Rating: 
Summary: A decent read, but not spectacular
Review: Susan Vreeland's novel "Girl in Hyacinth Blue" is a short, entertaining read, but I found it to be slightly disappointing and very lacking in character development. The dialogue that the characters used with one another sometimes seemed to be on an elementary level, and I didn't feel that Vreeland fully developed the feelings of awe and adoration that her characters supposedly had for the mysterious Vermeer painting that touched their lives. In fact, the painting's beauty was glorified much more than the reactions to it, which were sometimes hollow, empty and cliched. While the idea of going back in time to observe the lives that the painting has touched was indeed an interesting one, I felt that Vreeland did not do enough with this concept - she seemed so overeager to group a bunch of lukewarm short stories together into a novel that she missed the greater and more rewarding challenge of expanding on the storylines that she created. There were characters in this novel whom I wanted to get to know, but never did! It was as if I was being hurried along toward an ending that had no particular purpose. However, Vreeland had some great storylines in this novel, but she just didn't go anywhere with them, and this reader was left feeling a little shortchanged. I have to admit, the glowing reviews that this book had received both from critics and avid readers surprised me in the end, but nevertheless I give it three stars for the potential it had, and the occasional stirring images it drew.
Rating: 
Summary: fiction meets art history
Review: Intriguing and engaging, this book draws the reader backward in time, following the history of a Vermeer painting. Working backwards in time to Vermeer himself, each of the owners has a different relationship with the painting, which reflect something about the individual and the time he is living in. Two months after reading this, my mind keeps coming back to the people, the painting, and the times.Girl with a Pearl Earring makes a nice companion book.
Rating:
Summary: Art and Literature
Review: If you've ever held and antique in your hand, and wondered about all the tales it could tell, this book is for you. I understand each chapter was written as a stand alone short story, but put together, Vreeland weaves an incredible tale about one of Vermeer's paintings. If you've ever loved the light of Vermeer's paintings, you'll be even more enchanted by this fictional "story telling" of the life of a painting.
Rating: 
Summary: the literary equivalent of Memento
Review: I know the comparison is odd, but since I just saw Memento a few weeks ago, I find it appropos -- both the movie and this book start in the present and work their way to the past. This style works well in the book although it may disorient the reader momentarily as we slide back into time. The author does a nice job researching the time periods so that the book reads with a fine sense of historical plausibility. I enjoyed the various intertwined stories although at times they read more like separate vignettes than a novel (but they were separate stories). Overall I preferred another current Vermeer book, Girl with a Pearl Earring because it focused more on Vermeer and less on the side characters. This book focuses on the effect of a Vermeer painting on various families which is at least an interesting take on events. A short book, well worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: I was awed by this book, by every facet of it. First the concept, to trace the history of a fictional portrait painted by a real-life great master by writing separate vignettes tracking backward from the present over the course of centuries to the work's creation. Second, the effort that went into each of these vignettes' background. Author Susan Vreeland did enough research to have written a dozen distinct novels. Third, the imagination Vreeland displays in her various stories. Each story has its own voice and the author--without question, deliberately and successfully--fails to signal her own feelings on certain moral issues she examines. Finally, the language, which consistently is lyrical, though the tone changes with each vignette. THE GIRL IN HYACINTH BLUE is writing at its best. Susan Vreeland deserves every accolade for this fascinating book.
Rating:
Summary: A Different Way of Looking at Art
Review: I really enjoyed this book. It didn't simply write the history of a painting by a well known artist; it looked at the history of a fictional work of art by Vermeer and, in so doing, drew you into the lives of each of its owners. A lovely way of thinking about art from a different perspective and a thoroughly enjoyable journey through the centuries!
Rating:
Summary: A mysterious painting and its owners throughout history
Review: The "Girl in Hyacinth Blue" is a testament to Vreeland's ability as a writer. She uses her words to paint eight very different stories about the people who have owned this painting throughout time and their struggles in life. Some, such as the math teacher who owns it in the first story, have deep psychological secrets to face. Others, like the French diplomat's wife in Holland have boredom in a shallow world with which to contend. Yet what ties these very different stories together, besides ownership of the painting, is the way in which Vreeland makes the painting itself the focus for all of these characters. I especially enjoyed the way she was able to create a sense of time and place over the centuries and still make the individual characters come alive within the space of a chapter. I had just prior read "The Girl with a Pearl Earring," and found it interesting to see how she would develop the character of Vermeer himself. His aloofness from the day to day concerns of life, even his making of the paints in the attic, were very similar to his depiction in "Pearl Earring," suggesting that the historical research of this artist was thorough. "Girl in Hyacinth Blue" is the type of book that one will want to savor, yet at the same time find difficult to put down.
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Book
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Each chapter is a story within a story. The common factor between each chapter is a beautiful painting of a sewing girl. The author starts the book in present times and introduces the reader to the current owner of the painting. Each successive chapter links the painting to the various owners of the painting, and traces its roots back to the artist. This was a very quick, relaxing read. I was intrigued by the cover of this hardback because it almost shows the entire painting, but not quite. Much was left to the imagry provided by the writer. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Not just a book about a painting.
Review: This is a wonderful book that is a quick, easy read but hard to put down. I read this right after reading some Hemmingway short stories and was reminded of "Short Happy Life..." by Vreeland's "A Night Like No Other". I think the more reading you have done, the more you will see in this book. I've attended countless lectures by the author (at taxpayer expense) as an English Lit student of hers (way back) in High School. This book struck me as very personal in that I was reminded of Ms. Vreeland's intellegence, passion and playfulness at different points in the book. This book belongs on your reading list.
Rating:
Summary: Time travel with a painting!
Review: What an interesting book! How cleverly Vreeland creates a fictional story based on, but not exclusively about, the Dutch artist Vermeer. The premise is this: Starting in current times, she traces back through the ages the various owners of a painting that may have been painted by Vermeer. Vreeland takes what is clearly insightful knowledge of the life and work of the artist and creates a series of separate stories in which the common thread is the ownership of the painting entitled, "Girl In Hyacinth Blue." It's a fascinating approach, and one that sparked my interest in Vermeer's life, thoughts and intentions in painting. It also explores the relationship between an owner of a work of art and the piece; this painting, the one consistent "character" in the novel, takes on a different significance in the life of each of its owners. This is a very enjoyable read, and a perfect lead-in to another Vermeer-based novel, Girl With A Pearl Earring, by Tracy Chevalier.
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