Rating: 
Summary: Maids Dont Wear Pearls
Review: In The Girl With the Pearl Earring, the author uses a unique style to engage the reader. Tracy Chevalier's descriptive passages bring to life the small town of Delft in the 1600s. Griet, a new maid at the Vermeer's household paints a picture of the daily activities with an inside view into the life and times of the painter Vermeer. The relationships that Griet has to those around her show the character of a poor family trying to make ends meet, and the importance of ones station in life. Griet must choose between listening to her heart or to her duty as a daughter and a maid.
Griet grew up in a small family where her father was a tile painter, until an accident in the factory took away his sight. Because of his inability to support his family, Griet must go and make money so her family can survive. She leaves the protestant section of town she has always known, and goes to work and live in the catholic part of the town.
The Painter Vermeer's family is growing and they need someone to help with the household duties. His wife, Catharina, is constantly pregnant, and very difficult for Griet to handle. One of the daughters, Cornelia, is always stirring up trouble "When [Cornelia] appeared between the hanging clothes and looked down at me with a cruel smirk on her face, I wanted to slap her as I had that first day I had come to work at the house" (Chevalier 212). She tries her hardest to get Griet in trouble, so Catharina is always watching her with a suspicious eye. Griet must tread carefully so as not to anger anyone.
Vermeer is a quiet man, who has to deal with his families increasing size and the debt that comes with it. For his family, it seems that he cannot paint fast enough. He needs to finish paintings quickly to make money. For himself, he cannot paint faster and still be satisfied with his handiwork. He takes his time, to the disappointment of his wife. Vermeer spends all of his time in his studio, creating his own world, and few are privileged enough to share in it. Griet would have to try hard not to get caught up in his distorted world of paintings.
Along with the new life as a maid, Griet must deal with growing older, and the expectations that come with adulthood. The increasing interest that is shown by Pieter the butcher's son, and how she should react to him as well as his advances. She knows the advantages marriage would have to her family- it would mean that they always had meat on the table. Since they don't make very much money, they have been eating poorly, and if she married the butcher's son, this wouldn't be a problem.
There are many parts in the story when Griet goes to the center of the town square and stands on an eight-pointed star in the center of the square. Standing on this star, looking in all the directions it points her, Griet makes some very important choices, she must choose between security in marriage, and the uncertain life as a maid, where she could be cast out on a whim. She misses her family, and could go back to them, or she could choose a completely different option. As she stands in the middle of the square, she makes her decision; "When I made my choice, the choice I knew I had to make, I set my feet carefully along the edge of the point and went the way it told me, walking steadily" (Chevalier 216).
Rating:
Summary: Ten times better than reading a text book
Review: Historical fiction is at its best in Tracy Chevalier's novel Girl with a Pearl Earring. Although, the title itself does not disclose much in regards to the complexity of the plot; within the first fifteen pages of the book it is clear that the story's core is a fascinating blend of mystery, desire, and distrust.
These elements captivate readers just as Griet's peculiar vegetable artistry is able to entrance Vermeer in their initial meeting. After witnessing Griet's appreciation of color and her attention to fine details, Vermeer hires this 16-year-old girl to be a maid in his household. Griet must leave everything she knows: her caring mother, strong father, younger sister, her modest home, and even her Protestant neighborhood. However, the change is a matter of necessity; her family needs the income. Ever since Griet's father lost his sight in an accident at the tiling factory, money has been scarce. In the 17th century, the only viable option remaining was to rely upon a capable child.
Griet enters into the Vermeer household and learns the ropes quickly. Tanneke, a cantankerous maid who has been with the family for years, guides her. Griet is assigned the most tedious and disliked chores. However, one such daily task enables Griet to meet a young man who expresses special interest in her, even if Griet's feelings for him aren't always as clear.
A second challenge exists among Griet's relationship with the numerous family members residing in the house itself. Johannes Vermeer's wife, Catherina, is leery of Griet from the very beginning and her feelings of insecurity only intensify as time passes. Maria Thins, the domineering elderly relative, speaks harshly to Griet one minute and allies her in the next. Cornelia, one of the middle children, acts upon an inborn wild streak and succeeds in stirring up trouble on a daily basis. Thankfully, the other five children are relatively well mannered.
Lastly, but most importantly, there is the relationship between Vermeer himself and Griet. Vermeer is perfectly systematic as a painter, but completely unpredictable in all other aspects of his life. This characteristic leaves Griet with many questions. She feels the need to walk on eggshells whenever she is in his presence. One day, while cleaning Vermeer's workroom Griet is disturbed by the sense that something essential is missing in Vermeer's painting-in-progress. Boldly, she rearranges the folds of the blue cloth portrayed in the painting. When Vermeer inquires about the unapproved change, Griet replies, "There needs to be some disorder in the scene, to contrast with her tranquility. Something to tease the eye. And yet it must be something pleasing to the eye as well, and it is, because the cloth and her arm are in a similar position." This response is tremendously gutsy for Griet. After all, her role in the home is supposed to be that of a maid, not an assistant to the acclaimed artist. Nevertheless, within months this is precisely the role Vermeer secretly promotes Griet to. The more time Vermeer and Griet spend working together the more complicated their relationship becomes and consequently household tension escalates exponentially.
Reading this book is bound to spark your curiosity in Vermeer and you'll feel compelled to learn more about his actual life. This is true even for those who typically show no interest in art history; honestly, the book is that good! Tracy Chevalier has created a novel which infuses accurate details with a page-turning fictional plot.
Even after much searching and hypothesizing, nobody has been able to positively identify who the "Girl with the Pearl Earring" was, but reading this novel makes it difficult to believe she was anyone other than Griet, the young maid who left her mark on society.
Rating: 
Summary: This historical fiction is a gem
Review: I have been intrigued by Vermeer's works, particulary his attention to detail and "picture within a picture". While little is known of his life, Chevalier weaves a fascinating tale told by Griet, a 17 year old girl pressed into service as a maid for the Vermeer family to aid Griet's starving family. Through Griet's eyes we see what daily life might have been like in 17th century Holland. What is particularly fascinating is the exposition of how Vermeer painted--his vision, his treatment of colors and his use of a new instrument to get a different perspective on his subjects. Griet is a very appealing heroine. We identify with her fears in leaving home and living in a "Papist" house; her sorrows from the woes of her family, and her curiosity and intelligence when she is asked to help the artist. As is obvious from the title, Griet also serves as the model for one of Vermeer's most haunting masterpieces. All of these elements add to the pleasure of this book. I was totally engrossed with this story and finished reading it in one day.
Rating:
Summary: Innocence lost
Review: As a professional historian and a fan of Vermeer's paintings, I was hesitent to pick up this book, fearing that I might be unfairly critical. I was relieved to find a beautifully researched and written novel about the subject of one of the 17th century's greatest paintings. Griet is a sixteen year-old girl forced into becoming a maid for the Vermeer family when her father loses his sight. This begins a long courtship of sorts between Griet and Jan Vermeer. I was afraid that the resolution of this tension would "paint" Vermeer in an overly-speculative negative or positive light. Instead, the release of this sexual tension is largely symbolic, and occurs in the grinding of pigments or the rape-like piercing of Griet's ear. Vermeer is left in shadows, which is where he belongs, since the historical record about him is vague. Chevalier obviously understands the power of his paintings, however, as she is careful to fill her scenes with the everyday objects that Vermeer deified in his work, partly as substitutes for the less acceptable icons of his Catholic faith. As a result, Vermeer's paintings are rich in domestic detail, as is Chevalier's book. I found myself frequently looking at the cover art as I read the book, to see if I saw in the face in the painting the same things that Chevalier found. It's all there, in the painting and the book: innocence, loss, desire, sadness.
Rating:
Summary: A gentle, thoughtful book
Review: This book was a gentle, thoughtful look at life through a young girl's eyes. Greit had a special eye and talent. In another day and time, she might have been the master painter. But she was a servant and a girl--- a fate from which she had no escape. Her feelings are sometimes confused, sometimes overwhelming. There is an underlying tension that continues through the entire book. She is believeable as a young girl and the author's language brings old Delft to life. I really enjoyed this book.
Rating:
Summary: Griet is not too perfect
Review: I absolutely adore this book. It does the picture credit by giving a personality to those haunted silver eyes. I won't repeat what other raving reviews have already said, but I agree when they called this a charming jewel of a story. Some people commented that Griet was too perfect. They called her an "angel genius" who knew the perfect way to do everything. While I sort of agree, and feel sorry for poor stupid Tanneke, the old, loyal, dim-witted maid whom Griet replaces, I don't agree that Griet is perfect. She is lonely and friendless. The only person close to a friend is Pieter, the butcher's son, who I never liked. Even Griet senses what he wants from her, and her mentions of his hands always being bloody show how unideal he is. Other than he, she has no one. Tanneke is bitter; Maria Thins is aloof; Catharina is jealous and Cornelia is...Cornelia. Although loneliness is not a failing inside Griet, it keeps us feeling sorry for her, instead of being jealous at her luckiness.
Rating: 
Summary: Easy, Entertaining Read
Review: I'm not a fast reader by any means. But I managed to tear through this book in 3 days, hour-and-a-half sittings at a time(fast for me, anyway). I first dismissed this book as a period piece. It is, but Chevalier keeps the plot fast-paced and doesn't bog the story down with detail. At the core is the story of a Dutch maid and her working and semi-seunsual relationship with the painter Vermeer. Not quite as multi-layered as I like from a novel, I was very entertained and had a hard time putting it down. "Girl with a Pearl Earring" would be a good start for any book club. And if you're looking for an excellent follow-up book about a passionate artist try Chaim Potok's "My Name is Asher Lev."
Rating:
Summary: Like the critics say: A jewel of a novel
Review: "Girl With a Pearl Earring" is a magnificent little story about one of Veneer's most famous paintings. Although the events are made up, I found myself really believing the story Chevalier spins about the model of the painting, her being forced to work for the Veneer family, the turmoils she endures in that home and her own, the conflicting emotions she has for the painter and for Pieter, the butcher's son. The setting is real, the descriptions clear but not too cluttering, and the characters' motivations clear. Heaven knows I wanted to slap Cornelia several times in the book! I highly recommend this book, especially for book clubs. Much can be discussed about this work, not the least of which are the symbolism of the earrings and the ways in which men in the book treat women.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful surprise!
Review: I wouldn't have picked this book up by myself but read it because it was a choice of my book club. It was a wonderful surprise! Even though it was set in the 1600's it was easy to read and a story that tells much more than just a story. Hidden meanings that were conveyed by our club members. A good book that will surprise you!
Rating:
Summary: Quite different from what you'd expect
Review: Reminiscent of the Girl in Hyacinth Blue, the story of another Vermeer painting, this is the tale of a young maid in the Vermeer household who becomes the subject of one of his paintings.
Griet is a young girl from the family of a tile painter in Delft who for financial reasons is forced to find work in the house of Vermeer. At first working in the household solely as a maid and admiring his paintings Griet comes to assist the painter in producing his paintings from the grinding of materials which produce luscious sounding colors to becoming the subject of one of his 35 paintings.
Written from the point of view of a young girl growing up in a working environment filled with the family of Vermeer including his many children, difficult wife and fascinating mother-in-law to the painter himself this book follows Griet's life for the several years that she stays with the family and becomes an integral part in the course of several paintings' completion.
The author conveys well 17th century life from a young person's point of view but what is particularly well done is Griet's concept of her master's work. Developing a keen eye for color and crucial to the subtle work required in such gifted artistry she provides us with a view to works in progress from blank canvas to completed painting.
An excellent book which is quite different from anything I've ever read.
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