The goldfinch book club discussion questions arlenes. A dramatic event happens about twothirds of the way in that upends the very foundations that the story is built on. I often tell people that donna tartts pulitzer prize winning novel the goldfinch 20 is my favorite book and its true. One of my favorite things about this book club experience is seeing.
I had chosen this book for our book club so had to lead the discussion. The goldfinch cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. Follow along with refinery29s book club as we read and discuss the. Book club resources and questions to get you started and keep your discussion going. Published in 20, it was tartts first novel since the little friend in 2002 the novel is a comingofage tale told in the first person. Discussion topics the topics presented here offer a starting point for a book club discussion. As much as i wanted to finish the book i did not want to bid farewell to these characters.
It helped me beyond words, both in facilitating a meaningful discussion and for getting a great deal more out of the book myself. The goldfinch combines vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and suspense, while plumbing with a philosophers calm the deepest mysteries of love, identity, and art. Theodore theo decker and his mother visit new york citys metropolitan museum of art so she can view the masterpiece the goldfinch. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. 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. 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. Many comparisons have been made between this book and great expectations and other dickens books do you see. The goldfinch donna tartt book club guide refinery29. Did you find the characters in this book believable. You can play along and feel free to use this quiz in your own book club discussion. I literally and i can not stand that word could not put this book down.
To ask other readers questions about the goldfinch, please sign up. The protagonist, yearold theodore decker, survives a terrorist bombing at an art museum where his mother is killed. Youll also find printable book club questions at the end of this post to bring to. The goldfinch 2 the nightingale 1 the ocean at the end of the lane 1. Ive found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are openended and that get people to share their personal opinions.
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. Or perhaps focus on readers reactions and let your conversation delve. The 25 best quotes from the goldfinch broke by books. While i was reading the goldfinch, i looked around the bart train one morning and my eyes lit upon a cryptic poster inviting me to discover the real truth about our greatest domestic catastrophe, courtesy of a group. Donna tartts the goldfinch, an epic tale of loss, love, and the power of art. Many comparisons have been made between this book and great expectations and other dickens books do you see the similarities. This book also prompted an interesting discussion of the pulitzer prize and whether it means anything at all as a mark of a book s quality or that book s representation of american literature. If this is your first time with us, weve just gotten through the middle portion of the goldfinch. When youre starting a digital book club, all the standard book club rules apply.
The goldfinch is a bad movie because it is based on a. 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, whether i shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or. Book club discussion questions for the goldfinch by donna tartt. 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. Whator what alldoes the painting represent in the novel. If youre just joining us, weve tackled the first 200orso pages of donna tartts the goldfinch, an epic tale of loss, love, and the power of art. 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.
In farleigh field has been floating around as a potential read for me for quite a while. If you loved the first person narrative and retrospection and insight on how a life is constructed try my struggle by karl ove knausgaard 2014. The goldfinch is a novel of shocking narrative energy and power. Dan, hanna, and meghan love donna tartts big, big novel.
I read the goldfinch before, not as part of this abm book club, but since i always read this blog regularly i hope its ok that i am adding a comment. The goldfinch is a novel by the american author donna tartt. Its beautiful prose is densely layered and overflowing with richly developed characters. The characters in this book are so vividly portrayed it is quite possible you will never forget them. Book club discussion questions for the goldfinch by. It combines unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and breathtaking suspense, while plumbing with a philosophers calm the deepest mysteries of love, identity, and art. Finally, would your group be interested in reading the goldfinch by donna tartt. Since reading is something many caregivers can engage in but going to local book clubs can be difficult. Since i was leading my book club discussion on the goldfinch, i was thrilled and grateful to come across this. 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. Generally, i like to read or at least be informed about pulitzer prize winners and usually they are good picks for book club discussions.
And if youre looking for more about the goldfinch, check out my list of the 25 best quotes from the goldfinch. 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. The goldfinch by donna tartt book club discussion questions. For the few uninitiated, the goldfinch is a sprawling bildungsroman centered on yearold theo decker, whose world is violently turned upside down when, on a. The goldfinch book club discussion questions arlenes book club.
During the immediate aftermath, theo meets an old man who is dying from his wounds. The goldfinch might have a pulitzer, but plenty of people have been saying for years its a bad book. David copperfield famously says in the first line of dickenss book. I know that sounds like i just lifted that from the book jacket, but honestly its true. The consensus on the goldfinch movie might be that its a bad movie that fails a good book.
Id been shut up in my hotel for more than a week, afraid to telephone anybody or go out. Book discussions online resources and questions for your book club to connect your groups lives, interests and personal experiences to books you discuss, sunday, november 11, 2018. Due to unusual circumstances id taken nearly two months to finish the goldfinch. In farleigh field book club questions and recipe if you are new here, welcome. For in farleigh field, i provide your book club with a brief summary, a recipe, and discussion questions in that order in farleigh field book club questions and recipe. Books to read if you loved donna tartts the goldfinch. The next 20% is just like the previous 75% theo making bad decisions and being a bystander to real stories. Coincidentally, fabrituss painting the goldfinch came to new york city and opened at the frick on the same day tartts book was released. 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. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. Did you enjoy the goldfinch and would you recommend this book to your friends. While they are at the museum, a bomb explodes, killing theos mother and traumatizing him. Right before we got down and dirty into our discussion, we took the following quiz to win the goldfinch prize of the night.
While i was still in amsterdam, i dreamed about my mother for the first time in years. The living room was decorated with several objects mentioned in the book to go along with the quote mentioned above. It won the 2014 pulitzer prize for fiction, among other honors. Our book club just finished reading and discussing our latest treasure, the goldfinch, by donna tartt. Please put your thoughts on the goldfinch book club questions in the comments area below. The goldfinch is a brilliant story with memorable characters and most of the book is incredibly well done and fun to read. The goldfinch has been on my reading list for quite a while. Please put your thoughts on the goldfinch book club questions in the comments area below 1. The goldfinch part i book club ideas by donna tartt. Winner of the pulitzer prize the goldfinch is a rarity that comes along perhaps half a dozen times per decade, a smartly written literary novel that connects with the heart as well as the minddonna tartt has delivered an extraordinary work of fiction.
Theo decker, a thirteenyearold new yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. If youre ready to start a book club, heres 40 of the best book club questions, for fiction and nonfiction alike. It was wonderful to find such an insightful summary and group questions. The goldfinch by donna tartt halifax public libraries. Read the 25 best quotes from the goldfinch, donna tartts pultizerwinning novel, before the film adaptation.
692 891 1539 174 683 1499 966 468 499 143 1344 193 459 1220 1336 587 555 219 1437 1068 636 183 1469 469 1542 705 154 145 1028 937 937 63 541 199 1433 973 893 855 819 1043 1484 1177