Many say to never judge a book by its cover. But what people should also say, or simply remember, is to not watch the movie before you read the book. Of course, this works with some and with others it does not, and in the case of The Goldfinch, I found that it was not the best decision I made. I would argue that in some instances, seeing the film first can be beneficial in helping you visualize certain features of the different characters, putting a face to a name without the added layer of needing to picture them yourself.
I actually had the pleasure to see the painting when I was on a little trip down to Edinburgh in December of 2016 and saw the little bird at the Scottish National Gallery. My trip was definitely much different to that of the protagonist of the book and as far as I’m aware, the painting isn’t lost anywhere.
I’m a little torn giving this novel a relatively low rating as, as a whole, it is well written, the story flows, and thematically, everything fits. The style of writing mimics that of a journal almost, a notion which is elaborated upon in the final pages of the text itself as the reader is presented with a direct conversation between themselves and the protagonist. The problem I had was the pace. Having seen the film prior to reading the book, I was prepared for something a little more dynamic, and in that sense, the book fell short. A very large section of the book is dedicated to Theo’s life outside of New York, a diversion though of high importance is also one that greatly slowed the book down for me. As did the chapters of him getting back into education upon return to his home state.
There are a few characters that I would have liked to know more about and more about some of the greater relationships that go on in the novel. There are some unanswered questions that the reader is left with upon finishing the novel, some that don’t need an answer, and some where it would have been nice to have one. Nonetheless, the book itself reads well, there are gripping moments to the tale. With using such a personal tense it is easy to find what the protagonist goes through relatable at times. It is an emotional read, some moments hit harder than others, and some others you can’t wait to be done with. The Goldfinch is worth the read, seasonally fitting to autumn, and almost any other season. It is a long text, so be ready to spend a long time on it.
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