AK Blakemore Slams The Goldfinch as Silly and Bad 2026

In a recent interview, author AK Blakemore didn't hold back when discussing Donna Tartt's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Goldfinch, calling it 'extremely silly and bad.' Blakemore, known for her novels The Manningtree Witches and The Glutton, shared her candid thoughts while reflecting on her own reading journey, from childhood favorites to the books that shaped her as a writer.

AK Blakemore's Early Reading Memories

Blakemore's love for reading began at a very young age. She recalls Lynley Dodd's Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy as her earliest reading memory, a book that 'wormed its way into my subconscious.' The rhythmic tale of assorted dogs—from Hercules Morse, the great dane 'as big as a horse,' to Schnitzel Von Krumm, the dachshund 'with a very low tum'—left a lasting impression. 'I could probably still recite most of it from memory,' she admits.

Growing up, Blakemore was drawn to picture books illustrated by Korky Paul, particularly The Rascally Cake by Jeanne Willis. The story of Rufus Skumskins O'Parsley, a green-haired man who bakes a cake from disgusting ingredients only for it to come alive, fascinated her. 'Probably more than a little bit of Skumskins found its way into the protagonist of my second novel, The Glutton,' she notes.

The Book That Changed AK Blakemore as a Teenager

During her GCSE studies, Blakemore encountered F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, a novel that 'entirely reshaped my brain.' She considers it 'about as near to perfect as it's possible for a novel to be,' praising its distillation of 'all the stupid loveliness and yearning in the world' into vivid imagery and wit.

This early exposure to Fitzgerald's mastery clearly influenced Blakemore's own writing, which often explores themes of desire, ambition, and the grotesque. Her criticism of The Goldfinch might stem from a similar high standard for literary fiction.

Why AK Blakemore Calls The Goldfinch 'Silly and Bad'

While Blakemore didn't elaborate extensively on her critique, her comment suggests a strong dislike for Tartt's sprawling narrative. The Goldfinch, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2014, follows Theo Decker after he survives a terrorist attack at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and steals a painting. Despite its commercial and critical success, some readers and critics have found its plot implausible and its characters unlikable.

Blakemore's opinion is a reminder that even award-winning novels can provoke polarizing reactions. Her own work, by contrast, tends to be more tightly focused and historically grounded, as seen in The Manningtree Witches, which won the Desmond Elliott Prize.

Comparing AK Blakemore and Donna Tartt

Key Takeaways from AK Blakemore's Reading Journey

• Early exposure to rhythmic, memorable picture books can shape a writer's voice.
• The Great Gatsby remains a transformative text for many young readers.
• Even Pulitzer-winning novels like The Goldfinch can be divisive among literary figures.
• Blakemore's own work often draws from childhood influences and classic literature.

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