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Well, I
still haven’t read The Little Friend,
but I’m no longer a one-Tartt woman (doesn’t that sound suggestive?) The
Goldfinch came out last fall, and I was sort of gobsmacked. I’m not sure if it ever quite reaches the
highs of The Secret History (though
that could be the first-time factor talking,) but I think it’s ultimately a
stronger book, put together more thoughtfully with greater maturity and a more
satisfying resolution.
Our
guide through The Goldfinch is Theo
Decker, a clever, under-achieving middle schooler from New York City. A school suspension, an art gallery, and a
senseless act of terrorism conspire to upend Theo’s life. In a sickeningly-disorienting blink of an
eye, he’s lost the only family he’s ever claimed, and his home and city are
quick to retreat as well. The narrative spans
decades, leaping from Manhattan to the desert to the Netherlands as Theo
dizzingly comes of age. He spirals out
of control, he forges unlikely friendships, he makes colossal mistakes, and he
touches world-shifting beauty. A small,
exquisite painting from a Dutch master is the thread that binds the fragments
of his life together, no matter where he goes.
As with
The Secret History, Tartt’s talent
for characterization is front and center.
Her unique or eccentric characters really feel like people, not like “unique/eccentric” archetypes. They’re painted stroke by stroke, made from
hundreds of tiny, incidental observations that blend to create a complete
individual. Theo is an excellent
narrator, funny and intelligent, sometimes maddening, often heartbreaking. He’s surrounded by a wealth of rich
supporting characters, from furniture dealers to cocktail waitresses. My favorite is probably Boris, an impulsive,
affectionate, poly-lingual wildcard who befriends Theo.
The
prose is another highlight (once again, no surprise.) The initial description of the attack
captures the stomach-churning noise, blood, and confusion of a sudden disaster,
and Tartt deftly shows how its aftershocks echo into Theo’s adult life. Much attention is paid to beauty, in art and
antique furniture, and Tartt’s exploration of the subject is stunning in its
own right. Theo is a great lover of
beauty, someone who sees, and his
insights dazzle. There are points where
this book rivals Sunday in the Park with
George as a rumination on the nature of art, and that’s saying something.
Don’t
let the length (nearly 800 pages) put you off – The Goldfinch is sublime.
Warnings
Swearing,
sexual content, violence, criminal activity, and tons of substance abuse,
including alcohol, smoking, and drug use.
That might make it sound tawdry, but it’s really, really not.
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