The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Theo Decker is thirteen when his mother is killed in an explosion in a New York museum.  Theo miraculously survives the blast and, whilst he is recovering, unable to find his mother, he comforts a dying man.  The man gives him a signet ring and an address and urges Theo to take a famous work of art, The Goldfinch, a painting that his mother loved and had been admiring before the blast.  Alone in the world he is taken in by the wealthy parents of Andy, a school friend.  He settles down to some normality, but is still struggling to accept his mother’s death.  He goes to the address given to him and meets Hobie, an antiques dealer/restorer.  He gives Hobie the ring, but omits to tell him about the painting.  He starts to visit Hobie more and more and finds it is the only place he feels at peace.  The authorities manage to trace his alcoholic father who takes him to live in Las Vegas.   It is here Theo meets Boris and the binge drinking, drug taking and stealing begins. Over the years, Theo keeps the painting thinking of it as his one link to his mother.  It is the painting that later leads him into the criminal underworld. I found the characters, with the exception of Hobie and Andy, fairly unpleasant, but that was ok as I found Theo interesting.  It is told from Theo’s point of view so the reader feels the emotional turmoil he is going through.  A long read at nearly 800 pages, I found the first half of the book gripping; the second half less so, when I became a little frustrated and found myself skimming sections.  That said I’m looking forward to reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt.