Oct 19, 20 pulitzer prize for fiction goes to the goldfinch donna tartts huge book, 11 years in the writing, wins honour for beautifullywritten novel with exquisitely drawn characters published. Recommending new books each month to spark lively conversation. Books to read if you loved donna tartts the goldfinch. Aug 06, 2019 ive included page numbers that correspond to the first hardcover edition. Is the goldfinch a book that is resonating with critics and readers alike. You can play along and feel free to use this quiz in your own book club discussion. I set out to write a liststyle response a roundup of the most beautiful sentences in the goldfinch but quickly realized that, on a sentencelevel, tartts masterpiece does, in parts, seem juvenile. The goldfinch part i book club ideas by donna tartt. Consider the topics presented in the book discussion guides for people of the book and the girl you left behind and weave an artful discussion around the timelessness of art. The library is happy to share these original questions for your use. The goldfinch is a novel of shocking narrative energy and power. The goldfinch by donna tartt donna tartt is a writer who takes her time shes published just one novel per decade since her debut in. Apr 25, 2020 the goldfinch combines vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and suspense, while plumbing with a philosophers calm the deepest mysteries of love, identity, and art.
A novel pulitzer prize for fiction kindle edition by tartt, donna. Oct 17, 20 the story of a boy who loses a mother and gains a painting, donna tartts long. The goldfinch combines vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and suspense, while plumbing with a philosophers calm the deepest mysteries of love, identity, and art. Donna tartts the goldfinch is a complex story about theodore theo decker, a young boy who suffers the loss of his mother in a terrorist attack at the metropolitan museum of art in new york city. We certainly had a great time talking about the goldfinch, and if youre interested in reading it, hopefully the same will be true for you. It did drag on a bit in the middle though at least for myself, a slowish reader and fan of short books. The goldfinch book club questions and recipe if you are new here, welcome. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. Pulitzer prize for fiction goes to the goldfinch donna tartts huge book, 11 years in the writing, wins honour for beautifullywritten novel with exquisitely drawn characters published. A couple notes on the goldfinch novel by donna tartt medium. May 31, 2014 abm thanks for starting the book club. Dan, hanna, and meghan love donna tartts big, big novel. Finally, would your group be interested in reading the goldfinch by donna tartt. Did you enjoy the goldfinch and would you recommend this book to your friends.
Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. Discussion questions book club recommendationsdiscussion. A guide for book clubs study guides for book clubs cope, kathryn on. Discussion topics the topics presented here offer a starting point for a book club discussion. Sep 28, 2017 but the books preoccupation with explaining the meaning of life means that its discussion of art and its limits is sadly curtailed. Londons sunday times concluded that no amount of straining for highflown uplift can disguise the fact that the goldfinch is a turkey. The protagonist, yearold theodore decker, survives a terrorist bombing at an. Book club discussion questions for the goldfinch by donna. The goldfinch is a 20 novel by american author donna tartt that is seen by many as a modern classic coming of age story. Home the goldfinch discussion guide libguides at ramapo. The goldfinch was always a divisive book, even more when it won the pulitzer. Even a lot of the performances elicit the same reactions.
The novel is a comingofage tale told in the first person. Generally, i like to read or at least be informed about pulitzer prize winners and usually they are good picks for book club discussions. Please come and be part of the discussion even if you havent finished the book or started it. Right before we got down and dirty into our discussion, we took the following quiz to win the goldfinch prize of the night. Author tartt has noted that the purposeful destruction of the giant sandstone buddhas of bamiyan. Why you absolutely should read the goldfinch huffpost. Theo decker, a thirteenyearold new yorker, miraculously survives an. Did you find yourself rapidly turning the pages to find find out what happens to the characters. Its been five years since i read the goldfinch, donna tartts third novel and a book that launched me on my bookish career. Whator what alldoes the painting represent in the novel. Throughout the book, tartt explores the tension between adolescence and maturity. But the books preoccupation with explaining the meaning of life means that its discussion of art and its limits is sadly curtailed. The goldfinch by donna tartt donna tartt is a writer who takes her time shes published just one novel per decade since her debut in 1992. In other words, a good book should propel readers from page to page, in part because they care about the characters.
Donna tartt little, brown and companybeowulf sheehan donna tartts multicultural fantasy. Many comparisons have been made between this book and great expectations and other dickens books do you see. The goldfinch book club discussion questions arlenes. Author tartt has noted that the purposeful destruction of the giant sandstone buddhas of bamiyan valley afghanistan in march of 2001 inspired her to begin her novel with an explosion. Theres also a subject i thought the goldfinch should obviously discuss, but it never does. It combines unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and breathtaking suspense, while plumbing with a philosophers calm the deepest mysteries of love, identity, and art. Thoughts, discussion questions, epiphanies and interesting links about authors and their work. The goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through presentday america and a drama of enthralling power.
The goldfinch was the book to read last year, so i didnt read it. Donna tartts the goldfinch and the meaning of life. The goldfinch cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. The goldfinch is a novel by the american author donna tartt. Ive included page numbers that correspond to the first hardcover edition. In the ensuing chaos, theo escapes with his mothers favorite painting, the goldfinch, a priceless dutch masterpiece. If reproducing, please credit with the following statement. The book is truly a work of art, a phenomenal read.
Dec 06, 20 the audio book club steals the goldfinch. Sep 23, 20 the goldfinch is a brilliant story with memorable characters and most of the book is incredibly well done and fun to read. The final 5% of the book then beats you over the head with lessons that you should have learned if you were as smart as the author. The novel won a pulitzer prize for fiction in 2014. Walden, the idiot, silas marner, spiegel im spiegel, the magnificent seven, and, obviously, the goldfinch, to name a few. Author tartt has noted that the purposeful destruction of the giant sandstone buddhas of bamiyan valley afghanistan in march of 2001 inspired her to begin her novel with an. The 25 best quotes from the goldfinch broke by books. The next 20% is just like the previous 75% theo making bad decisions and being a bystander to real stories. Moments before her death in an explosion theodores mum says.
The goldfinch discussion questions colorado virtual library. The goldfinch has been on my reading list for quite a while. The goldfinch discussion questions and recipe book club bites. The goldfinch is described by author stephen king as, a rarity that comes along perhaps half a dozen times per decade, a smartly written literary novel that. I was initially baffled by these claims that the book is poorly crafted, and that wood went so far as to call it childrens literature. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. I feel like the goldfinch is just one of those polarizing movies. Or perhaps focus on readers reactions and let your conversation delve.
Is the goldfinch worthy of critical acclaim even though james wood. Please put your thoughts on the goldfinch book club questions in the comments area below 1. This study guide consists of approximately 68 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the goldfinch. Important we dont allow personal recommendation posts. Our book club just finished reading and discussing our latest treasure, the goldfinch, by donna tartt. This book also prompted an interesting discussion of the pulitzer prize and whether it means anything at all as a mark of a books quality or that books representation of american literature. We also encourage discussion about developments in the book world and we have a flair system. A dramatic event happens about twothirds of the way in that upends the very foundations that the story is built on.
Published in 20, it was tartts first novel since the little friend in 2002. Theodore theo decker and his mother visit new york citys metropolitan museum of art so she can view the masterpiece the goldfinch. It is a beautiful, stayupallnight and tellallyourfriends triumph. Does this statement, by theos mother speak to this.
A guide for book clubs study guides for book clubs. Donna tartt has said that the goldfinch painting was the guiding spirit of the book. David copperfield famously says in the first line of dickenss book. Disoriented during the attack, he takes the masterpiece the goldfinch. The living room was decorated with several objects mentioned in the book to go along with the quote mentioned above. If you are an avid reader, the goldfinch is the kind of book that you only come across a few times that leaves a lasting impression on you.
Book club discussion questions for the goldfinch by donna tartt. I know that sounds like i just lifted that from the book jacket, but honestly its true. Its beautiful prose is densely layered and overflowing with richly developed characters. The goldfinch book club discussion questions arlenes book club. Why are literary critics dismayed by donna tartts the goldfinch. Please put your thoughts on the goldfinch book club questions in the comments area below. Theres lots to talk about and you are each valued members of this group. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the goldfinch. Follow along with refinery29s book club as we read and discuss the goldfinch by donna tartt. Dec 31, 2018 this book also prompted an interesting discussion of the pulitzer prize and whether it means anything at all as a mark of a books quality or that books representation of american literature. The following questions are designed to help you guide your students through a structured discussion about donna tartts pulitzer prizewinning novel the.
Apr 07, 2015 the goldfinch is a novel of shocking narrative energy and power. It is an oldfashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and selfinvention, and the ruthless machinations of fate. These book discussion questions are highly detailed and will ruin plot points if you have not read the book. The goldfinch by donna tartt book club discussion questions. The goldfinch at a glance cliffsnotes study guides book. The characters in this book are so vividly portrayed it is quite possible you will never forget them. Combining unforgettably vivid characters and thrilling suspense, it is a beautiful, addictive triumph a sweeping story of loss and obsession, of survival and selfinvention, of the deepest mysteries of love, identity and fate. Vanity fair recently ran an article titled its tartt but is it art. Frankly i am not sure i would have continued on had the goldfinch not been a donna tartt book, knowing shed spring a sudden surprise on me toward the end. How the goldfinch got away with its disgraceful racial politics in. Many comparisons have been made between this book and great expectations and other dickens books do you see the similarities. I think its all pretty apt considering the book did too. For the goldfinch, i provide your book club with a brief summary, a recipe, and discussion questions in that order the goldfinch book club questions and recipe.
Nov 30, 2014 discussion topics the topics presented here offer a starting point for a book club discussion. While theo is only a boy when his story begins, he experiences a sudden transition to adulthood. Many comparisons have been made between this book and great expectations. Oct 22, 20 charles is the deputy editor of book world. It was dealing with the severe book hangover after finishing the book that i realized this is what i wanted to do with my life. The goldfinch donna tartt book club guide refinery29. Like most people, i really enjoyed the imagery the vocabulary each sentence is a masterpiece. The goldfinch was published by little, brown on 22 october 20. During the immediate aftermath, theo meets an old man who is dying from his wounds. The goldfinch is obsessed with intertexts references to other works of literature, music, film and art e. Please come and be part of the discussion even if you havent finished the book. The story of a boy who loses a mother and gains a painting, donna tartts long. The goldfinch novel the goldfinch is a novel by the american author donna tartt.
The goldfinch is a best book club book for discussion, a novel about a boy who loses his mother and a painting that ultimately draws him into the underworld of art. Book club discussion questions for the goldfinch by. Although, i will say the last few ive read have been hard to read and ive taken a step back from the list in recent years. The goldfinch i had been excited to read this book for. While they are at the museum, a bomb explodes, killing theos mother and traumatizing him. I wanted to reach out and see if youd like to become one of our book club insiders, from the powerpoint to the menu, from the performance to the discussion, you guys are really a perfect example of what book clubs can be. It won the 2014 pulitzer prize for fiction, among other honors. You can use these quotes as discussion questions for the goldfinch. Nov 03, 2014 book club discussion questions for the goldfinch by donna tartt.
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