First novel of 2014: Tartt-astic!

The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt's third novel, is over 700 pages long.  I never once looked at the page number I was on, or flipped forward to see how many pages were left in a particular chapter, and that is one of the highest complements I can give, especially to such a behemoth book.  This is an engrossing, dizzying, rollicking, heartbreaking book.  I felt like I was along for the (roller coaster) ride of Theo Decker's life, as he comes to reconcile his mother's death and his isolation in the world.  This was a great novel!