The Goldfinch

Such an exquisite story, I didn't want it to end

David Pittu is brilliant in evoking all the different characters, and just like the painting the book has been named after, this book will remain a masterpiece to be savoured into the future.

6 sur 7 personne(s) ont trouvé cet avis utile.

This book is not for me.

Would you try another book from Donna Tartt and/or David Pittu?

No for Donna Tartt and yes for David Pittu. He is a great narrator.

Would you ever listen to anything by Donna Tartt again?

No

Which character – as performed by David Pittu – was your favorite?

The Russian

Do you think The Goldfinch needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No, The Story could have been told with half the words. There was way too much description (poetry does it better) and the characters aren't that interesting.

Any additional comments?

Donna Tartt has an audience and some people clearly love the book but it didn't engage me. I lost interest in the story and the characters. That doesn't mean it is poorly written. There is gold in the ore but you have to work to find it.

2 sur 2 personne(s) ont trouvé cet avis utile.

Beautifully written

This is a delightfully crafted tale about choices and their consequences. The simple decision to talk to a friend while he smoked a cigarette on school grounds results in a life altering event for Theo Decker. All subsequent decisions set the stage for less than savoury entanglements. The underlying theme is about which of the myriad obvious or subtle decisions Theo makes could have changed his life's course for the better.

Although this book is an extraordinarily long and, at times, dense with psychological detailed, at no time does the story get bogged down or seem to drag. This is the first Danna Tartt book I've 'read' but it definitely not be the last.

The excellent narration and characterisations added another level of my enjoyment of this story.

5 sur 6 personne(s) ont trouvé cet avis utile.

Brilliant! I highly reccomend this wonderful book.

What did you love best about The Goldfinch?

It was a very captivating story which never dragged. The characters were marvellous and well developed. I was never bored with it and could not wait to get back to my listen.

What does David Pittu bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

A wonderful listen! His ability to capture the essence of the various characters through his amazing voices made this a standout listen for me. I shall definitely look out for him as a reader.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I had many laugh out loud moments! Particularly with the character Boris. I have taken to calling my cat Popchick!

Any additional comments?

I have read several reviews elsewhere regarding this book. I was interested that some found it too long, and some were overcome by all the drug abuse. I found it interesting to see the development of Theo and Boris and how their lives intertwined. I loved it from start to finish.

3 sur 4 personne(s) ont trouvé cet avis utile.

Maaan, it's good!

The Goldfinch. Wow! What can I say. In the words of our Australian music guru, Molly Meldrum, I will say, guys, we have a hit on our hands. Yep, I believe this book has got to be a best seller, long term a breaker of records. Man, it's good! Plus, the narration is brilliant.

1 sur 1 personne(s) ont trouvé cet avis utile.

Excellent narration brings book to life.

What made the experience of listening to The Goldfinch the most enjoyable?

David Pittu's narration. He was quite brilliant at giving voices to each character and thereby giving life to the story.

If you’ve listened to books by Donna Tartt before, how does this one compare?

Well I've actually read both of Tartt's earlier books (old school!). For me the last chapter breaking from the established style and delving into philosophical soliloquizing was a device that just didn't work. I don't remember this being an aspect of the earlier novels which I remember being all character and plot.

Which character – as performed by David Pittu – was your favorite?

James Hobart, or "Hobie"; main character's mentor

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely. A real "page-turner" if you can call an audio-book by that term.

Any additional comments?

Intriguing novel; I was completely drawn into the world of Theo for the first 3/4 of the novel. By the final quarter however I found myself somewhat alienated by the increasing preposterousness of the plot and repetitive ruminations of Boris (Pittu's narration saved the day there in my opinion), and I've already talked about the unsatisfying nature of the 'philosophical reflection' of the last chapter

1 sur 1 personne(s) ont trouvé cet avis utile.

The Goldfinch

I found this book annoying on several levels. We are told of a disaster looming in Theo's life early in the book but the time taken to get to the deails of the event nearly drove me crazy. I found the narrators monotone voice nearly put me to sleep, especially bad as I was on a long drive. Finally I find books about people on a path of self destruction very irrating and the insights I got into drug induced minds wasn't for me.

6 sur 9 personne(s) ont trouvé cet avis utile.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME!!!

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A younger voice and other characters did not sound engaging. It was was a painful listen.

What was most disappointing about Donna Tartt’s story?

The story was completely disjointed, hence was not able to engage or interest. It was just a complete waste of my time.

Would you be willing to try another one of David Pittu’s performances?

Yes.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Goldfinch?

The book is needlessly long, with scenes not going anywhere or communicating anything that could engage.

4 sur 6 personne(s) ont trouvé cet avis utile.

Evocative performance

If you could sum up The Goldfinch in three words, what would they be?

Rambling, compelling, absorbing

What other book might you compare The Goldfinch to and why?

Although not similar in content, it brought to mind The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, for its rich characterisation, intricacy and detail of plot and extreme differences in locale (possibly also because the bulk of both books is set in New York).

Which character – as performed by David Pittu – was your favorite?

It's a toss up between Boris and Hobie.

Any additional comments?

David Pittu's performance was excellent. The characters all sounded distinct and his voice is very easy to listen to. That, added to Tartt's characterisation, created a book full of rich characters who were easy to picture.

2 sur 3 personne(s) ont trouvé cet avis utile.

how did this get such good reviews???

There are good patches of writing. But why write it? mostly miserable characters sinking lowly and repetitively into boring self obsessed darkness. Endless pages of drug and alcohol abuse with violence. Meandering plot. I found it a chore with no reward. The only good thing i got from it, is that i found one other reviewer who didn't enjoy it and she has recommendations that are interesting for me.

3 sur 5 personne(s) ont trouvé cet avis utile.