Provide a description, and why rbookclub should want to read the book. I have a feeling i will be having a few marathon sessions with this book. The goldfinch by donna tartt donna tartt is a writer who takes her time shes published just one novel per decade since her debut in 1992. Though the mystery element is a bit flawed, burtons. Drenched in sensory detail, infused with theos churning thoughts and feelings, sparked by nimble dialogue, and propelled by escalating cosmic angst and thriller action, tartts trenchant, defiant, engrossing, and rocketing novel conducts a grand inquiry into the mystery and sorrow of survival, beauty and obsession, and the promise of art. The goldfinch is a novel by the american author donna tartt. David copperfield famously says in the first line of dickenss book. This unread book is guaranteed to be a 1st edition, 1st printing. Little brown, usa, 2008, softcover, 1st softcover edition, near fine book, not remaindered, book club or library, unmarked, winner of pulitzer prize.
I dont understand why this book is so highly rated. Coincidentally, fabrituss painting the goldfinch came to new york city and opened at the frick on the same day tartts book was released. Frankly i am not sure i would have continued on had the goldfinch not been a donna tartt book, knowing shed spring a sudden surprise on me toward the end. The audio book club steals the goldfinch slate magazine. Pulitzer prize for fiction goes to the goldfinch donna tartts huge book, 11 years in the writing, wins honour for beautifullywritten novel. The protagonist, yearold theodore decker, survives a terrorist bombing at an. When i asked book readers about the goldfinch, i generally received two answers. Theo comes to possess this piece of art, and it becomes the driver, and the unifier, that moves him through the everyday humdrum of his life. It combines unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and breathtaking suspense, while plumbing with a philosophers calm the deepest mysteries of love, identity, and art. To frame a story about art, love and morality, donna tartt visits two continents and travels across time in a beautifully told if sometimes sagging story. So, when little brown asked us to read the 770 page pulitzer prize winning book the goldfinch we all immediately said yes. Book club discussion questions for the goldfinch by donna tartt. Softcover, little brown and company, 2014 you can purchase the goldfinch online at hugo bookstores.
How the goldfinch got away with its disgraceful racial politics in the pulitzerwinning novel, people. Oct 19, 20 pulitzer prize for fiction goes to the goldfinch donna tartts huge book, 11 years in the writing, wins honour for beautifullywritten novel with exquisitely drawn characters published. Book club discussion questions for the goldfinch by donna. You can play along and feel free to use this quiz in your own book club discussion. Dan, hanna, and meghan love donna tartts big, big novel. Its hard to articulate just how muchand whythe goldfinch held such power for me as a reader.
Jun 05, 2014 the goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through presentday america and a drama of enthralling power. Dec 22, 20 the goldfinch is one of my favorite fiction books of 20 and i liked it even more than the secret history, tartts debut novel which i loved and is on my book club recommendations list. Always a sucker for a good boyandhismom story, i probably was taken in at first by the cruelly beautiful passages in which yearold theo decker tells of the accident that killed his beloved mother and set his fate. Published in 20, it was tartts first novel since the little friend in 2002 the novel is a comingofage tale told in the first person. Topics about this book topics that mention this book. Donna tartt has delivered an extraordinary work of fiction. It is hard for me to boil down what this book is truly about because it covers such a wide breadth of themes and i also dont want to ruin the suspense. Oct 22, 20 an amazon best book of the month, october 20. The goldfinch book club questions and recipe if you are new here, welcome. While i was still in amsterdam, i dreamed about my mother for the first time in years. If you are an avid reader, the goldfinch is the kind of book that you only come across a few times that leaves a lasting impression on you. Combining unforgettably vivid characters and thrilling suspense, it is a beautiful, addictive triumph a sweeping story of loss and obsession, of survival and selfinvention, of the deepest mysteries of love, identity and fate. Oct 17, 20 the story of a boy who loses a mother and gains a painting, donna tartts long.
The goldfinch by donna tartt, first edition abebooks. Many comparisons have been made between this book and great expectations and other dickens books do you see. Book summary theodore theo decker and his mother visit new york citys metropolitan museum of art so she can view the masterpiece the goldfinch. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. For the goldfinch, i provide your book club with a brief summary, a recipe, and discussion questions in that order the goldfinch book club questions and recipe. The goldfinch donna tartt book club guide refinery29. Its hard to articulate just how muchand why the goldfinch held such power for me as a reader. Did you enjoy the goldfinch and would you recommend this book to your friends. The goldfinch is a powerful book peopled with vivid characters, breathtaking prose and donna tartts signature nailbiting moments of suspense. My hope is that anyone reading this post will find some great ideas for their book club and find inspiration in the pages of this fantastic book. I used this as a preread to the book in hopes that i would notice more as i was reading the book. So as i read i wanted to ferret out what made the novel so.
The goldfinch is a novel of shocking narrative energy and power. The living room was decorated with several objects mentioned in the book to go along with the quote mentioned above. From the streets of new york to the dark corners of the art underworld, this soaring masterpiece examines the devastating impact of grief and the ruthless machinations of fate ron charles, washington post. Donna tartt is very descriptive and goes into depth over every little. I will go back through this when i finish the book. The anatomymore i reread the first few chapters after finishing the book and looked up each painting theo and his mother discussed before the explosion. We certainly had a great time talking about the goldfinch, and if youre interested in reading it, hopefully the same will be true for you.
Like most people, i really enjoyed the imagery the vocabulary each sentence is a masterpiece. So as i read i wanted to ferret out what made the novel so compelling to some, while others. Apr 07, 2015 the goldfinch is a novel of shocking narrative energy and power. Donna tartts latest novel clocks in at an unwieldy 784 pages. Looming large through these disparate threads is the goldfinch a haunting seventeenthcentury masterpiece by the famous dutch painter, fabritius see beyond the book. Book club kicked off 2014 with our readervoted book, donna tartts anticipated the goldfinch. The novel is a comingofage tale told in the first person. The bookhouse iowa wholesale books and book fairs k9 in the cedar rapids, iowa area. Buy a cheap copy of the goldfinch book by donna tartt.
The goldfinch a novel national book critics circle. The goldfinch is one of my favorite fiction books of 20 and i liked it even more than the secret history, tartts debut novel which i loved and is on my book club recommendations list. The goldfinch is a brilliant story with memorable characters and most of the book is incredibly well done and fun to read. Donna tartt little, brown and companybeowulf sheehan donna tartts multicultural fantasy. While they are at the museum, a bomb explodes, killing theos mother and traumatizing him. The goldfinch book club discussion questions arlenes.
A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. Whator what alldoes the painting represent in the novel. Near fine hardcover copy of the goldfinch by donna tartt. A dramatic event happens about twothirds of the way in that upends the very foundations that the story is built on. It won the 2014 pulitzer prize for fiction, among other honors. Donna tartt has said that the goldfinch painting was the guiding spirit of the book. Right before we got down and dirty into our discussion, we took the following quiz to win the goldfinch prize of the night. Our discussion has now finished, but you can read it back above and leave us your comments below. The final 5% of the book then beats you over the head with lessons that you should have learned if you were as smart as the author. Readers who thrilled to the backstory of fabritius and amsterdams golden age should pick up the miniaturist, burtons meticulously detailed first novel set in 1689 amsterdam, where a newlywed country girl must negotiate the secrets of her new familyand of the citys high society.
The goldfinch is a triumph with a brave theme running through it. Luckily for all parties involved, either group will be completely enraptured by donna tartts new book, the goldfinch. What are the similarities between the chains on the boy and the chains on the bird. Nothing makes me happier than a book that will take up loads of my timeits probably as close as ill ever get to flying to the moon damn you, sir richard branson. Oct 22, 20 charles is the deputy editor of book world.
I belong to a small book club that chose to read it adn 4 out of 6 give up on it. Many comparisons have been made between this book and great expectations and other dickens books do you see the similarities. Raleigh rand i reread the first few chapters after finishing the book and looked up each painting theo and his mother discussed before the explosion. In leiu of a dust jacket, this version was printed with illustrated boards and backed in green cloth with gilt lettering on spine. Id been shut up in my hotel for more than a week, afraid to telephone anybody or go out. Published in 20, it was tartts first novel since the little friend in 2002. Read the goldfinch absolutely for free at readanybook. Winner of the pulitzer prize the goldfinch is a rarity that comes along perhaps half a dozen times per decade, a smartly written literary novel that connects with the heart as well as the minddonna tartt has delivered an extraordinary work of fiction. Our book club has been looking forward to reading the goldfinch for the past four months let me explain why. The protagonist, yearold theodore decker, survives a terrorist bombing at an art museum where his mother is killed.
The goldfinch is a mesmerizing, stayupallnight and tellallyourfriends triumph, an oldfashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and selfinvention. The goldfinch book club discussion questions arlenes book club. The goldfinch is a haunting odyssey that combines vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and breathtaking suspense winner of the 2014 pulitzer prize for fiction her canvas is vast. The goldfinch by donna tartt book club discussion questions. The book is professionally wrapped and packed with great care with bubble wrap and placed in a special book box to ensure that the book arrives at your destination in perfect condition.
The characters in this book are so vividly portrayed it is quite possible you will never forget them. Dec 06, 20 the audio book club steals the goldfinch. The jacket is protected by archival protective covering. The goldfinch, by donna tartt a little picture of a bird drives this sumptuously furnished novel. Our discussion has now finished, but you can read it. The goldfinch pulitzer prize winner by donna tartt. Not only was this book too long, it was unbelievable due insufficient character development. There are no strict rules around these books, except you may not profit from the selection of the book you are campaigning for. Does the book seem to accurately depict the feeling of loss. The goldfinch, by donna tartt the author of the secret history returns with a novel about art, love and loss thats drawn comparisons to oliver twist and the harry potter series. The story of a boy who loses a mother and gains a painting, donna tartts long. Glad you found us, everyone is invited to participate in bookclub.
See more ideas about goldfinch, book club books and donna tartt. It is a beautiful, stayupallnight and tellallyourfriends triumph, an oldfashioned story of. Wait, is this for real, did someone from one of the largest publishing houses actually contact me and my book club. Please put your thoughts on the goldfinch book club questions in the comments area below. How many ways is theo tied to the goldfinch, forced, always, to land in the same hopeless place. Book club discussion questions for the goldfinch by.
1437 782 331 300 206 738 199 905 124 928 972 256 90 1492 1306 157 837 1584 1422 213 72 34 125 1341 155 1276 1399 223 783 1298 1507 42 293 911 213 127 611 720 72 1293 1390 1184 141 767