unattainability so of course he is fixated. Meanwhile, the engagement to Kitsey is poorly motivated and anyone can tell proceeding with her is a mistake. That is, it's a mistake if actions have meaning.
Because that's maybe another theme of the book - a kind of nihilistic view that actions *don't* have meaning, because we'll all be dead in the end. Or else the meaning is illusory. While I can't disagree with either premise, I do disagree with the conclusions the book draws from them. I feel like this criticism is a weak one because I'm not sure the book advances this view consistently.
The discussion of NYC academic life is deeply flawed. NYC schools, even private schools, do not offer AP courses to middle school students except under very unusual circumstances, and usually with parental involvement. There is no early college program for middle school students, and the specialized schools like Stuyvesant are the pinnacle of the NYC system, not the "early college" program with a 30% acceptance rate. It's weird and jarring to have the setting botched so.
Finally, the book misses the mark in describing Theo's early intolerance for sexual attraction/gender. Characters are allowed to be intolerant, but when the descriptive text is so clearly adult and not the feelings of the adolescent as would be described by that adolescent, it comes pretty close to the line where the writing can be attributed to some intolerance of the author. And this book was too recent to excuse this is a prior era's ineducation.
It would have been better to compare Theo to The Goldfinch than Fabritius. Theo is tied down by feeling responsible for the loss of his mother, the loss of his father, and an MRA-like attachment to the girl who attracted his attention the day of the pivotal catastrophe. Nothing is provided to elaborate on Theo's feelings for Pippa beyond a single shared experience and some unattainability so of course he is fixated. Meanwhile, the engagement to Kitsey is poorly motivated and anyone can tell proceeding with her is a mistake. That is, it's a mistake if actions have meaning.
Because that's maybe another theme of the book - a kind of nihilistic view that actions *don't* have meaning, because we'll all be dead in the end. Or else the meaning is illusory. While I can't disagree with either premise, I do disagree with the conclusions the book draws from them. I feel like this criticism is a weak one because I'm not sure the book advances this view consistently.
The discussion of NYC academic life is deeply flawed. NYC schools, even private schools, do not offer AP courses to middle school students except under very unusual circumstances, and usually with parental involvement. There is no early college program for middle school students, and the specialized schools like Stuyvesant are the pinnacle of the NYC system, not the "early college" program with a 30% acceptance rate. It's weird and jarring to have the setting botched so.
Finally, the book misses the mark in describing Theo's early intolerance for sexual attraction/gender. Characters are allowed to be intolerant, but when the descriptive text is so clearly adult and not the feelings of the adolescent as would be described by that adolescent, it comes pretty close to the line where the writing can be attributed to some intolerance of the author. And this book was too recent to excuse this is a prior era's ineducation.
alva_ahlberg's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Älskar den. En målning som representerar så mycket mer för Theo; hur han inte kan släppa sin mammas död och olyckshändelsen som också visas i hans dragning till Pippa (dock så kan han ju gilla henne också). Boken är väldigt bra på att skildra depression och tankemönster, man slukas upp i Theos värld och plötsligt har det gått 2h och man läst 100 sidor. Verklighetstrogna karaktärer: Donna Tartt är otroligt bra på att få människor i hennes böcker att komma till liv. Väldigt intressanta sista 20 sidor som handlar om ödet och om hur bra saker händer dåliga människor/dåliga saker händer bra människor, hur det ibland löser sig på fel sätt och en massa annat. Kommer definitivt gå tillbaka och läsa om den delen, för jag slukade den på ett plan och kände att jag inte kunde ta in allt. Hur som helst 5/5 would do again.
maria_smck's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75