The Goldfinch

I described the feeling of this book to several friends as ‘watching a train wreck in super-slow motion - a potentially tragic event that you cannot turn away from.' ‘Potentially' because you hope for the best with each passing second. This might sound like a strange description of a book but I think it is an accurate description of the way it made me feel. As a literary novel, driven by deep and rich character narratives I loved it. I love novels set in New York and I love novels where I am both sympathetic to the characters and constantly wanting to warn them from danger.

Can an object, like the painting The Goldfinch by Carel Fabritius actually help us rise above the chains that bind us to earth? Throughout history touching millions, each in a different way, a way that speaks to each of us at that moment? Is anyone good or bad or do we all live in the grey with random events tipping us one way or another?

Just enjoy the The Goldfinch for its narrative and ponder some of the big questions of life.