The Goldfinch

"The Goldfinch" is a masterwork of storytelling. When I picked it up, I had no idea what it was about but Amazon kept telling me I needed to read it. And although most of the characters in the book are deeply unlikeable, the story itself is written so compellingly - even beautifully - that I found myself totally sucked into the mind of Theo Decker and the world of The Goldfinch. Tartt lavishes loving attention on the most intricate details, but doesn't shy away from the brutal, absurd, or ugly either. This book is a win. A Pulitzer Winner, that is.