An exhausting good read
345136
Beware of possible spoilers.

Likes

--I actually didn't despise the main (female) character, which is most often the case. I liked her. Cadence was not unbearably whiny or ridiculous, although she did whine and make bad choices. I think she acted her age and didn't hesitate to be herself.
--The story was fast-moving; something was always going on--no snooze periods.
--I liked the writing overall, with just a few minor annoyances, which I'll cover in the dislikes list. First-person narrative is my favorite.
--I liked the characters' names. (This is a big deal to me)
--The conflicts that occurred throughout the story, like when Mr. Connelly embarrassed Cadence in front of the class as a comeback to her yelling at him on the phone the night before, were evenly distributed in the storyline, and I thought the author did an excellent job of the surprise factor and created some unpredictable moments. Just when I thought nothing was really going to happy, a character did something to surprise me (or repulse me).
--Each and every character mentioned in the book served a purpose, even if it was a tiny one.
--The story was compelling enough that it kept me hooked, and I had to finish reading it in one day, neglecting all else I had to do.
--I thought the sex scenes were well-written and not overdone.
--No typos! Yay.

Dislikes

--There were 3 redundant issues in the wording that annoyed me a little. 1) Describing Cadence being "on fire" when she was aroused by  her fantasies of Mr. Connelly. 2) Constantly saying that a character "furrowed his/her brow." I cringe when authors use that over and over. 3) Most of the times he touched Cadence, it was described as he "cupped" his hands on her face.
--I didn't feel like the dialogue was believable half the time, such as when he was having a regular conversation with her while he was in the act of taking her virginity. They just said out-of-context type things all the time. And he was incessantly apologizing, explaining himself over simple things, or asking her questions that were more or less an attempt to get her approval for everything he said.
--He kept saying he fell for her because of her maturity, but nothing she did or said in the story proved her maturity. To me, she acted like an immature 17-year-old girl.
--I didn't get enough of a feel for who the characters were and what they were about aside from the issues at hand. Her parents just came across as self-righteous, overly emotional jerks. I had no idea what any of them really looked like. I just pegged Cadence as the girl on the book cover. Mr. Connelly got the most description but primarily his clothing and taste in music. The main characters were described a little in the intimacy scenes.

Overall, I loved this book. No book is perfect, so some might take all the dislikes and trash it, but not me. I like to give an author due credit for great effort and work done. "Good" was an intense and gripping story that kept me away from my laundry until I finished every word. It made me laugh, gasp, angry, and shocked all in one sitting. I will be reading the sequel, which comes out next month. I grant it 4 stars.
3330795
very long book to tell an interesting and relevant story which I appreciated knowing but its a looooong read.
2542594
This book took longer than others its length to finish simply because there was so much packed into it.  Readers can become part of a very real CMERI web site study from the pages of this story.  This exercise reinforces the reality of this threat.  The characters are developing and the time taken in the text to build their humanity is important in order to later compare them to  the inhumanity which inevitably arrives.  I guess that will happen in the sequel.  Crashing planes and warm beer are definitely the stuff of horrific thrillers, but I bet the author has more up his sleeve in book two.  That being said  bring it on.
2094682
There are so many things to like about this book: stunningly enormous world, intricate plot, compelling characters, chillingly brutal realism, and some absolutely tremendous individual scenes/tableaux. And yet, it's just such a darned tough book to get into. Now, granted, I read this book over a three-week period with lots of interruptions, and it's been more than a year since I read the first book in the series. Both of those factors may contribute to some of my confusion over plot details. But, even still, this is a crazily confusing story that makes it very difficult for the reader to keep up with what's going on - all the more so since it includes only a handful of characters and references from the first book.

All in all, I really liked it - and yet it was so exhausting that I honestly don't know that I want to tackle the next book.
1915096
I enjoyed this novel - it was exciting, funny and thought provoking. I have to say, however, that it was one of the longest, most grueling reads of my life.  I actually thought it would never end.
4852306
This is a big novel and by that I mean it has some serious characters and themes that span multiple decades -- it tackles a lot.  It's also long (perhaps too long).  Wolitzer is a very talented writer and tells an engaging story with interesting plot turns, character development and dialogue.  However, the main character - Jules - is ultimately just hard to like.  She is plagued by lifelong insecurities and jealousy, clings to the past, and ultimately doesn't begin to mature until she reaches her 50s.  By the end of the book, I was sort of mentally exhausted with these characters and their lives, and while I enjoyed reading it, I was also happy to see it end.
742736
Almost from the beginning I didn't want to put this book down.  Warning though, it is disturbing, and you can't unread it
4303309
One has to be highly motivated to slog through this tome.
3076146
A very long story, rich in characters.  Perhaps a bit too long as the author describes the story in such detail.  The main character narrates in the first person, his feelings throughout.  Probably the best part of the book is the beginning as he travels with his mother before a huge explosion changes his life forever.  And then my other favorite part is near the end as he tries to buy back the "Goldfinch" painting and confronts the thieves.  The writing is excellent, and worth the effort.
973547
I feel somewhat mixed about this book.  The other reviewers of this novel are correct about this being both non-stop action and 300 page of chase scene.  The chase gets old about 3 chapters in but it never relents until the end of the novel.  You finally get to point where you think - okay finally some downtime only to find a new party is now chasing the main characters.  It's not a bad book but an exhausting one to read.
4548308
It is the sheer incredulity of an 18 year double life in this day and age that detracts from a very readable, and at times gripping tale.  The exhausting practicality of it all kept going through my mind as I tried to figure out how this guy managed not to get caught.  Once you get over that, you get quite immersed and enjoy the neurotic journey of the two very different wives.  I agree with one reviewer that in the end one wonders whose fault it all was, but I have concluded that it does not matter.

Having said all of that, I enjoyed the book, and would liken it to a grocery store chocolate bar - satisfying but there was little lingering of the enjoyment.  It has its place in my reading habits, as I tend to have a harder and an easier read on the go at the same time.  I would recommend it, especially if you enjoy e.g. Anita Shreve
582456
The Goldfinch is beautifully written yet an unnecessarily long read.
I agree with readers who found the book's beginning and ending chapters beyond well written.
Tartt loses her audience with too much unnecessary detail as she builds her story.
My guess is that some may have put down the book altogether in the middle chapters as there were moments when I felt swallowed up in detail.
If only the author had used her words more judiciously, the book would be among my favorites.
My advice to potential readers is to not give up part way through as the end of their reading journey is well worth the ride!
2316791
A few weeks ago, I got an email from a friend in which she responded with her thoughts about a particular book.  She described the book as "exhausting" to read.  I thought that was a very good way to describe some books and also why I have a hard time reading them.  What I have found in myself when I read is that it isn't wise to read books that overly romanticize life (because they feed discontentment in my heart), or that dwell deeply in the depravity of man (they overwhelm me).  Sometimes books are simply too exhausting for me to read.  This book fits that description well.

Fabry's book, June Bug, is one of my favorite books.  I read the book that came after that book, but struggled with all of his depiction of angels.  But, still, he is a very good writer.  So, I wanted to try this book.  This book is the story of Truman Wiley, a writer who has run away from his family--his wife, daughter, and son who is dying of a defective heart.  A man is about to die on death row and wants Truman to write his story.  The overarching plot is well developed and interesting.

But, this book delves into the addiction of gambling and its consequences on both addicts and the people who love them.  The vivid description of how gambling enticed him if even a few bucks were in his pocket was both shocking and sad.  After reading some of the description of how Truman felt as he gambled away what money he had--regardless of its consequences, I simply couldn't keep reading.  It overwhelmed me with the depressing nature of the addiction.

If you enjoy drama movies and tear-jearkers, you will enjoy this book.  It is well written and characters are vividly described.  If, you feel overwhelmed by deeply sad movies, you may find that you have the same reaction to this book as I did.  The ending is a bit like one from the old Kevin Costner movie Message in a Bottle.  This book is not a feel good, happy, ends all neatly tied up at the ending sort of book.

In the end, this is one of those books that I can't give a blanket recommendation to.  It is one of those books that I would suggest you read an excerpt of online first before ordering.

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale Publishing.
2123612
This book is rather tedious to read, too much details and descriptions before getting to actual things that happen. But, it's a really good read (so long as you don't fall asleep). Other people will love it, I just "like it", that's 4 stars.
4026254
This was hard to stop yet hate to finish book. It was insightful and puts in its time and location with such details. I would lose myself in reading and my emotions went from joy to anger to such sadness with the turning of each page.
1522327
There's something addictive about the Fraser family's lives. After a while, the reader is so involved that characters old and new become a part of one's own family. I believe absolutely that life and love and war in the 1700s was exactly like this,and after spending two weeks reading this heavy tome, I've even begun thinking in a Scotch accent.

That said, in 815 pages, things sometimes drag. Ms. Gabaldon writes so well you hardly notice until you find yourself skipping whole pages to get back to the good parts. For me there's too much sex, too much poop and pee, too much vomit. I much prefer the blood and guts. I adore the relationships and the idea of love beyond all reason. And the surgeries Claire performs and the herbs she uses are fascinating
333696
I have a love/hate relationship with this one. It starts off very well. An intriguing mystery that kept me turning the pages for hours. It starts to go off the rails, though, at about the 70% mark (on kindle) with a plot that's unnecessarily complicated and quite a bit too much detail about the lives of the detectives investigating the case which slows down the pacing considerably.

The author has a well developed sense of the form, giving tantalizing clues every few pages and ending almost every chapter on a cliffhanger. There were just some details at the end that felt really, really forced and hurt my enjoyment of the book.