Like most people, i really enjoyed the imagery the vocabulary each sentence is a masterpiece. From the pulitzer prizewinning, bestselling author of the namesake comes an extraordinary novel, set in both india and america, that expands the scope and range of one of our most dazzling storytellers. The obsession for theo being the goldfinch which his mother loved so much. This study guide consists of approximately 68 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the goldfinch. The book was written by the author to explore the loss that a person can feel due to death and how they deal with that death, sometimes through obsession.
Bakers antique and rare book emporium aka charley bakers home, 18881 via messina, irvine 92603 attire. Read the 25 best quotes from the goldfinch, donna tartts pultizerwinning novel, before the film adaptation. Published in 20, it was tartts first novel since the little friend in 2002. The goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through presentday america and a drama of enthralling power. The goldfinch is a novel by the american author donna tartt. It won the 2014 pulitzer prize for fiction, among other honors. So as i read i wanted to ferret out what made the novel so compelling to some, while others. The goldfinch combines vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and suspense, while plumbing with a philosophers calm the deepest mysteries. The question and answer section for the goldfinch is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. A novel pulitzer prize for fiction kindle edition by tartt, donna. A dramatic event happens about twothirds of the way in that upends the very foundations that the story is built on.
Reviewed in the united states on november 17, 2014. A boy in new york is taken in by a wealthy upper east side family after his mother is killed in a bombing at the metropolitan museum of art. Published october 22nd 20 by little, brown first published september 23rd 20 original title. The goldfinch by donna tartt book club discussion questions. 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. This book also prompted an interesting discussion of the pulitzer prize and whether it means anything at all as a mark of a book s quality or that book s representation of american literature. There are sloppy adverb inclusions sentences beginning.
Coincidentally, fabrituss painting the goldfinch came to new york city and opened at the frick on the same day tartts book was released. Goldfinch is an extraordinary book, a real rare thing in modern publishing. It combines unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and breathtaking suspense, while plumbing with a philosophers calm the deepest mysteries of love, identity, and art. Oct 22, 20 an amazon best book of the month, october 20. Dec 31, 2018 this book also prompted an interesting discussion of the pulitzer prize and whether it means anything at all as a mark of a books quality or that books representation of american literature. Throughout the book, tartt explores the tension between adolescence and maturity. Author tartt has noted that the purposeful destruction of the giant sandstone buddhas of bamiyan valley afghanistan in march of 2001 inspired her to begin her novel with an. The goldfinch is a 20 novel by american author donna tartt that is seen by many as a modern classic coming of age story. The goldfinch book on cd recommended reading the language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh isbn. Oct 17, 20 the story of a boy who loses a mother and gains a painting, donna tartts long. I felt like the entire lengthy book was leading up to something but then it kind of fizzled at the end. The goldfinch discussion questions colorado virtual library. The goldfinch book club discussion questions arlenes book club.
The novel is a comingofage tale told in the first person. Discussion questions book club recommendationsdiscussion. While they are at the museum, a bomb explodes, killing theos mother and traumatizing him. Like proust, seventeen years holed away writing we owe it to him to at least read it, we owe it to tartt because she. Apr 07, 2015 the goldfinch is a novel of shocking narrative energy and power. The goldfinch is obsessed with intertexts references to other works of literature, music, film and art e. On thursday, may 14 th the fixed on fiction book group met to discuss the goldfinch by donna tartt. May 31, 2014 abm thanks for starting the book club. The protagonist, yearold theodore decker, survives a terrorist bombing at an. While i was still in amsterdam, i dreamed about my mother for the first time in years. The 25 best quotes from the goldfinch broke by books. There are no strict rules around these books, except you may not profit from the selection of the book you are campaigning for. Dec 06, 20 the audio book club steals the goldfinch. Why the ending of the goldfinch failed personally i enjoyed the journey more than the destination of this book.
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. Theo survives, but before he stumbles to safety, a wounded elderly man encourages him to steal the museums 1654 carel fabritius painting of a goldfinch and to deliver a gold ring to the hobart and blackwell antiques shop. 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. Softcover, little brown and company, 2014 you can purchase the goldfinch online at hugo bookstores. Reviews, interviews, discussion questions, readalikes and more. Theo decker, a thirteenyearold new yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Donna tartt has said that the goldfinch painting was the guiding spirit of the book. Book club discussion questions for the goldfinch by donna. Disoriented during the attack, he takes the masterpiece the goldfinch. Aug 06, 2019 read the 25 best quotes from the goldfinch, donna tartts pultizerwinning novel, before the film adaptation. David copperfield famously says in the first line of dickenss book, whether i shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or. If you loved the first person narrative and retrospection and insight on how a life is constructed try my struggle by karl ove knausgaard 2014. Books to read if you loved donna tartts the goldfinch. Londons sunday times concluded that no amount of straining for highflown uplift can disguise the fact that the goldfinch is a turkey.
Its hard to articulate just how muchand whythe goldfinch held such power for me as a reader. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. After our engaging book discussion ended, brooke handed each member their own little brown paper bag with a morphine lollipop inside just like pippas. Please put your thoughts on the goldfinch book club questions in the comments area below 1. Oct 22, 20 charles is the deputy editor of book world. 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. 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. The novel won a pulitzer prize for fiction in 2014. Below is a summary of the novel courtesy of goodreads it begins with a boy.
I set out to write a liststyle response a roundup of the most beautiful sentences in the goldfinch but quickly realized that, on a sentencelevel, tartts masterpiece does, in parts, seem juvenile. The story of a boy who loses a mother and gains a painting, donna tartts long. 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. 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. The goldfinch has been on my reading list for quite a while. The goldfinch i had been excited to read this book for. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the goldfinch. Whator what alldoes the painting represent in the novel. When i asked book readers about the goldfinch, i generally received two answers. Dan, hanna, and meghan love donna tartts big, big novel. Walden, the idiot, silas marner, spiegel im spiegel, the magnificent seven, and, obviously, the goldfinch, to name a few. Recommending new books each month to spark lively conversation. 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 goldfinch by donna tartt halifax public libraries.
These book discussion questions are highly detailed and will ruin plot points if you have not read the book. An explosion at new yorks metropolitan museum of art kills audrey decker while she and her yearold son, theo, pay an afternoon visit. Please put your thoughts on the goldfinch book club questions in the comments area below. Many comparisons have been made between this book and great expectations and other dickens books do you see the similarities. 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. Sep 23, 20 the goldfinch is a brilliant story with memorable characters and most of the book is incredibly well done and fun to read. The library is happy to share these original questions for your use. 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. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. The characters in this book are so vividly portrayed it is quite possible you will never forget them.
Antique shopping clothes wear something gold or include it in your outfit special instruction. The goldfinch book club discussion questions arlenes. 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. The goldfinch discussion questions and recipe book club bites. A novel pulitzer prize for fiction mass market paperback june 28, 2016. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Book club discussion questions for the goldfinch by. Theodore theo decker and his mother visit new york citys metropolitan museum of art so she can view the masterpiece the goldfinch. How do these artistic touchstones inform the novel, especially theo and boriss cultural education in. The goldfinch is a brilliant story with memorable characters and most of the book is incredibly well done and fun to read. A mesmerizing, moving, and elegantly written debut novel, the language of flowers. And if youre looking for more about the goldfinch, check out my list of the 25 best quotes from the goldfinch. The goldfinch is a best book club book for discussion, a novel about a boy who loses his mother and a painting that ultimately draws him into the underworld of art.
The goldfinch book club questions and recipe if you are new here, welcome. Id been shut up in my hotel for more than a week, afraid to telephone anybody or go out. Did you enjoy the goldfinch and would you recommend this book to your friends. Producers often use a book as a springboard for a movie idea or to earn a specific rating. David copperfield famously says in the first line of dickenss book. The goldfinch is a novel of shocking narrative energy and power.
If reproducing, please credit with the following statement. Topics about this book topics that mention this book. Donna tartts the goldfinch is a complex story about theodore theo decker, a young boy who suffers the loss of his mother in a terrorist attack at the metropolitan museum of art in new york city. I was initially baffled by these claims that the book is poorly crafted, and that wood went so far as to call it childrens literature. The goldfinch was always a divisive book, even more when it won the pulitzer. Why you absolutely should read the goldfinch huffpost. Book summary theodore theo decker and his mother visit new york citys metropolitan museum of art so she can view the masterpiece the goldfinch. The goldfinch is a mesmerizing, stayupallnight and tellallyourfriends triumph, an oldfashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and selfinvention. Provide a description, and why rbookclub should want to read the book.