THE GOLDFINCH BY DONNA TARTT 

I finished this book last night and I think it’s the most beautiful book I’ve ever read. I already feel like rereading it. The last couple of parts had me full on sobbing lol some of the things this book talks about really got to me. But as the book itself says: it’s a cool thing how everyone can look at a piece of art differently. “If a piece of art really works down in your heart you don’t think ‘oh, I love this because it speaks to all of mankind.’ That’s not the reason anyone loves a piece of art.” So yeah never feel bad for not liking something the majority of people do like (and the other way around).

It made me feel so much better that you addressed how your experiences definitely play a role in how you interpret things in books because I relate! Sometimes I wonder if I'm being too nitpicky about a race thing, especially if no other reviews pick up on it, but I think we can trust our instincts especially if we've read a ton of other stories that didn't make us feel ick about it.

I’m about 65% of the way through but haven’t picked it up since December. I can’t find any motivation to finish because it should have ended about halfway through 😂

I loved this book so much, but I understand your critique. As a trauma survivor who has been diagnosed with PTSD, I thought it was a beautiful story. I thought Theo was extremely easy to sympathize with. But as you said, people have different lenses in which they consume stories, and that's okay.

“A good writer makes you care” 100% agree

I completely agree with your critiques and I just finished the book before I watched this video. It honestly boggles me why anyone can like this book (no hate if anyone does). Not only because the weird pacing and the dragged on plot threads that led no where but because of the casual use of racist terminology (i.e. everything said in the video along with comments that were made about how POC were the real "gangsters"???) I also didn't even connect the fact that most of the book was supposed to be read like it was in the past and being reflected on. Because of that the ending felt so abrupt and philosophical when addressing the reader. (spoilers below) Another plot point that I took issue with was the casual way child abuse was discussed and that scene with Theo and his Dad with the lawyer was never brought up again. (I can't remember if Boris talked about his experiences with his father after the whole Vegas plot). I don't know if anyone else felt this way but I liked the scenes with Theo and his mother in the beginning but for a lot of the book it felt that the mother wasn't even discussed or thought about very often ( I know some people say the painting is a symbol for her but it doesn't feel like it until the end scenes). She felt very absent which is something Theo mentions in the last chapter but in my opinion I don't think that worked for the narrative. I do agree that Tartt does really well when crafting relationships between characters but I wanted more of that in the book. I wanted to see more from Hobie and Theo and how he took him in and that parental relationship. Theo and Andy in my opinion were a lost plot that felt tacked on at the end when he found out he died just to further Theo traumatic experiences with death and in the end that trauma was never even discussed. On the opposite note however I was really interested in the relationship between Pippa and Theo especially because they didn't end up together (which, generally, I think needs to be explored more in literature where the woman says no and the man is okay with that - which Tartt did really nicely I think). And I think the biggest reason why it was so difficult to read this ridiculously long novel (like you said in the video) was the inability to connect to Theo. I felt that even from the beginning he was so casual about every single thing (even before the accident) that allowed him to have no personality, no opinions, no morality (although that could be argued), and no drive for anything. It was difficult to like him let alone care about his story for 962 pages (for my paperback copy anyways). My interest in the character did pick up when he was an adult but was overshadowed by more insignificant drug and alcohol use that I didn't care to read. And my last point that I can think of right after finishing the novel is the fact that the way the book is summarized on the back didn't feel like it even fit the book very well. This is probably due to publishing companies more so than Tartt herself and it is not uncommon for a book summary to be wildly off-mark, however, the entire time I was waiting to see Theo as an adult but you had to wait over half the book and it wasn't even a very smooth transition (along with strange time skips and unclear timelines - specifically dealing with "what age is Theo now?") After all this I would love to see what other people think, if you disagree let me know! I am not opposed to changing my mind if other people have an argument for what I brought up and curious to see if people agree.

I've been reading this book for months now. It's not gripping, i agree, but i enjoy this everytime i pick it up.

I remember when this book was getting so much hype. I ended up renting the audio book from the library and I couldn’t even get through THAT!!! I hated it so much, like from the beginning I just couldn’t get into it... so I’m glad I’m not the only one. Honestly some of these highly acclaimed books just never make sense to me... loved the honesty of your review!

“astonishing” “it’s astonishing that people love this so much” LOL. Haven’t read this or watched the movie - but this was such an entertaining critique. I love long books that are written well but there’s nothing I hate more than a long book that didn’t need to be a long book.

I feel so validated ahah I really felt weird about this book, like somehow it didn't click with me (along with The Secret History which has YET to grow on me years later). Also, we need to know more about your crocheted tops!!

I like this book but I get why others don't. A lit professor I respect didn't care for it either

Finished this book last night and really enjoyed it. Granted the first few pages were hard to get into

okay but I need to learn how crochet because those tops 😍

Homestly its not for some ppl and i get that, but i believe it is deserving of the awards its gotten. Its a slow and often very subtle in its message but its a very emotional and beautiful story, mainly character based (which is why some people find it boring) that focuses on value and how value is measured. Between actual money, to the things Theo clings to after the complete loss of his childhood, the story telling and character depth was life changing for me.

I think Pulitzers are awarded based on past books and an author's history, the way Academy Awards are given to actors/directors for certain movies, even if it isn't their best, but because they think they deserve it for their careers, and it's about time. I've started reading The Secret History, and it's amazing so far, and it's must be her best book by far. The bit I've read of The Goldfinch seems badly written and very dense and sloppy. I haven't read long novels in a long time, though I was a serious bookworm growing up. Tartt also cultivated a very striking look and mystique for herself, and I'm sure that swayed the Pulitzer people, too. And they probably thought a white Southern woman deserved it, too.

ive read like 400 pages of the goldfinch and tbh im really really trying to put my heart and soul into it and try to enjoy the experience of reading it because i do ADORE donna's writing style (to an extent), i read her other book "the secret history" and enjoyed it so muchhhh to the point of obsession (tho it also does have its faults) so i tried to get into the goldfinch with just as much zeal and excitement but ugh i hate to say it, the plot just drags so much - yes, there are some v interesting characters and character dynamics and the beginning half of the book shows a young child's grief over his mother's death in a very devastating way but i just couldnt get through how long and laborious it felt to read some paragraphs where it felt i was just reading theo walking from one street name to another to another 😭 i definitely found boris to b the most fascinating character in the whole thing

i really loved this book, but i think i read it at the right time of my life. i completely agree with your saying that it could have been shorter and the same story and i think your criticisms are said so eloquently. also i didn’t catch the racist undertones in this, and i’m glad you called them out. i’ll be more on the lookout for that next time i’m reading. while i’m sorry that you didn’t like the book, at least you can say you finished this big ass novel and i hope you like your next read as much you didn’t like this one!

I swear the minute I saw your top I thought "that's crocheted" but than was like "nah, you're just projecting" but I was right!

Always so articulate even talking about the book you didn’t like so much. Love your reviews

I needed this video in my life. So validating. I hated this book and struggle to understand why people love it. I've devoured longer books but going through this felt like torture. It felt like the story demanded to be taken seriously and I just couldn't sympathize with the characters that much. I really wish I just dnf-ed this.

I felt the same when read The Secret History

Well… the be fair, most people (even the super fans of the book) prefer Boris. Like, that’s just the truth

im on page 600 rn ive just read 300 pages today after taking 3 months to read the first part the complaints i see are usually about the middle parts being boring but im having the opposite problem as you can see but its so much longer than it needs to be but i feel inclined to finish it bc i spent money and it feels impressive to possibly me alone to read long books edit: man ive used the word but a lot

I just finished this book. This book to me felt like a classic is all the worst ways. Using dated language. Following and romanticizing a toxic lead that you follow for 771 pages. Much too long and gives a touch of racism, sexism and homophobia.

I loved this book but 90% of my book group hated it! It is very polarizing lol!

Me: one of my favorite books ever, finished in a couple of days My best friend: you, and took me 5 years of convincing for this to happen

time to drop the crochet top tutorial video because those are cute af 🤩 i love the roasting in the beginning. i read the secret history by the same author and this was very similar to my experience. even years later i consider rereading it purely because i’m still? confused? how was i so uninterested with a book that is so acclaimed? but there’s so many other stories worth exploring instead! thankfully i’m not inclined to read the goldfinch. but congrats for getting through it!

the first time i read this, i was like 16 or 17 and i really loved it but it could totally have been a "right time in my life" kind of thing. your review definitely makes me want to reread it though!

these are exactly the same problems i found in "the secret history," lol

Interesting perspective and points. Personally I don't think Tartt thinks every word is integral to the story; I think she is actually aware of her style as 'overwritten' and self-indulgent. It's certainly not for everybody and I feel like she tries to follow in the footsteps of her 19th Century lit inspirations for which this kind of dense detail would be common, but in modern fic can feel really pretentious. I find her writing really beautiful because of her lack of restraint, and I also think she is really well researched. I lapped up her descriptions of Hobie's furniture restoration and whatever kind of woods. But you've highlighted important points about race. I wondered if Theo was purposefully like that because of the NY privilege but ngl, The Secret History is also very much like it. Her characters/worlds are like a dark academia gossip girl elite vibe.

OMG, another person who didn't get this book like me. When I finished reading it, my immediate reactions were 'WOW, I'm done!' and 'That's it??'. So yes, I feel you when you said that the book could really have been shorter. By like 250 pages at least. And I was so pissed off with the simplistic ending to the very complicated storylines of the book. But I read this 2016 and now that I think about it 4 year laters, I really liked some of the characters and some parts of the book because they've definitely stuck with me even today. So, well. Still not the best tbh.

Yeah, really struggled after about 500 pages in. I really enjoyed TSH, but this one was just a chore in the end. Hobie was the only cool character, and the reason I managed to get through it.

You should share the crochet patterns you're crocheting! I've knitted for a long time and would love to teach myself how to crochet tops like yours

I feel like maybe reading the physical copy would have been better! Tartt’s writing is at times so beautifully complex that you want to reread sections, which is something that’s kind of lost if you’re listening to it, unable to really stop and focus on certain sections.

Thank you I myself am stymied as to why so many people like this book, including, oh, Pulitzer judges. I loved Secret History. I started this (Goldfinch) book and it totally crashed on about page 100, with the incident at the Met. It was totally self-indulgent, practically unreadable. Was going nowhere. I tried for 10 pages and just shut down.

Just tried to finish this... EVERYTHING u said was EXACTLY what I think

I had the same feelings as you! I was telling my boyfriend that I could read twenty pages and it's still describing the same shit. I feel like poking it with a stick and telling it to get on with it. Now, I haven't read enough, I'm trying to do more, but a long book I loved was the Poisonwood Bible.

Thank you for giving such a respectful, smart, and thought out review of the book even though you didn’t enjoy it. I LOVE the Goldfinch book and film! I also listened to it on audio and I feel like if I had read it I may not have gotten through it. I have read and watched a lot of reviews on both and you are the first person who could properly express what you didn’t like about it and didn’t just call it trash. I’ll admit that if I hadn’t listened to other videos and read other articles talking about The Goldfinch a lot of stuff would have likely went over my head. But because I had that intel and perspective I formed a different opinion about it then someone who maybe didn’t have that previous perspective. There is a A LOT that could be said about The Goldfinch but I’ll just say a little bit. If I can. 😂 Annoyingly so you are not supposed really sympathize with adult Theo, at least I don’t think you are. I know people who love this book and can’t stand adult Theo. One thing that people have to look at is the mental health aspect of it all. Theo is obviously depressed and he doesn’t know how to deal with his trauma, even after briefly seeing a therapist. The painting is meant to act as Theos emotional core in relation to it being attached to his mother (and Boris but that will require another comment, which I will happily provide if wanted). His friendships and relationships are certainly complex, there is no doubt about that. He loves Mrs Baurber but misses his mother, he thinks his dad is trash but honestly is quite similar to him, he THINKS he is in love with pippa but it is really just fixation, and he doesn’t know what to think or how to feel about Boris. His friendship with Boris is one main thing that a lot of people over look. People get so caught up in the grief Theo is experiencing that they don’t realize the importance of the subtext in the book when it is talking about him and Boris (as teens and adults) and Theos own sexuality. The book has snuck in a lot of little references to internalized homophobia and it almost always gets missed by the symbolism of everything else in the book. To this day I have only seen one review talking about this. I agree about the race and the elite white wealthy family thing. I never cared much for the antique sections and I am not sure I would have enjoyed the ebook as much if Theo had stayed with the Baurbers the whole time. Donna Tartt the author is also quite privileged and a little pretentious so that fell into her writing a bit. There are definitely things related to the way she depicts race, wealth “culture” drugs and alcohol that could be further picked apart. Anywho, thanks for the review, I appreciated it.

Ignore awards. You can like whatever you want :) I listened to this one and loved it.

I absolutely loved this book.

Not every critic loves that book. The New Yorker didn't, neither did The New York Review of Books.

I felt exactly the same. This book was such a slog that I had to switch to the audiobook to get through it. The main character is THE WORST and I hated his philosophical "what does it all mean" speech to the reader at the end. Completely baffled by all the acclaim it gets.

Thank you for convincing me to take this brick off my tbr shelf.

I'm 600 pages into this book and honestly, hard agree that this book is so long and that there are details that didn't need to be included (still gonna finish it tho cause I'm in way to deep to quit). However, it did give me perspective of Theo Decker's character. Since I'm reading it from a MC who is basically high most of the time during his teenage years, it's like the drugs had prolonged their effect until he was an adult. Basically, word vomit. Like one topic shifts from one another I honestly forgot what Theo was talking about in the first place lol. And so, I feel so validated with this review ahahahaha! Keep in mind, this is the book I have picked up after a ten-month reading slump

I feel we read the same book though I am actually reading the book myself and am halfway through. I am ready to give up. My sister told me it was great, so I bought it and have caught up to her and I am not as excited. Great review, I couldn't agree more. Thank you. You have a new subscriber.

this is one of the best books i’ve ever read, i truly did feel like it was a page turner (some parts did lag and felt drawn out) and i really appreciated the way Tartt wrote Theo I feel is borderline nihilistic and detached world view is a symptom of the white supremacist/capitalistic patriarchy world and a lot of young boys grapple with it. I saw a review in the comments saying they weren’t a fan of the lackadaisical approach to child abuse and substance use but as someone who works with youth this is is just something that happens especially when it’s all you know (and ESPECIALLY in young boys). I think Tartt does a great job “showing not telling” how Theos Traumas effect him. The parts that i felt were underdeveloped and would’ve loved more of was Theo and Andy’s relationship, I picked up an vibe that Theo didn’t really care for Andy so his relationship with the family post Andy’s death would’ve been more interesting to explore. I do wish his mother was more of a theme throughout the novel particularly in his older years. My other issue was the time jumping. I was left constantly wondering what age Theo was throughout the book. It wasn’t until well past Theo went to early college that I realized he wasn’t 15-17 anymore.

I listened to this audiobook as I was recovering from lasic. Honestly ended up playing it 1.25x because it was too draggy. Sometimes I found that just sitting in silence was more entertaining than listening to this 💀💀💀

All of the things you said Is on point & everything that I was thinking about after finishing the book, I rated it 3 stars. I then read The Secret History, is it better than this? Yes, still I rated it 3 stars. I don’t know. But I’ll still read another Donna Tartt book that’s for sure, she has that writing that I like but unfortunately not with the story or payoff in the ending (ehem, the secret history).

i love this book and i also love rants. great video

I feel you about wanting the book to be about Boris!!!!

Goldfinch I keep seeing everywhere. but it justb keeps throwing me! My older brother tolder me about one of his faveorite bands called Goldfinch. idk its wierd.

No way you are the most sophisticated woman I have ever seen in my life.

I loved the book but actually really disliked the last part of the book. I can definitely see how for some it is not gripping

Enjoyed listening to your thoughts on this! I've heard of this book but haven't read it. I don't think it'll be my cup of tea either. P.S. I'm learning to crochet too, and I love the tops you made! Well done!

@thebookbasement DO NOT READ The SECRET HISTORY - Your review fits this book as well and it is just as disconnected, long and just horrible

Absolutely abt the white ppl thing. I hated this book (whoops lol) because the pretentiousness and vague racism was just soooooo up front. I really enjoyed The Secret History , altho that book does have some similar issues. I like Donna tartt but she just.... seems so. Far. Up her own ass... anyway, I loved this reviewe AND ur crocheted tops! You inspired me to seek out yarn. Wish me luck! thanks for sharing!!

Ok girl but you have to show us how you crochet those tops 😍

This made me feel so much better... I didn’t finish it and I kept wondering “what was I missing?” - Now, I don’t think I was missing anything (especially the racist undertones)... it just wasn’t for me either. Just not my taste, and I totally agree with your analysis/opinion. Thank you for sharing!

You're very good at getting offended.

i never finished it but maybe i will now? I want to know how I feel about the second half lol

You're in good company, check this out: www.vanityfair.com/culture/2014/07/goldfinch-donna-tartt-literary-criticism - the most highly respected book critics didn't like it either. And check out Books & Bowties' negative review here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-I_X86Utx6f8.html who also picked up on the book's racism (e.g. all colored people in it being a servant and gushing about being happy to serve!)...

It's an okay book, I don't necessarily disagree there but this inst a great review. You spend the first 4 minutes justifying your opinion based on things that aren't the book itself. On good read it has a high rating. But if you look at these rating and just add those up you get a lower rating wich wow thats way closer to what I would rate it. Wich justifies my opinion. I don't think this is what you're trying to do: but it makes it seem like you're doing gymnastics with the ratings to justify your opinion. Same with the I'm young and that's why people might disregard my opinion but I read alot of books so I think my opinion is still falid. We don't care about good reads rating, just tell your review and then we'll decide if it has Merritt based on your arguments. Same for the age thing. Screw those people. It doesn't matter that you're young nor that you have read alot of books. Just state your opinion and give your arguments for why. people that disregard your opinion not based on the merits of that but based on your age not worth addressing. Similar to the book this review could have been alot shorter.

those tops are so cute!! I've been making so many scarves so maybe it's time to branch out and try something new? 🤔The Goldfinch is so "acclaimed" and show up on all the top lists that it's impossible not to want to read it, but the points you make are so important and well thought out. I don't think I'll ever get around to picking this up cause it doesn't seem like something that would interest me, but I definitely appreciated hearing your thoughts. I hope your next read goes better :)

You just read my mind.

I don't think your sex or age matters in your ability to assess literature. Donna Tartt is wildly overrated. I read a funny Reddit on it. A student who was massively confused by the hype asked if there was something wrong with him because he didn't like it. The teacher who has won a Pulitzer, said that it wasn't as a big deal to be awarded one. Winning a Pulitzer us a political thing. Great literature doesn't need literary prizes to be great. To win prizes is more of a testament to your place in politics and literary circles. You are not crazy for not getting the hype.

맞아요. 영화와는 달리, 책은 상받았다고 좋은건 아니 더라구요. 그려러니 해요.^^in case you dont happen to speak Korean, i am sorry that i wrote in korean. You remind me of a friend of mine. Good to hear you as always^^

I have just finished it and gave it 1 star. A HUGE waste of time.

I just found the movie kinda boring ._. like i thought it would be all poetic.. There just wasnt much zest? ya know? like no love, or hate (well kinda) or fighting, etc Some was good tho. I was curious if the writing was better, and this helped, ty :D

The thing about this review it's coming from the standpoint of an audiobook. The writing of the book is what makes it phenomenal

I started reading this and I really love it. But you are entitled to your own opinion. Don't pay heed to anyone who bookshames you. We all have different taste. Also love your necklace 💖

I had some dislikes as well. And I agree there's some over explanation in parts with gaps elsewhere that are sort of frustrating. Certain points or resolutions that you're just forced to go with that seem so convenient they pull you out of the book. But my favorite writer is also Hemingway, who could fill one sentence with a paragraph of content. So I don't much mind that Theo didn't offer much commentary on his past decisions/choices. The beauty is for us to find that, I say. Same said for the other elements you brought up, I say. Yes this book had a lot of content about rich, stuffy, white new Yorkers. But I felt the point was to put Theo in a world he wasn't born into and never really fit. Being raised in an incredibly conservative religious community where I never fit, I recognized his discomfort and the wall between him and the friends of the Barbours. Theo seemed to mock them at times.. especially at the point he discovered Kitsy's secret. So beyond the context added into the story, I didn't really expect any social commentary from the writer. Or expect her to break the 4th wall to judge the characters

Lmao can you link the crochet pattern you used... or drop a tutorial...

I found the character writing relatively shallow for such a hefty novel. Her writing is surface-level pretty but has no depth.

You taught yourself how to crochet a top in a few weeks? say what?? How!

I totally agree with you✌️...

The moment you said you only listened to the audiobook I decided I would leave this comment and leave the video. Bye.

Lol my sister got the audiobook but couldn’t finish it because it was so boring and she tried watching the movie and again couldn’t finish because it was so boring 😂 Also your tops are so cute!

Hello!!! How are you today? Are you excited for Midnight Sun? And you look so beautiful today.

Oh noo!! I'm like 300 pages into this and have liked it so far. So sad that you didn't enjoy this :(

I did enjoy the book, overall. I like the rich language, vivid descriptions and the humour. But it was overlong, had too much pseudo-philosophical waffle, and the main character was impossible for me to root for. Didn't like the gay bits either, which I felt were unnecessary and a sop to current dogmas.

Listen to Clair de lune it’s nice

I CROCHET AND LISTEN TO AUDIO BOOKS FROM THE LIBRARY!! :D And I also really did not like the book... ridiculous... I listened to it on 1.75 and it was still almost unbearable as the plot meandered and went no where and ended trying to be a think piece on life... ugh! I still have to read The Secret History but I have more hope for that since it does have better reviews and is MUCH SHORTER already... My quick thought on it " rich people with rich people problems"... "oh gosh I'm stuck in AmStErDaM and can afford it without question..." "Oh GoSh now I'm a MiLliOnAiRe"... and my only issue with Boris is he's 22 and somehow basically seen as a leader in a Mob... what? He read so much older than Theo to me at the end especially....

stan movie boris but not book…

Lowkey I’m not discrediting you because you’re a young woman. I’m discrediting you because you listen to audio books 🤣

This could have been such a great story. Poor little rich boy hits the bottom of life, ha the worst loser dad in the world, and then has Boris who talks forever. As a pediatric nurse, Theos story was so sad, I saw this so often as a nurse. But this book was too long-winded, the whole section in the desert was way way too long. yes it is well written, the author is talented, but the desert saga wore me out and I resorted to seeing the movie. No one wants to read a 800 page book. It could have been better. the book did grip me till the middle section with Boris and that never ended. The author should revise the book. As far as the derogatory comments of Koreans and China town, I think the author was showing how New Yorkers really think. Aha, and therefore it doesn't sound PC to you. Its a matter of opinion. I think the author should revise the book, do a second edition that is abridged. What do you think? Personally I hate when fairy tales and stories, masterpieces or movies are made so PC that you know it could not have happened like that. No it did not deserve the Pulitzer Prize, sorry......... but then what was the competition, maybe that was worse.

Even as an anti hero Theo was sooooo boring. You named all the things!

thank you sm for this. i agree with so much of what you said. hated this book, but hated the secret history more. donna tartt and i just don't vibe.

I liked Tartt's poetic style, but agree with you on many points. Personally, what irked me most was the substance abuse. I often felt like it was used as a repetitive trick and a cheap way out of 'explaining' the stupid decisions Theo made. Yes, a character can struggle with substance abuse, but that shouldn't be the only reason behind 99% of his choices. Weirdly, I often feel that awarded books just don't do it for me. Literary (and artistic) acclaim is often more of a snowball effect than a qualifier of talent.

I really liked the secret history (probably because i generally like dark academia books with that kind of atmosphere), so i thought I'd enjoy the goldfinch too. Yeah, it was too long. I personally didn't care much for the long descriptions about drugs and him feeling bad all the time. Which, actually, was a problem for me in the secret history as well. Exactly the point made in the video. Drug abuse and alcoholism so casually spoken about, almost normalised. In the secret history, though, I didn't really think much of it. But in the Goldfinch it was, again, as mentioned, the literal plot device. I liked Theo in the beginning, traumatised little boy, taken in by a family; touching. Then the Vegas part with Boris... of course, I liked Boris. Didn't relate to him much as a slav myself- surprising that not all of us are alcoholics with abusive fathers-but even by having those stereotypes, he was interesting. It went downhill for me from there though. I didn't have any sympathy for Theo anymore by then and kept thinking, where does it go from here? Adult Theo was boring, and the narrative went on and on. And, surprisingly, the trauma wasn't very discussed? I thought perhaps there would be some kind of closure. But it simply came to an abrupt end. I don't know how to feel about it. Conflicted is a good word for it. That 3 star review probably sums it up.

R U ISFJ？

Yeah definitely don't read The Secret History. The dark and twisty elements were good, but there's a loooooooot of white people shenanigans throughout it and I wasn't a fan of it overall. And thanks for this review, now I think my lingering curiosity for this book has died lol

I loved this book and agreed with the literary critics who awarded it the Pulitzer. I think Donna Tartt is a genius. You might feel differently about this book if you actually read it. Kind of hard to take your criticism seriously when you haven't really experienced the words on the page and instead of writing thoughtful literary criticism you've filmed yourself talking about it.