In Donna Tartt’s sprawling, Dickensian and luminously realized novel, THE GOLDFINCH, we follow the adventures of Theo Decker who, when we first meet him, loses his mother tragically and has been abandoned by his father. We follow his story from Park Avenue to Vegas to Europe, as well as the one precious object he has–a precious painting of a goldfinch which, in turn, reveals itself to be a dangerous possession with a backstory and narrative of its own.
Tartt’s language has a propulsive and mesmerizing energy that is just a joy to read. This book is why we read novels. I’m only about halfway through it and I don’t ever want it to end. It is gorgeous and vivid, much like the mellifluous, silvery trill of the goldfinch itself.
This is one of the most musical of birds and if you’ve ever heard one, you’ll not ever forget it. This is a European goldfinch, but its American cousin is every bit as lyrical and lovely as this bird.
I also included some more of the women singers who I’ve most loved over the years– and I am still missing some–Patsy Cline, Lorretta Lynn, Lynne Jordan, Grana Louise,and Wanda Jackson come to mind as well as Joan Jett–I guess I’ll have to make a third…
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