The Goldfinch – Donna Tartt (2013)
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, The Goldfinch is a sweeping coming-of-age novel that blends tragedy, obsession, and art. After surviving a terrorist bombing at a New York museum that kills his mother, 13-year-old Theo Decker steals The Goldfinch, a priceless 17th-century painting by Carel Fabritius. The novel traces Theo’s tumultuous life as he grapples with grief, guilt, and the painting’s haunting hold on him—leading him through the underworld of antiques, the highs and lows of friendship, and the blurred line between beauty and destruction. Tartt’s lush prose and psychological depth make this a modern literary epic.
If You Liked This, Try:
- The Secret History (Donna Tartt, 1992) – Tartt’s debut, a dark academia tale of obsession and moral decay.
- A Little Life (Hanya Yanagihara, 2015) – A harrowing, immersive story of trauma and friendship.
- The Museum of Innocence (Orhan Pamuk, 2008) – A love story entwined with art and obsession in Istanbul.
