Which Donna Tartt next?

[Greenteandchives]

I enjoyed A Secret History very much. I have both The Goldfinch and The Little Friend. I can only take one on holiday with me. Which one should it be, please?

The Goldfinch hands down. I love A Secret History and The Goldfinch is brilliant but have tried to read The Little Friend about 3 times and never got into it

Completely agree with PP. The Goldfinch is incredible and will stay with you. I have never managed to get into A little friend.

Goldfinch for sure. Amazing book.

Absolutely detested the Little Friend so Goldfinch hands down

The Goldfinch would be a great holiday read as the plot roars along with never a dull moment.

Have a fab holiday!
< whispers: think about getting a Kindle? >

Ada I have never wanted a Kindle. I am not sure why. I think it might be that I often have to go back through a book to check something, or reread a bit. I am not sure how I would do that with a Kindle.
It looks like The Goldfinch is coming with me. Thanks all.

It was just a thought Greentea as they are so useful when travelling, as you can take your entire library!
To check something earlier in the book, you would just click back through the pages or the chapters like with an ordinary book.

Avoid The Goldfinch

Plot roarsLas Vegas years anyone.

Hated that book, could have missed out the middle third quite happily. Total tedium, drags on forevvvvvver.

Not just the Las Vegas years but the complete personality transplant of some of the NY characters when he goes back

Fucking Boris

I've just finished The Little Friend and am in that great book mourning period. I thought it was brilliant. Take that one and lend me The Goldfinch whilst you're away

Oh no! I needed a consensus!

Well it's 5:3 to The Goldfinch so far.

I made it through both but, to be honest, neither is a patch on The Secret History. Agree about the Goldfinch really dragging.

Love the goldfinch! One of my favourite books.

neither are much cop compared to the Secret History
it took me three goes over a decade to finish The Little Friend, and I can't even remember what happens - did someone fall into some sort water-filled silo thing?

The Goldfinch was better, but the hundreds of pages spent with the two teenage lads arsing about off their tits in the Vegas suburbs nearly finished me off. Tartt needs a more assertive editor.

Oh no! I loved every page of The Goldfinch! The pace slows when he's in Las Vegas because it's reflecting a barren point in his life.

I absolutely loved The Little Friend but struggled with The Goldfinch.

I can't remember barely a thing about The Little Friend other than it angered me so much because it sets up a mystery in the opening pages that it LITERALLY NEVER RESOLVES even though you read over 1,000 pages

The pace didn't slow in LA's Vegas,it ground to a halt. A whole books worth of nothing. Added zilch to the story. I strongly suspect her name carried most people through finishing the book as a whole.

IMO The Little Friend is a poor book, especially considering her other two.

The Goldfinch is wonderful, the best novel written this century (note
that still allows me to rate Pride and Prejudice.

I lived the Las Vegas bit in The Goldfinch! ySo interesting people's different opinions!

Another vote for the Goldfinch; long but worth it!

@AdaColeman , re Kindle - once I've gone back to reread something, how do I find my place again? The bookmark thing doesn't seem to function.

The Goldfinch is my all-time favourite book. I also loved The Secret History but The Goldfinch is a masterpiece of writing.

I've tried twice with The Little Friend and gave up both times.

Why is it a masterpiece?

Declaring any book a masterpiece is subjective.

I know the Goldfinch is quite a divisive book, people either love it or hate it. For me I loved it because the story stayed with me for so long, I still often think about it. Doesn't happen with many books. I found the writing immersive, very visually and emotionally evocative. I cared about what was happening.