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Summary: Girl with a Pearl Earring
Review: My mom read this for her book group and she thought it was O.K. for me to read. It is sooooooo good!! My favorite characters were Griet, Vermeer, Maria Thins and Pieter. I didn't like van Ruijven or Cornelia, and I didn't like Catharina either. Van Leewonhoek and Tanneke I have mixed feelings about. But all in all it was a great book, I'm really glad I read it. People 10 and Up can probably read it. IT IS THE BEST!!! :)-Nina
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Summary: go back in time
Review: Girl with a Pearl Earring is a very interesting book about a slice of life during the 17th-century. It is a fictional account of Griet, a domestic servant and potential subject in Vermeer's painting of the same name. Not much is known about Vermeer or his domestic subjects. During the Dutch Golden Age, painting was not considered an art, but a craftsmanship, a way to make a living. Vermeer is considered one of the masters in the Delft painters' guild and it was quite an honor to serve this master. This book takes you back in time as you experience the way of life in the 1660's. You will get your hands dirty with Griet as she boils the water for endless loads of laundry, selects the best cuts of meat at the market and as she mixes the paints that Vermeer will use in bringing life to his domestic interiors, portraits and city views. In the actual painting, the subject has a gaze is alert and keen, her lips are parted and she seems about to speak. This would aptly describe Griet as she has a good eye for art and somewhat of a risk taker in stating her opinions.
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Summary: A fictional story about the famous Vermeer painting
Review: This novel, by Tracy Chevalier, is a fictional story about the young lady in the famous Vermeer painting from the mid 17th century. There are just a few facts known about his life, and nobody knows who the girl actually was, but the author did the best she could to stay true to the world of Vermeer and the Dutch masters of the time. She obviously did extensive research into his art, as well as daily life in Holland at that time. The result is this small gem of a book. The writing is simple, told in first person narrative, by Griet, who, at 16 years old, became a maid in Vermeer's household. Life in the 17th century comes alive as she describes the details of her daily tasks as well as the tensions between the various people living in the house. The writer uses excellent character tags and paces the books so the reader just wants to keep turning pages. Along the way, we learn about art and the specific techniques that the painter used for mixing colors. It is a nice story and everything falls into place. Griet is wide eyed and innocent but just a little too perfect for my taste, however. The other characters seem to have more depth. Vermeer is the most complex. And so is the butcher's son who courts Griet with blood under his fingernails as well as Griet's brother who is apprenticed to a Delft tile maker. Sometimes it felt like I was reading a romance novel based on just a few scanty facts and I was annoyed at those times, well aware that what I was reading was not necessarily the truth, but just a figment of the author's imagination. At other times I felt I was right there in Vermeer's studio, noticing how the light caught the face of his subjects, sensing the smell of linseed oil and viewing the world through the painter's eyes. I cannot make the book what it is not however, and do applaud the author for bringing this work of art to the public by means of this novel.
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Summary: One of my favorite books
Review: After reading this book, I wonder what really went on in Delft in 1666. Too bad we can't travel back in time to find out. But I really enjoyed the way Tracy Chevalier imagined it. This is a beautiful book. The next time I walk by the print of "Girl with a Pearl Earring" at school, I will know her as Griet. And that's a comforting thought.
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Summary: A must-read!!
Review: This book is one of my top ten favorites. Once you start reading, you won't be able to put it down.
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Summary: Not deep but cute
Review: This story reads very well. Not much under the surface, but definitely entertaining. Made me want to learn more about the artist. A quick and easy read that I enjoyed despite my usual tendency towards "deeper" books.
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Summary: A true delight
Review: A great read. This book encompasses the mysterious life of Vermeer at the sames time describes the purity of a young woman's love for a man. It was most interesting to see how Tracy Chevalier described the turmoil of events Griet, the main character, had to face at the same time uphold her values. It was a true page turner...
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Summary: Be a Time Traveller
Review: A wonderful book! When you were a kid did you ever wish to go back in time? Of course, you did. Now that you're grown up you can read this book and have Chevalier transport you back to Delft in the 1600's. Her writing is so filled with descriptive details you feel you are actually there. The story is based on the daily life of the main character, Griet, who works in the Vermeer househould as a maid. The storyline is not so intriquing but the writing is incredibly evocative and poignant. I enjoyed it so much that I didn't want to finish it. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction.
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Summary: This would make a beautiful film!! Someone take notice!!
Review: I laughed reading reviews of this book - it seems to me that everyone took what Tracey Chevalier was trying to do a little too seriously. It is not an explicit biography of Vermeer. It is for every person who has ever looked at a work of art and wondered, "Who is that person? This person must have really existed, beyond this moment, and what was their life like?" Chevalier creates and intimate portrait of what might have been - I admired the mental processes she underwent, and her attention to detail (for example, how was it that this peasant girl had her ears pierced? How might this have come about?). This book is a testament to the power of imagination and of the gift human beings have to project - and create - what it might have been like to live in a century that we otherwise no longer have access to.
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Summary: It started off good
Review: The book started off a good read, tenison and sorrow. However I was left with the feeling the author lost interest about half way through. I am not a student of this time period so was left confused over several plot twists such as why would being painted in a picture lead to ruin?
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