Rating: 
Summary: Well Done
Review: The cover of the book, Girl with the Pearl Earring, was what initially caught my eye. I am not one to judge a book by its cover, so I opened it and began to read. The book flows very easily. I enjoyed the concept the author went for; she chose a famous painting by Johannes Vermeer (the cover portrait) and proceded to weave an intriguing and interesting fictional tale about the young woman painted in the portrait and what her life may have been like during that time period. Griet, the featured young woman, leaves home to be a servant for a famous painter after her ailing/aging father is no longer able to make his living with his tile making trade. She is sent to live in the house of a famous painter and his family of formidable characters to act as a servant girl, nurse-maid, and muse. Through a series of overly predictable events, Griet eventually goes back to her parent's home in a (what I believe to be and the book does not detail) disgraced state. Once the decision was made to return to her parent's home, her life and fate take yet another turn. Chevalier almost makes her character, Griet, the poster girl for the limited options girls/women had during that era. The book is an easy read, completely predictable, certainly not profound, but not a complete waste of reading time.
Rating: 
Summary: Vermeer Would Roll in His Grave if He Could Read This
Review: As an undergraduate, I wrote my senior (art history) thesis on Vermeer's masterpiece entitled "The Love Letter," and became well versed on what little information exists on the Dutch master. While I understand that "Girl With Pearl Earring" is a work of historical fiction, I feel that the many of the author's elaborations border on the ridiculous (I particularly have problems with the portrayal of Vermeer's wife, who is depicted as an evil, jealous shrew). In general, I found this small story about a poor girl forced to serve as a maid in the home of Delft artist Johannes Vermeer boring and slow-paced. Laborious descriptions of the girl's workday and contemptuous relationships with other servants and the painter's family are tedious. Chevalier has failed to do her homework and has taken too many liberties with history, resulting in a story that is flawed and silly. Girl With Pearl Earring was a great disappointment that definitely falls far short of the genius Vermeer's name implies. With all the false attributions made over the years to Vermeer, I am sure that this book would be the one association that would make him roll in his grave
Rating: 
Summary: Great Historical Romance Makes Vermeer and his Time Live
Review: This is a very readable and convincing story told by a (fictional) maid who works in Vermeer's house and learns some of the secrets of how he sees the world and brings it to his paintings. The book tells us much of life of domestic life in 17th century Holland from the perspective of the the 17-year old Griet who is the subject of this famous work. For me, there were two very interesting things about the book. The first is that this description of domestic life tells us much about the subjects of Vermeer's paintings -- who the people were in Delft. The second is that we learn a great deal about how Vermeer painted (e.g., layered paints to give us a richer mix of colors) and even how objects were set up in his studio. Griet brings a very nice sense of discovey to Vermeer's work as she understands more and more of how he achieves his effects. This helped me understand Vermeer a bit more and understand more of his wonderful art. I found myself reading this book and then going back and forth a book showing Vermeer's paintings (all 35 or so of them). The book was well worth reading just for its value as an art history/art appreciation text. The book is much more than that though, in that it really tells an engrossing story a young and intelligent girl in a very realistic setting. I recommend it very highly!
Rating: 
Summary: As Evocative as Vermeer's Work
Review: Like Vermeer's mysterious, quiet paintings, Chevalier paints her story with a soft light, revealing carefully placed details that hold tremendous power. This is a captivating love story. After reading it you'll be haunted by the face of the Girl with the Pearl Earring and want to buy a print of her portrait to frame or a miniature version to carry in your wallet.
Rating:
Summary: A World of Beauty, Color, and Light
Review: Opening with illustrative scenes of seventeenth century Delft, Girl With A Pearl Earring solidifies history as Tracy Chevalier paints with words a recreation of the past in intriguing authenticity. Vague historical facts make up the frame of the structure, and Chevalier's imagination finishes the job with an end product of a seemingly completely genuine world. Details and descriptions become images and smells, of people and places and things, and sixteen-year-old Griet comes to life in such a startlingly realistic way that it is impossible to think of her as any less than a newfound friend. As Griet is left with no other option but to leave her poverty-stricken family to serve as a maid in the home of painter Johannes Vermeer, the reader is pulled along on a journey of Chevalier's explorations into the maturation of a budding young woman's soul, as well as her fascinating interpretations of the times. Seen from the eyes of Griet herself, her narrow views resulting from her sheltered life in a lower class begin to open up and reveal a wider world as her quiet, naive spirit awakens to intuition and maturity. The intimacy between the girl and her master flourishes-even in a household dominated by Vermeer's temperamental wife and her formidable mother-and Griet soon begins to find herself becoming drawn further into Vermeer's rarefied world of beauty, color, and light. This magnetism comes to a climax as Griet is immortalized on canvas, despite the wife's shocked displeasure. Chevalier's attempt at capturing this life results in a portrait that mirrors the elegance and the poignant beauty of the painting itself. Her elegance of prose brings to being the mysterious girl of the contrasting sensuous smile and unbearably sad eyes behind Vermeer's "Girl With a Pearl Earring", a painting likened to da Vinci's "Mona Lisa". Factors of history, suspense, romance, and mystery are skillfully bound together to form a fantasy from the depths of Chevalier's creative mind, making Girl With a Pearl Earring an effective hooker. Even readers with no interest in art or those with no prior knowledge of the historical facts within this book will find themselves enjoying it greatly.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful slice of life
Review: Many have pondered the thoughts behind Mona Lisa's smile. In this case, we learn not of the Mona Lisa but of the Girl with a Pearl Earring. Author Tracy Chevalier takes us behind the scenes of the famous painting by Vermeer and speculates on what might have been in this delightful novel. Chevalier has a wonderful knack for describing everyday life and building a subtle tension. This is a great book to read while settling down with a cup of tea on a snowy/rainy weekend.
Rating:
Summary: Girl with Pearl Earring
Review: Most good books you can not put down. This one you want to put down so that it is never over. A wonderful story that incorporates history, much like the Titanic. Great depiction of The Delft and the way of life in 17th century.
Rating:
Summary: Praise for Girl With a Pearl Earring
Review: What a beautiful story! Every word of this book was flawless. Tracy Chevalier has an incredible capacity for blending well-thought-out, creative fiction with 'what could have been.' Easy but captivating reading. What a pleasure. Very evocative of Dutch life in the l7th century, with its strict social hierarchy. The subtly suggestive romance was a breath of fresh air in this era where nothing is left to the imagination. This book can be rated 'G' for its decency and delicacy, but appeals to a mature person's experience, intelligence, sensibility and wisdom. This book is good for the soul.
Rating:
Summary: It's 1666 and you are there!
Review: After reading "Girl in Hyacinth Blue" I wanted to learn more about Vermeer and his times. I hoped that "Girl With a Pearl Earring" would be half as good as "Blue." If anything, "Earring" is better, which is almost a miracle. This magnificent novel is a time-travel machine, taking you to the mid-late 17th century in Delft. Others have summarized the beginning of the story, so I won't add to that and possibly create a spoiler. Don't miss this book. A wonderful read with a lot of insight into painters, painting and domestic life 330+ years ago.
Rating:
Summary: Art History
Review: A protagonist you can connect with, this is the fictionalized account of the girl in the painting. She lives in Painter's house, a matriarchial household that recognizes her worth to Painter, and yet conversely and more importantly, the danger of her allure. Girl seeks to do the right thing and yet the dance between Painter and his muse is charged with longing for intimacy, understanding, appreciation and sexual desire. What should we make of Girl's self-mutilation as she forces Wife's pierced pearl earring through her virgin ear as her Painter requests? Buy this book.
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