History YMMV / TheGoldfinch

* TearJerker: Teenage Theo alone in his flat after the attack on the Metropolitan, waiting to hear word about his mother. For as long as he can, he refuses to believe she might have died, even passing the time fixing a jammed kitchen drawer that has been bugging her for ages.

* CrossesTheLineTwice: Boris [[spoiler:stealing the ''Goldfinch'' from its wrappings and bringing it into the stolen art market]] is not funny, especially when people get killed over it. The fact that he [[spoiler:replaces it with a social studies textbook with a {{Glurge}}-y cover]], however, is sheer RefugeInAudacity.

* BellisariosMaxim: During childhood, Boris is almost a head taller than Theo, while in adulthood, Theo is almost a head taller than Boris. Maybe Boris was held back a grade. Maybe all that alcohol stunted his growth. Whatever. Don't think about it too much. Except for their height, Finn Wolfhard and Aneurin Barnard are a very good physical match.

* DesignatedHero: As an adult, Theo is a thief, a FunctionalAddict, involved in an elaborate forgery scheme that will likely [[UngratefulBastard ruin the livelihood of the man who took him in when he was orphaned]], is [[StalkingIsLove obsessed with a woman who has not encouraged his attentions]] [[YourCheatingHeart (and is not his fiancee)]], and even eventually [[spoiler: kills someone, though it was self-defense]]. He has a FreudianExcuse for a lot of this, but at times it can be tough to buy that we're supposed to root for him.

* BellisariosMaxim: During childhood, Boris is almost a head taller than Theo, while in adulthood, Theo is almost a head taller than Boris. Don't think about it too much. Except for their height, Finn Wolfhard and Aneurin Barnard are a very good physical match.

* FanPreferredCouple: Boris and Theo. Their sexual activity as teens, Theo's almost jealous ramblings when Boris gets a girlfriend, and the fact that Theo's love for Pippa comes across extremely unhealthy help this.

!!The Film
* SnarkBait: The film suffered horrible reviews and one of the worst box office performances in history, with many pointing out that without Donna Tartt’s beautiful writing skills, the story is largely a RandomEventsPlot with a total VanillaProtagonist who it’s impossible to care about. About the only thing that people liked was Roger Deakins getting to show once again that he’s one of the greatest cinematographers in the business.

* NightmareFuel: Theo's father threatening and hitting his son in an attempt to get Theo's inheritance money so that he can pay off his debts, then completely breaking down when he finds out that the teenaged Theo does not have authorisation to do so. It comes almost out of nowhere and is as shocking for the reader as for Theo.

* DesignatedHero: As an adult, Theo is a thief, a FunctionalAddict, involved in an elaborate forgery scheme that will likely [[UngratefulBastard ruin the livelihood of the man who took him in when he was orphaned]], is [[StalkingIsLove obsessed with a woman who has not encouraged his attentions]] [[YourCheatingHeart (and is not his fiancee)]], and even eventually [[spoiler: kills someone, though it was arguably self-defense]]. He has a FreudianExcuse for a lot of this, but at times it can be tough to buy that we're supposed to root for him.

* CriticalDissonance: [[http://archive.is/xVWtX People were very divided]], with audiences and some publications considering it a masterpiece, with various critics considering it incredibly overwritten and overrated

* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: At the end, when Hobie [[spoiler:accepts and forgives Theo after hearing his full story, including how he sold forgeries and hid the painting.]]

* MoralEventHorizon: When Theo's father hits and threatens him in an attempt to steal his inheritance, it's clear that his father will never reform.

* CriticalDissonance: Taken UpToEleven, [[http://archive.is/xVWtX people were very divided]] with audiences and some publications considering it a masterpiece, with various critics considering it incredibly overwritten and overrated

* CriticalDissonance: Taken UpToEleven, [[http://archive.is/xVWtX Critics were very divided]] with audiences and some publications considering it a masterpiece, with various critics considering it incredibly overwritten and overrated

* CriticalDissonance: Taken UpToEleven [[http://archive.is/xVWtX Critics were very divided]] with audiences and some publications considering it a masterpiece, with various critics considering it incredibly overwritten and overrated

* CriticalDissonance: Taken UpToEleven [Critics were very divided](http://archive.is/xVWtX, aith audiences and some publications considering it a masterpiece, with various critics considering it incredibly overwritten and overrated

* MoralEventHorizon: When Theo's father hits and threatens him in an attempt to steal his inheritance, it's clear that his father will never reform.
* ProtagonistCenteredMorality: As mentioned above, 13 year old Theo isn't mentioned to have any reaction to seeing a decapitated woman other than observing her Spray Tan. But goes into a breakdown when he reaches the room his mother should be in. In his InnerMonologue, he even says:
--->But the main thing, the important thing, none o

* MoralEventHorizon: When Theo's father hits and threatens him in an attempt to steal his inheritance, it's clear that his father will never reform.