The Goldfinch Review (Rule Three)
Title: The Goldfinch
Author: Donna Tartt
Date Purchased: 10/24/2017
Price Paid: $5.29
Date Finished: 5/29/2021
Rating: 0/5
Life is short, you know? It’s a weird thing to have to remind yourself, but I think readers can find themselves trapped and this is something we need to keep in mind. This is why I created Rule Three to begin with, and yet I still have to remind myself of this on a regular basis.
I talk to a lot of people that are avid readers and I often hear variations on the same theme: “I can’t walk away from a book. Once I start I feel compelled to finish.” For many of us there is this compulsion to push on, to finish one more chapter, to get over that hump to where we see what everyone has raved about.
So, to you…and, honestly, to me? I say this: STOP.
When I started The Goldfinch I had reservations. Straight fiction can be hit or miss for me in books, movies, television, basically any form of media. I need a hook. I need something to draw me into a story. Mystery or suspense is usually the best way to accomplish this apart from, you know, a dragon.
Regardless of what my fears were, I have a job to do with this project so I dove right in. And it was a little slow at first, but there were some parts that were interesting enough to keep me going. I made it through some longer spots of very drawn out character development until I hit a point where I just didn’t want to pick the book up again.
This is where I encountered my largest objection to walking away. It won a Pulitzer Prize for crying out loud. We’re talking about an award winning book. If I’m unable to finish this book I am less of a reader. Of course, now that I’m a few weeks removed from the book, I know this is hogwash.
Let’s bottom line this, shall we? I didn’t enjoy the book. Full stop. The characters didn’t grab me, the story wasn’t appealing, and Tartt’s writing style isn’t the type I enjoy reading.
And that, dear reader, is truly all that needs to be said. I’m sure this is a fantastic book for someone. That person just isn’t me.
Final Thoughts: Slow, plodding, and not for me. Hard pass.