The goldfinch book club discussion questions arlenes. The novel is a comingofage tale told in the first person. I belong to a small book club that chose to read it adn 4 out of 6 give up on it. But the good news is there are plenty of books that should resonate with goldfinch readers in various ways. Each month we read and discuss the books everyone especially us. Donna tartt has delivered an extraordinary work of fiction.
The goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through presentday america and a drama of enthralling power. Smith can hold his own with tartt when it comes to teenagedboy speak, and the bffs in this book, austin and robby, are almost as debauched as theo and boris. Feel free to purchase the goldfinch from the book depository using my affiliate link so i can use the proceeds to buy even more books. 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. The real goldfinch painting has a crazy story behind it. Composed with the skills of a master, the goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through presentday america. 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 goldfinch is a mesmerizing, stayupallnight and tellallyourfriends triumph, an oldfashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and selfinvention.
When your core is out of whack, it seems to tell us, nothing can compensate. 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. If youre just joining us, weve tackled the first 200orso pages of donna tartts the goldfinch, an epic tale of loss, love, and the power of art. Thanks for joining us for this months final book club discussion, where were hashing over the last three chapters of donna tartts the goldfinch and talking about feelings all of the. As he and his mother explore the metropolitan museum.
When i asked book readers about the goldfinch, i generally received two answers. 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. The goldfinch is a metaphor for the world in the aftermath of 911 and the state of fear we have lived in. The jacket is protected by archival protective covering. What to read after the goldfinch posted by trisha, managing editor on september 09, 2014. If you loved donna tartts the goldfinch, check out. Its hard to articulate just how muchand why the goldfinch held such power for me as a reader. 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. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. This is a novel of ideas, a splendid, spellbinding, stunningly written saga for the 21st century. If you loved donna tartts the goldfinch, check out these. If the bromance between theo and his eastern european best friend, boris, was what got you hooked on the goldfinch, we recommend the work of andrew smith, especially grasshopper jungle. 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.
Our book club just finished reading and discussing our latest treasure, the goldfinch, by donna tartt. It combines unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and breathtaking suspense, while plumbing with a philosophers calm the deepest mysteries of love, identity, and art. The goldfinch, named after the 1654 painting by carel fabritius of a chained goldfinch, is a pulitzer prizewinning 20 novel by donna tartt and a book club favorite. In your opinion, who was the true hero in this book. The goldfinch has a corresponding power, a visionary drag on the circuits. A novel pulitzer prize for fiction paperback april 7, 2015. As he and his mother explore the metropolitan museum of art, waiting for a spring rain shower to abate, a bomb explodes, and suddenly all is ash.
The goldfinch part i book club ideas by donna tartt. Apr 07, 2015 the goldfinch is a novel of shocking narrative energy and power. I know that sounds like i just lifted that from the book jacket, but honestly its true. A novel pulitzer prize for fiction kindle edition by tartt, donna. This 45page guide for the goldfinch by donna tartt includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 12 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. Ive chosen the goldfinch by donna tartt, a hefty work that deals with all. How the goldfinch got away with its disgraceful racial politics in the pulitzerwinning novel, people.
Donna tartt little, brown and companybeowulf sheehan donna tartts multicultural fantasy. There was a point in the middle where i wondered if i would push through. The goldfinch was the book to read last year, so i didnt read it. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. The goldfinch book club discussion questions arlenes book club. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. Can a single moment cast a shadow over every year that follows.
Not only was this book too long, it was unbelievable due insufficient character development. In short, the story is about a young boy growing up in new york city, but the more than 700. Oct 22, 20 an amazon best book of the month, october 20. 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. 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. The goldfinch book club questions and recipe book club bites. 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. Our book club has been looking forward to reading the goldfinch for the past four months let me explain why.
And so it will go, until the little chained bird is free. The protagonist, yearold theodore decker, survives a terrorist bombing at an art museum where his mother is killed. Dave eggers inner circle this month, for r29 book club, i invite you down the rabbit hole with dave eggers the circle. The goldfinch by donna tartt book club discussion questions. At 9 by inches, carole fabritiuss oil painting, the goldfinch, is only just a bit bigger than a piece of printer paper. Softcover, little brown and company, 2014 you can purchase the goldfinch online at hugo bookstores. The story of a boy who loses a mother and gains a painting, donna tartts long. In donna tartts latest novel, the goldfincha brilliant successor to her 1992 international bestseller, the secret historyit takes just a split second for yearold theos life to be upended.
The goldfinch book club questions and cocktail recipe. The protagonist, yearold theodore decker, survives a terrorist bombing at an. This article provides a personality perspective that focuses on the relationship between two of the books main characterstheodore theo decker, who tells the story in. Its difficult to suggest just one list of books to read if you loved the goldfinch, because those who love the story are compelled by all. 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. Aug 17, 2014 theres so much crammed into the pages of donna tartts pulitzer prizewinning novel the goldfinch. Check out this goldfinch painting that she just whipped up in a couple days before book club i mean, come on, thats almost identical to the original. It won the 2014 pulitzer prize for fiction, among other honors. Oct 17, 20 the story of a boy who loses a mother and gains a painting, donna tartts long. Yes, art in whatever form brings us as close to ourselves as we will ever get.
Its beautiful prose is densely layered and overflowing with richly developed characters. Part one of an edited extract from the goldfinch, the new novel by donna tartt. Pulitzer prize for fiction goes to the goldfinch donna tartts huge book, 11 years in the writing, wins honour for beautifullywritten novel. This one, her third, tells the story of a young man named theodore decker who is forced to grapple with the world alone after his motherbrilliant, beautiful and a delight to be aroundis felled in what. Why does tartt populate the novel with so many antiheroes. Book club discussion questions for the goldfinch by donna. Donna tartt has delivered an extraordinary work of fiction, stephen king an astonishing achievement. I wanted to reach out and see if youd like to become one of our book club insiders, from the powerpoint to the menu, from the performance to the discussion, you guys are really a perfect example of what book clubs can be. A dramatic event happens about twothirds of the way in that upends the very foundations that the story is built on. The goldfinch signed by tartt, donna and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Buy a cheap copy of the goldfinch book by donna tartt. The goldfinch october 1, 2015 by kathy porter thirteenyearold theo decker and his mother are visiting the metropolitan museum of art in manhattan when a terrorists bomb explodes killing and injuring scores of people, including theos mother. So as i read i wanted to ferret out what made the novel so.
Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. 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. Book club discussion questions for the goldfinch by. Since ive finished reading, i can say that i really enjoyed this book. Book summary theodore theo decker and his mother visit new york citys metropolitan museum of art so she can view the masterpiece the goldfinch. If this is your first time with us, weve just gotten through the middle portion of the goldfinch. The goldfinch is a novel by the american author donna tartt. While they are at the museum, a bomb explodes, killing theos mother and traumatizing him.
As he and his mother explore the metropolitan museum of art, waiting for a spring rain shower to abate, a bomb explodes. Read the goldfinch absolutely for free at readanybook. Like most people, i really enjoyed the imagery the vocabulary each sentence is a masterpiece. Jun 05, 2014 the goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through presentday america and a drama of enthralling power. May 31, 2014 abm thanks for starting the book club. Published in 20, it was tartts first novel since the little friend in 2002. The goldfinch is a triumph with a brave theme running through it. Oct 22, 20 charles is the deputy editor of book world. So, if thats not your thing, you might struggle with the novel. The goldfinch part ii book club ideas by donna tartt do you remember how i teased you at the end of the goldfinch post part i with this huge empty drivers license. Exclusive extract, part one part one of an edited extract from the goldfinch, the new novel by donna tartt.
Did you enjoy the goldfinch and would you recommend this book to your friends. Barbour in the supporting cast who is your favorite and why. This unread book is guaranteed to be a 1st edition, 1st printing. Please put your thoughts on the goldfinch book club questions in the comments area below 1. Book club discussion questions for the goldfinch by donna tartt. A longawaited, elegant meditation on love, memory and the haunting power of art. The characters in this book are so vividly portrayed it is quite possible you will never forget them. Apart from hobie, pippa and theos mother, most of the goldfinchs characters are deeply flawed andor egomaniacal. Jun, 2014 donna tartt little, brown and companybeowulf sheehan donna tartts multicultural fantasy. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Donna tartts latest novel clocks in at an unwieldy 784 pages. Many comparisons have been made between this book and great expectations and other dickens books do you see the similarities. Because tartt had us at the secret historyand never let us go.
The goldfinch is a novel of shocking narrative energy and power. Please put your thoughts on the goldfinch book club questions in the comments area below. In the ensuing chaos, theo escapes with his mothers favorite painting, the goldfinch, a priceless dutch masterpiece. Yet its inspired crowds of 60,000 people, a 738blockbuster novel by. There is an excessive amount of drug use in the book. Welcome to the third installment of r29 book club, helmed by me, your historicalfictionloving washington d. Refinery29 s book club hosts a final discussion of this months book, the goldfinch by donna tartt. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the goldfinch. The goldfinch pulitzer prize winner by donna tartt.
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