At 771 pages, this is a long novel. Is it worth it? Many of the 57 commentators on the Kirkus review didn’t think so. However, I love the way Tartt develops big themes. And she has sentences that are works of art. The NY Times review, written by Stephen King , said, “The Goldfinch is a rarity that comes along perhaps half a dozen times per decade, a smartly written literary novel that connects with the heart as well as the mind.” I believe that in 100 years, this novel will serve as a guide to understanding the human heart.
Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch (New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2013), p. 770.