Review: The Goldfinch

{on Goodreads}

The Goldfinch follows the extraordinarily tragic story of Theo Decker, who, at the age of 13, is living an ordinary life in New York City with his mother until fate places the two of them in the way of a bomb at the world famous Met. Theo is lucky to survive and in the aftermath of the bomb takes a priceless painting by an old Dutch master with him as he stumbles out of the museum. His mother perishes and he is taken in by a friend's high-society family, but just as life begins to sort itself out again, his deadbeat Dad arrives in New York to take Theo home to Las Vegas. In Vegas, Theo makes friends with a young Russian named Boris; the two of them get lost in a haze of drugs and alcohol, helping Theo to escape the feeling that his life is heading in the wrong direction. Years later back in New York, Theo lives within the dark, dusty world of antiques, and though from an outsider's perspective he is successful and living a life worthy of envy, that morning at the museum stays with him in more ways than one. The painting, so small and unassuming, has such a strong hold over him that he's forced to follow it into the world of underground art, where his former risk-taking is laughable in the face of new dangers.

I had been anticipating reading this book for such a long time that I actually felt some trepidation upon starting it. What I can say for sure is this: The Goldfinch pulled me in as only great books do. I read it nonstop for about 5 days, right through to the end (it's a whopping 771 pages). Tartt is a master of creating characters, each had their own perfectly crafted voice, background, and personality; as I was reading it occurred to me that she must have spent an inordinate amount of time observing other people in order to be able to portray such realness in her characters. My one big criticism of the story is that at times, it felt as though Tartt may have gone off on metaphorical, long-winded tangents just for the sake of beautiful writing, not because the details were necessary to the story. In that way, the story could feel a little manic and didn't appeal to me. Though I had originally picked up this story because I thought it belonged to the art fiction sub-genre, little of the story actually focused on the artwork itself, as it was more of a thread that carried through the character's lives, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for the art aspects of it. Definitely a good read to tackle this summer, and maybe even a great discussion piece for an ambitious book club!

Bottom Line Rating: 5/5

Title: The Goldfinch

Author: Donna Tartt

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2013

Price: $16.94 (on Amazon)

ISBN: 0316055433

Format: Hardcover

Source: Amazon

Book #22 of 2014

Books About Art & Artists

I have a weakness for books about art. Stories about art, artists, and especially art theft are high on my list of favorite sub-genres. In high school I took a lot of art classes and I wish I could have taken more throughout college. I've always been one of those people that gets caught up in art, but mostly older works. Modern art isn't really my thing, I adore work from the impressionist and post-impressionist eras. They're just so romantic.

A peek at one of my favorites:

{via}

The Bridge, view on the river by André Derain

(The colors are so gorgeous.)

I've curated a list of just a few of my favorite books about art, and added in a couple that I'm looking forward to reading. These range from (well-researched) works of historical fiction to modern stories of the high-profile art world in New York City. What I love about these books is that the authors clearly have a reverence for art, and that reverence translates to a wonderful reading experience.

Recommended:

{on Goodreads}

I can't curate this list without this book. Chevalier is a master and this is a gorgeous piece of writing. My mom recently took a trip to SanFrancisco and got to stop in the Fine Arts Museum there, where this piece is on exhibit. I was jealous that she got to see it in person, but she brought me back a coffee table book and a mug with the image on it as part of my Christmas gifts. I've thumbed through the book several times and it is just beautiful. No wonder Chevalier was inspired by this work!

{on Goodreads}

This is one of the most fascinating art stories ever, and the best part is that it takes place in Boston. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is at the very top of my list for places to visit this summer. The story goes that one night in 1990, two men broke into the museum and committed the largest art heist in history. They stole dozens of works of art, including The Concert, a work by Vermeer (the same man who painted Girl with a Pearl Earring), considered to be the most valuable piece of unrecovered stolen art. That one painting alone is worth over $200 million. This book is a nonfiction account of the mystery and the theories about who was really behind this great unsolved heist.

{on Goodreads}

I picked up this book randomly at the library last year and fell absolutely in love with it. It even made it onto my Top Ten of 2013 list. The protagonist, Madamoiselle Morisot, was rumored to have an affair with the incredibly famous Manet. It was scandalous, heartbreaking, and so romantic.

{on Goodreads}

This was a good read, though it is fictional. I thought it was interesting because it included details on how art forgeries are made and how tricky it can be now to discern whether a work is authentic or not. This one was more contemporary and gave an interesting account of the underground market of high-priced art.

{on Goodreads}

I gave this 4/5 stars on Goodreads. It's based on a true story of the only woman who ever had the honor of studying under Michaelangelo. She was selected to be the painting instructor for the Queen of Spain and finds herself navigating the court and contemplating her own future as an artist. I did read it a while ago but I do remember feeling like the focus was mostly on her life at court and not so much the art itself. Regardless, the story was great and I was completely caught up in it.


To Read:

{on Goodreads}

This one is an account of a single day in the Dutch Golden Age, and tells the story of Rembrant's first masterpiece, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulip. It's one of those books that is written through the eyes of several different characters. I'm looking forward to picking it up for this summer. Plus, isn't the cover interesting? Love its eccentric look.

{on Goodreads}

This is supposed to be an amazing read. I bought it back in January but left it at home because I feared that I would forego any schoolwork if I brought it back to school with me. Love the cover and the story is apparently riveting. It's first on my list for books to read this summer!


Do you have a favorite sub-genre? Any recommendations for great books about art?