Book Review

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Theodore Decker has already been abandoned by his father. When his beloved mother dies in a museum explosion, Theodore manages to escape unharmed, carrying a painting that his mother had admired. He keeps it hidden, afraid the authorities will find it and arrest him. Theodore is taken in by the wealthy parents of a schoolmate who are kind to him but he never feels like part of the family. When his father suddenly appears, with his girlfriend, Theodore is taken to live with him in Las Vegas.  His father's occupation is shady and Theodore suspects illegal.  Left alone most of the time, he makes the acquaintance of Boris, a street-smart Russian boy who introduces Theodore to the world of drugs and dishonesty. When Theodore's father is killed in an auto accident, he makes his way back to New York and moves in with an antique dealer, whose partner was killed in the museum explosion that killed Theodore's mother.  Boris and Theodore reconnect when they are adults and enter a world of intrigue, unhappy love affairs, and more drugs. The painting figures prominently in the progression of this story, which is well written, but I think a bit over-rated.  The ending is somewhat philosophical and left me dissatisfied. Does the painting get returned to the museum?  Does Theodore get arrested for having a stolen painting?  You'll have to read it to find out.


View all my reviews