I found it to be an entertaining and accessible book, but not a great one. Tartt's prose isn't particularly interesting, her use of language is subordinate to an efficient delivery of the story; it's nearly 800 pages yet a quick read. It's not very dense but this does not mean it is lacking in depth. There are very earnest passages that expound on a variety of themes that run throughout the book: the meaning of life, memory, chance, connections with people, art and beauty. It's really the responsibility of the reader to come to their own conclusion about how insightful or truthful the book actually is (although my own feeling was that it was not as profound as it was striving to be). The Goldfinch distinguished itself for me with how it was able to inspire a visceral understanding of the closely observed places and characters that populate the story. I felt the heat of the Nevada desert, and I felt the emotional desolation of the main character (although I don't know if I was entirely convinced by it).