I loved this book too (agree with struggling through Vegas), but otherwise fully absorbed. The author could have cut way back on the Vegas part of the book.
One of the best books I’ve read. Actually, other than Dostoevsky’s The Idiot, I would say my favorite book ever. Funny story about it. I was snowbirding in Fla the winter it came out. (Hardback only I was waiting for paperback) This tall, handsome Canadian man at the pool would sit alone reading, often with tears in his eyes. One day I pointed him out to the women I was sitting with at the pool. I said that he was crying. A woman told me it was her husband and she had thrown the book in the trash because it was deperessing him so much, but he got it out. So, I thought, geez, I’m not reading it. But when I finally did, WOW, I loved the book. I read it slowly because I couldn’t bear for it to end. A delight.
No matter which way, no matter which art, the ones I prefer are the ones that surprise me with invention. In the literary it could be story or it could be language. My preference is the language dance. Donna Tartt works the story. That’s fine by me. My reference was to an inescapable tendency for unloved children to go extreme into substance. She likes to go there. So I got glib. Be a sport. Laugh and laugh again.
Loved it!!! Yes, it was long, but her exquisite writing and compelling characters carried me along without impatience. I know some people think it could have been cut, but I wouldn’t want to lose a word.
Halfway through I thought of ditching it but the writing is excellent and I was ultimately delighted to have read it. Longish in parts and I can understand why people became frustrated by it.
I hated it. I realize I’m in the minority but I will never get that wasted time back. It was excruciatingly long and never gave the payoff everyone promised.
Jason Phillips Aneurin Barnard. After various secondary roles in British TV series like War and Peace, Cilla and The white queen, This could be his breakthrough in cinema (he was in Dunkirk)
Loved it! I didn’t find it overlong but I did have to knuckle down for the first maybe 100 pages … after that it was unputdownable. Still think The Secret history is her best though.
I’m a great fan of Ms Tartt. I’ve loved all her novels, The Little Friend being my least favourite. She does seem to be a writer you either love or you hate though. I love her erudition and her use of and respect for language. I think she tells a good story though is less strong on drawing characters. With The Goldfinch, and speaking as a huge fan of Dickens, I loved the influence of Dickens … the shop was so like The Old Curiosity Shop, and the character so like Nell. I’d be really interested to know what people dislike about her writing. Genuine enquiry BTW rather than a veiled criticism.
I read it and did not like it.Goldfinch was too long and too repetitive. That repetition drove me crazy and undermined the story. YES, we know he was obsessed with the picture…he said it every other page! That being said, I loved her first one, The Secret History.
I loved The Goldfinch. I don’t understand how a person will finish a book, especially one this long, they don’t like. It takes a kind of discipline I don’t have. I’m too much of a hedonist. I want to enjoy everything I do. That being said, I’ve read a lot of books I didn’t enjoy because they were assigned in school or for book clubs or because I needed to for some reason. But when reading for pleasure it should be pleasurable.
Way too long with too many unrelated side stories. Finished it as I usually do with all books but didn’t care for it. In fact it was fairly painful to read.
Yes. Well I listened to the audiobook. I really liked it.
Yes, was great!
I LOVE it! It’s lengthy but I’m taking my time with it. I’m 3/4 done with it.
I read the first 500 pages in about a week and idk why I started slacking. I really enjoy it.
The story line changes a few times, but I really enjoyed it.
Couldn’t stay with it.
I loved the book!!
The ending wasnt even worth it Amy Constable-Hammons
I read it for book club. I probably would have stopped otherwise. It starts out great, but I struggled through Vegas and the end.
I love the Vegas part
When I thought nothing could be worse than Vegas, along came Amsterdam!?
I loved the Vegas part too. I loved every part of it though.
I loved this book too (agree with struggling through Vegas), but otherwise fully absorbed. The author could have cut way back on the Vegas part of the book.
I read it but can’t even remember what it’s about so that’s saying something
Too long winded for me. I found it like wading through treacle.
It’s one of my favorites, def my favorite of the last few years.
I liked it but thought it could have used some editing. It seemed a bit wordy in places.
It’s actually not my favorite of her’s (that honor goes to The Secret History) but it is a fantastic read! Long, but fantastic
I was enjoying the secret history but the sadness got to me. Couldn’t finish but I really liked her style of writing. The content, not so much
Great book. Bit slow to get into it but worth reading
I thought it would never end. ?
??
Solidarity! ✊ I only finished because I figured that it HAD to get better. It did not. 700+ pages of my life that I’ll never get back.
I didn’t love it.
I could never get into it but I’m going to try it again sometime
Couldn’t finish.
Loved it
Wonderful story
I loved it, but it seems to be one of those books without a middle ground. Most people I have encountered either loved or hated it.
Yes, I enjoyed it.
It started out interesting but took too long to conclude.
Loved it. All-time top 5. Read it 3 times
One of the best books I’ve read. Actually, other than Dostoevsky’s The Idiot, I would say my favorite book ever. Funny story about it. I was snowbirding in Fla the winter it came out. (Hardback only I was waiting for paperback) This tall, handsome Canadian man at the pool would sit alone reading, often with tears in his eyes. One day I pointed him out to the women I was sitting with at the pool. I said that he was crying. A woman told me it was her husband and she had thrown the book in the trash because it was deperessing him so much, but he got it out. So, I thought, geez, I’m not reading it. But when I finally did, WOW, I loved the book. I read it slowly because I couldn’t bear for it to end. A delight.
My husband stopped…he said he didn’t want to wade through any more Art History…bummer, he would LOVE Boris!
I was glad to have the Kindle version when I saw the huge book!!
Loved it. Hobie is one of my favorite characters in a long time.
Yes. And The Little Friend and The Secret History. If you like your adolescents nostrils deep in alcohol and drugs they’re not to be missed.
read again you missed the point
rolling my eyes
you may have missed the point…
Maybe you missed the point.
Maybe you’re all missing his point? Who’s to say what we take away when we read a book?
@Nicole that was my point.
No matter which way, no matter which art, the ones I prefer are the ones that surprise me with invention. In the literary it could be story or it could be language. My preference is the language dance. Donna Tartt works the story. That’s fine by me. My reference was to an inescapable tendency for unloved children to go extreme into substance. She likes to go there. So I got glib. Be a sport. Laugh and laugh again.
One of the best books ever written in my opinion. Most people either love it or hate it. The audiobook is beyond fantastic.
Hated it. I really finished expecting a turn in Theo’s character which only got worsr
I liked it. Very slow though and hard to get through at times
Polarizing. Love the responses.
Love all her books
Bought two of them. Yet to read ?
Yes, this is not what we were waiting for.
The Secret History is a good one too. Donna Tartt narrates the book herself. She’s a great narrator too
??♀️. Didn’t like it. But at least I can say I’ve read a Pulitzer winning book.
Beautiful writing but long and boring
It could have used some editing in the middle.
I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Enjoyed the first 2/3, then it just seemed to lose steam, very disappointed with the last 1/3 of the story.
My exact experience.
Same here.
Couldn’t get through it. I tried twice
Enjoyed although I felt it was a tad too long.
Loved it!!! Yes, it was long, but her exquisite writing and compelling characters carried me along without impatience. I know some people think it could have been cut, but I wouldn’t want to lose a word.
I love every word of that book. It’s one of the few I’ve read that just had it all.
Worst book ever. Could not get through it.
Loved it! Push through. It is worth it!!
Love love love that book
Well written but too long. I didn’t like the characters or the story but the writing is fabulous. I skimmed a lot.
Glad to see I wasn’t the only one bored by a “classic”.
Halfway through I thought of ditching it but the writing is excellent and I was ultimately delighted to have read it. Longish in parts and I can understand why people became frustrated by it.
Loved it, but that was loooong.
For those who loved The Goldfinch, what is the best book you’ve read since? I think it was The Nix for me.
I loved it!
It’s on my tbr list
Pretty heavy but really good.
Very good book, but a long read!
I hated it. I realize I’m in the minority but I will never get that wasted time back. It was excruciatingly long and never gave the payoff everyone promised.
Enjoyed it!
Disappointed – wanted to like it more than I did.
Excellent. Book club on tenth anniversary made list of favorite reads, one of 3 on everyone’s list.
What were the other 2 on everyone’s list?
A brilliant poetic read!
Yes loved it
Beautifully written, slow burning, but don’t expect twists or action. I liked it. movie will Nicole Kidman coming out Fall 2019 for Oscars 2020
I wonder who will play Boris ?
Jason Phillips Aneurin Barnard. After various secondary roles in British TV series like War and Peace, Cilla and The white queen, This could be his breakthrough in cinema (he was in Dunkirk)
Enjoyed it immensely
Loved it. Life, art, family, honesty. Everything.
Yes a good read not difficult at all
Loved it! I didn’t find it overlong but I did have to knuckle down for the first maybe 100 pages … after that it was unputdownable. Still think The Secret history is her best though.
The art piece got me through it. I had to know what happened to that damn painting.
Really enjoyed it
couldn’t finish it, too long
Loved it!!!!
meh…
I’m a great fan of Ms Tartt. I’ve loved all her novels, The Little Friend being my least favourite. She does seem to be a writer you either love or you hate though. I love her erudition and her use of and respect for language. I think she tells a good story though is less strong on drawing characters. With The Goldfinch, and speaking as a huge fan of Dickens, I loved the influence of Dickens … the shop was so like The Old Curiosity Shop, and the character so like Nell. I’d be really interested to know what people dislike about her writing. Genuine enquiry BTW rather than a veiled criticism.
Loved it! ?♥️
Loved it!
Yep it was epic and I loved it.
I loved it – found the Vegas setting a trudge – but loved the characterisation and how it drew me in. Left it feeling slightly unresolved.
I loved it. Needed editing but I loved it.
Didn’t like it !
Did not love it~most people did!
Not a fan!?
yes
Yes. A little long but very good.
It is a definite recent favorite.
Our book club read it. We liked it but definitely needed editing
Yes! Loved it!
Yes- different and raw
Loved loved loved it
Hated it.
One of my favs.
Yes. Really enjoyed it.
I loved it but most of my book club hated it. I read all seven hundred pages in less than a week.
I really liked it, even if it felt a little long and drawn out. Good story.
I wrote the Cliff Notes 🙂
I hope you just took a hatchet to the whole Vegas part.
Wow, that’s interesting.
I read it and did not like it.Goldfinch was too long and too repetitive. That repetition drove me crazy and undermined the story. YES, we know he was obsessed with the picture…he said it every other page! That being said, I loved her first one, The Secret History.
I agree 1000 percent!
Long read but I liked it. A lot.
Yes
Disliked the ending so much.
So did I!!! Hated it.
Loved it!
Read it and really liked it. Some parts fekt like it slogged down but it’s definitely worth a read.
Agree with Hazel.A bit of a slog in places,but I take some credit for that. Impatience.
I listened to it, and while It dragged in the middle a little for me, I thought it was overall extraordinary.
Yes I enjoyed it but when I gave it as a gift that person hated it and didn’t finish reading it
Yes! Excellent book.
I loved it. A friend who read it, said it was undisciplined.
Very tragic but beautiful story.
excellent.
Great book
Loved it
Yes. I lost a month of my life for this book and I want it BAACK!
Yes
Read it like it was a boring assignment. Disappointed! Did not like it!
I liked the beginning so got hooked into reading the entire book but I didn’t like it. Too much drug use in it for me.
Started. Abandoned unfinished.
My favorite from her is A Secret History
Loved Goldfinch! One of my favorite books!
Boris!
Sorry, good beginning, then really dropped off
Loved this book!
Loved her book. Really kept my attention. Not for everyone, I’m sure, but her writing is like a fine wine to me. Also liked The Secret History.
Yes. I like The Secret History better
Yes!
Read it. Didn’t like it
Loved it! Try the audiobook!!! Really good!
Yes. Did not enjoy it.
Ugh! Just don’t.
Loved it.
loved it! was an odd story but it just got me
I read every page, I loved the beginning, but it became long and tedious for me.
I have. It was good, but not great! Nothing can compare to her first book, The Secret History.
Yes! Enjoyed it!
Yes – the audiobook won an Audie and is excellent. It is a tough book but memorable characters
????
Yes
Not my favorite
Yes! A favorite.
??
This is the most polarizing book which tells me it is one of the greats.
Loved it!
Yes
Yes, but did not like it.
I loved The Goldfinch. I don’t understand how a person will finish a book, especially one this long, they don’t like. It takes a kind of discipline I don’t have. I’m too much of a hedonist. I want to enjoy everything I do. That being said, I’ve read a lot of books I didn’t enjoy because they were assigned in school or for book clubs or because I needed to for some reason. But when reading for pleasure it should be pleasurable.
Loved it
Never heard of it whats it about
Loved it. It’s very dark. Reminded me of Crime & Punishment
Yes
I loved it
I really liked it. The combination of art, crime and NYC was a fantastic premise, and I found myself really caring about the characters.
I couldn’t put it down.
Yes, start reading it.
Well written but kind of a downer.
Reading it right now! Totally digging it. They’re actually making a movie adaptation right now as well
Good read
I ended up enjoying it but, in my opinion, it could have been 200 pages shorter and it would have improved the experience.
Just finished Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. Anybody else read it?
I did and can’t wait for the movie in August!
Way too long with too many unrelated side stories. Finished it as I usually do with all books but didn’t care for it. In fact it was fairly painful to read.
Yes, Redundant. Could have been 30-40% shorter. I’m reluctant to try any of her others.
Yes it was too long.
I want to!
I loved it.