The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt

I feel like I'm a few years late to The Goldfinch. For a couple of years, a couple years ago, it seemed like everyone was reading and talking about it, and then it went away. I had it on my PaperbackSwap wish list and then, at some point, I took it off because I didn't think I'd actually read it. (I read and didn't particularly care for The Secret History and wasn't sure I wanted to commit to 800 pages to something I might feel similarly ambivalent about.) Then in quick succession, I saw the movie trailer and found a copy of the book at my dad's house, and I decided maybe now was the time. I don't know that I have anything useful to add to the discourse around this book, especially 5 years after everyone else was talking about it. It was an absorbing and engaging read - perfect for the subway (minus the size): I almost missed my stop more than once while reading it. At the same time, I didn't think about it much when I was not reading it, especially after the first 200 pages or so, which I found the most interesting. Though there were a couple parts that really resonated with me. It took me 4 weeks to the day to finish, and my sense of relief when I set it down yesterday was great.