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Summary: A creative story of dreams held at bay.
Review: The year is 1664 and 16 year-old Griet is sent to work as a maid in the Vermeer household where she is scorned by some and tolerated by others. A wonderful portrayal of life in the times of the famous Dutch artist as witnessed from the eyes of a young girl mesmerized by a greatness beyond her reach.Though the author does not paint Vermeer in a very favorable light, he clearly portrays the egocentric expectations of a great master who is solely wrapped up in his work. The characters are interesting and the story flows well to an ending that is to be expected. It is the glimpse at human nature and the creative process of this great artist that is so enjoyable. That and a young girls love and respect for her master. A wonderful book. Kelsana 4/04/01
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Summary: This book is a Pearl
Review: This book just told the story behind the the famous portrait painted by Vermeer, one of the best painter of Holland in 17th century. The roles in this novel were very real. I could picture their daily life, sensed their emotions, their struggles and understood their own ways when facing situations or difficulties of life. Each one thought and acted in a different logic according to their personalities, making this fiction very vivid. I could even felt the feature and the sound of Tanneke, Maria Thins, Catharina, Vermeer, Pieter, etc. And I want to slap Cornelia too.(In fact, at the end Griet slap her again, I was very happy and laugh out) Unlike some books with deliberately contrived or hidden plots, Chevalier's were naturally put between pages, and her excellent writing skill was well and neatly placed here and there and gradually emerged before readers. Readers could comprehend and understand these skill, not to felt too contrived. For example, the eight-point-star square. At first it seemed unimportant, but when I read Griet standing on the center to choose a point, each point led to a different life, I was deeply moved. Just mention some another examples: the two slaps given to Cornelia (the welcome and good-bye to this family), the first sight of bloody finger of the butcher(and at last she become his wife); the pearl ring given back to Griet, combined with the debt Vermeer owed to them; the day when Agnes died followed by Fran's birth. Such designs and metaphors prevailed the whole book, making this book a joy to read. Usually many books have good beginning and loose ends, But this book is different. At first it seemed a bit slow and cold, even a bit detached. But page after page readers would know that's because this book just followed the tone of the protagonist, Griet, maid and muse of Vermeer. It's tranquil but always affirmative. Gradually clues and scenes combined into a full bloom and it was quite wonderful. This book is a pearl. Highly recommendend.
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Summary: Compelled and disappointed...
Review: Though not a complete waste of time, this book was definitely more hype than substance. I felt the novel lacked any real constructive qualities. The narration was lacking, though the story was definitely interesting. I wish the narration had been executed with a more interesting and informative style. The characters, including the main character seem unrealistic. The book is interesting if only for the basic plot. Apart from that, the quality of the text is poor. It is too bad the author didn't spend as much time on her novel as the Vermeer did on his portrait.
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Summary: BUY IT< READ IT< ENJOY IT
Review: This is a perfect vacation/airplane/weekend escape novel. It moves quickly and takes the reader away to a far-off land that is rich in history, yet not boring. After reading this book, you want to learn more about the life of Vermeer and the times that he lived in. As a reader, you wish that Giert was not merely a fictionalized character , but that she really was The Girl With The Pearl Earring
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Summary: A young girls brush with brilliance.....
Review: This was an interesting story of two individuals. One is a young girl from a family that is thrown into depressed circumstances when the father is blinded in an accident. The second person is the artist Vermeer, a brilliant painter, who left behind less than 40 completed paintings. In this story Griet, the young girl, out of necessity, goes to work as a maid for the Vermeer family. Griet has certain qualities that seem to draw Vermeer to her. Her first responsibilty is to clean his studio without rearranging any of his tools, paints or settings. She accomplishes this perfectly. When she reconsiders cleaning the windows because she perceives that it will change the quality of light that he is using as he is completing a painting, Vermeer seems to become intrigued with this young girl. Eventually Vermeer uses her as more of an artist's assistant and eventually decides to use her as the subject in a painting. The problems that their relationship cause are thoroughly explored by the author, making the characters very much real and alive. This was an interesting look at the possible life of Vermeer, based on what small amount of information that is actually known, this made for an interesting look at the life of this artist.
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Summary: Amazing Journey
Review: This was an amazing journey through time and artistry. Tracy Chevalier has written an in-depth novel, taking us back for a coming of age story following a young maid thrown into a life she is not prepared for. The story itself is SO well written, that you cannot be completely absorbed in it within the first few pages! I highly recommed this to anyone who is looking for a great read!
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Summary: wonderful!
Review: I thought this was an excellent book and wanted it to continue. When is her next book coming out?!
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Summary: remarkable book
Review: I truly loved this book. A great read
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Summary: A skilled alternative to young adult historical fiction
Review: An easy-to-read historical fiction account of 1664-6 Netherlands, this is suitable for 6th grade and up, even though it is intended as adult fiction. It's much, much better than Karen Cushman's irritating gurl-power novels. Chevalier strikes a believable balance in creating a strong female protagonist, but one who in many ways is under the power of others. This quick read imagines the life of the teenage figure in Vermeer's painting of the same title. Daughter of a tile artisan, she goes to work as a maid for the famous painter, enduring the politics of the household and of the courting butcher's son. Some of the prose annoyed me in its self-consciousness, but this also helped create the character and period.
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Summary: Two Works Of Art
Review: I agree with reviewer Heidi Marshall: Chevalier must have done a past-life regression in order to write this book as if the events truly happened! Congratulations to you, Ms. Chevalier. You have also contributed a work of art to the field of literature! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and plan to share it with the students I teach in Art Masterpiece.
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