The Goldfinch (Extra book)

I just finished a book my sons bought me for Father’s Day, as I am all caught up with RA Favorite Books.  This is a recent Pulitzer Prize winning book by Donna Tartt (author of an RA Fav Book) called The Goldfinch.  This is a not a short read, by any means, but it is a riveting story, which I enjoyed immensely. The characters were real and the plot had lots of twists and turns, it had a bit of a Dan Brown (aka The DaVinci Code) type story.  Theo Decker, a thirteen year old boy, has his life fall apart when he and his Mom find themselves visiting the MoMA, avoiding a meeting with the principal to discuss why he was suspended from his school.  That fateful move proved tragic when the art museum had a terrorist attack which was fatal for Theo’s mother, but Theo manages to escape, not before two turn of events that would forever mark his life: being called over by a dying man to take his ring (a man whom he spotted earlier with a very cute young girl who captures his attention) and then taking a piece of art from the museum, his mother’s favorite,  Carel Fabritius's The Goldfinch!  What happens after Theo escapes the attacked building is the remainder of this epic tale.  Theo’s father left the family a year ago, an alcoholic who had a way of taking the family’s money.  Theo is lucky to join his classmate’s family, the Barbours, a wealthy Upper East Side clan with four children.  This is short lived when his father surprisingly returns to take his son to Las Vegas to live with his girlfriend.  Before Theo’s fathers surprise to take him away, Theo finds the home of the man with the ring, an antique shop.  He returns the ring to Mr. Blackwell’s partner, “Hobie,” and while there meets the recovering young red-head girl he saw at the museum, Pippa.   Theo is uprooted soon after to Las Vegas where he is subjected to the crazy lifestyle of drugs, money, and no support from his father and his girlfriend.  He does manage to bring the painting on the plane and keeps it with him hidden throughout the rest of his various journeys, or so he thinks!  During his time in Las Vegas he meets a best friend, Boris, another young boy whose father abandons him for drink and fast-times in Las Vegas.  Boris and Theo spend most of their waking hours together, drinking and drugging, much like their adult role models.  Theo’s father gets involved in a betting scheme and eventually is killed in a car accident, which leads Theo to escape Las Vegas before the authorities take him to a foster care situation.  Boris decides not to join him.  Theo buses back to NYC and eventually is brought in to stay with Hobie, the co-owner of the antique shop.  Theo reconnects with his past, the Barbours, and Pippa (who is taken away by her aunt after Blackwell died).  Theo is always conflicted and scared by his keeping of the painting, storing it in a locked storage company locker.  Life continues to come full circle when his old friend Boris visits him in NYC to make an apology to him… for stealing the painting!  Theo never unwrapped it so he never knew!!!  The rest of the book deals with the underground search for the painting, Theo dealing with his feelings for Pippa (and simultaneously with his engagement to one of the Barbour daughters – who is cheating on him), and he coming to terms with the fact he followed his father’s footsteps in cheating customers on antique sales after becoming Hobie’s partner in the business.  A great interconnected story told by the voice of the main character. In what was a rather strange ending, Theo philosophizes about life and what his new “theology” of sorts is for living.   I was riveted through the 750+ pages, and the last five were, weird… I still am processing it, but it seemed so out of character to have a great story end with a character preaching to me about his new outlook on life.  Reminded me a bit of an Ayn Rand move…  still not sure how I feel about it, but the story is GREAT.  Worth a read, for sure, but be prepared, not a few hour on a park bench read, but doesn’t feel overly long.