2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Tell us what you thought of the book! You can leave your review here. Even if you read the book outside of the group, please feel free to let us know what you thought of it.

Please make sure to mark your spoilers by typing "[spoiler]" at the start and [/spoiler] at the end but replacing the []s with <>s.

My review from 2018:

This book was just wonderful. The writing just pulls you in and makes you want to keep listening and emerging yourself in the twists and turns of Theo's life. Definitely not a light read, many parts were downright depressing but there was still so much beauty in the sadness (like the eponymous painting). This is definitely a book that will stay with me.

Jess wrote: "My review from 2018:

This book was just wonderful. The writing just pulls you in and makes you want to keep listening and emerging yourself in the twists and turns of Theo's life. Definitely not a..."

I agree. I read this book some time ago but still remember it. I thought it was wonderful.

Sorry, but this was a dnf for me. I read up to chapter 4 and couldn't take anymore.

While the book was too long, I did enjoy the surprise ending. I wonder how Theo is doing in his middle age and how we would have turned out if his mother had not died so tragically.

I read this a couple of years ago (and by 'read' I mean audiobook) and still have a strong memory and feeling for it. I rated it 4 stars.

Here are the first lines of my review:
From cover to cover, this is a bleak story with only brief glimmers of hope or optimism. Around 600 pages into this tome, I began to worry that it would end happily or even tidily. But Tartt did nothing so predictable and it ended with as many loose ends as possible -

Keep going - it only gets better! (the book - not my review)
Full review (spoiler free):
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I read this last year and really struggled to get through it. I generally consider myself a smart person. This book made me feel boring and stupid. :(

My review: "I feel like maybe I would have enjoyed this book more if I were a little smarter. I don’t generally go for philosophical soliloquies on the human condition and our role in the universe.

"I do know I would have enjoyed this book more if it were about half the length. I listened to the audiobook, which was very well narrated, but I tended to zone out frequently, then I would have to rewind.

"The story is interesting and the descriptions are very detailed. But the story drags terribly. I didn't "get" the point. As I said, if you’re into the philosophical side of a story, you’ll love it. But it’s not my thing."

I struggled to get through this one too. My mom kept teasing me like you're not done that one yet. It took me a couple of weeks to get through it. I really wasn't into the philosophy stuff either. Not sure if I will try to read this authors other books.

I loved parts if this book while I hated other parts. I was very relieved to finish this book so I could read something else…After a few weeks, I still feel like I got out of some jail, where I was stuck with Theo and his many problems…and with a book way too long…
That being said, I will join the December group reading her other book, The secret history. So not all is bad.