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Summary: Where paint meets pages
Review: How delightful it was to spend a dreary afternoon lost among the sloping streets and shimmering canals of Delft with Griet! I found this book to be a delightful meld of the literary and the artistic world, as Chevalier "paints" a colorful history of a somewhat exasperating girl. I admit, at first I was a bit trepidatious of reading a book that dealt with painting, and Vermeer's paintings at that, in a literary form. How was the author going to capture the incredible skill, and beauty of a painting with words? I extend my congratulations, for Ms. Chevalier did just that. Somehow, she managed to meld the words into a medium that conveyed artistic flair, perhaps grinding her ingredients just as Greit did, into a paint that she splashed on the pages. Her descriptions of Delft, and the houses surrounding the canal I found to be a surprisingly perfect setting for this story. I recommend this quick, but engaging read for a cold day and a hot cup of tea.
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Summary: Two recent looks at Vermeer
Review: Girl with a Pearl Earring is an engaging portrayal of how the author imagined the famous Vermeer painting came to life. I enjoyed especially the author's abundant use of imagery. Chevalier creates a word picture herself with so many colors, similes, and metaphors.
Some other strong points I appreciated are the insights of the protagonist Griet. She is very observant as well as sensitive, even though she realizes she is trapped in a world not of her choosing. How she manages to survive and build another life for herself is touching because she has to overcome personal loss, the jealous Cornelia, intimidating Maria Thins, pouting Tanneke, and tempestuous Catharina, not to mention the sensitive yet insensitive Vermeer himself.
Griet is presented as a very strong young girl who is able to hold her own among some ineffective and weak people. This aloneness of Griet's is what also drew me to the story.
That said, I must admit I prefer Girl in Hyacinth Blue, which also centers on Vermeer's art. Its more intriguing presentation won me over, once I figured out what was going on. Chevalier and Vreeland have very creatively re-presented a master to us in this new century of continuing crass commercialism and shallow efforts.
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Summary: AudioCassette
Review: I listened to the abridged version of this novel. I loved the narrator as well as the story.
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Summary: A work of art
Review: GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING is writing at its best, both in terms of the concept, and of the prose itself. Author Tracy Chevalier has written a novel in the first person, her narrator being a sixteen-year old girl who is forced, due to her own family's dire finances, to work as a maid for the family of the 17th century painter Johannes Vermeer.In the voice of the heroine, Chevalier reveals how difficult life was in those long-ago days. She never is maudlin, however, nor even obvious. This is a quiet book, which the reader will have to study for its nuances. Oddly, in the peculiar way of coincidences, this book came out very close in time to GIRL IN HYACINTH BLUE. Not only are these titles similar, but both of these books engage in fictional explorations of particular aspects of the life of Vermeer. Read together, these two books are as good as a class on the Old Masters.
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Summary: Literary Fiction at Its Best
Review: A brilliant first novel by Chevalier, "Girl with a Pearl Earring" is literary fiction at its best. Griet is a delicately crafted character coming-of-age in a difficult time and situation. She is mysterious, intelligent, and kind...all traits which at times enthrall and at others befuddle her family and friends. 17th Century Delft is a place where plagues still happen, maids do not speak before being spoken to, and marriage is a sacrament of financial rather than emotional importance. It is also a period characterized in Dutch Art History by the representation of genre paintings and landscapes, both of which were subjects seldom selected by Vermeer, who instead concentrated on personal experience. Chevalier works magic with the elusive personal life of this painter and is able to make the painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring" come alive to the reader of the book. My only advise to readers is to consult a Name Dictionary or else listen to the audio version...the names are not pronounced as they are spelled and I was quite surprised to hear the difference. I am a reader's advisory librarian and have yet to recommend this book to anyone and hear that it was not enjoyed. This is truly a magnificent first book by Chevalier.
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Summary: Fast and fascinating read
Review: I really enjoyed this slice o' life historical novel. It's more spare than usual for the genre, which I found refreshing. Still lots of good detail about this fascinating young woman and the odd social and moral constraints that make up her daily life. Good painting trivia and a properly enigmantic portrayal of Vermeer and his circle of friends.
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Summary: Amazing book
Review: Amazing book. Couldn't put it down!!
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Summary: Wonderful!
Review: There is nothing that makes me happier than reading a delightful, simple, page-turning story and Chevalier's book is just that! I finished it in one day. A wonderful, entertaining read.
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Summary: An entertaining and realistic novel
Review: "Girl with Pearl Earring" brings life to a portrait. Tracy Chevalier fills Griet with vitality and energy, making her a sensible and realistic woman. She is a young woman, not willing to be crushed by tragedy, but unable to stop the fall of those around her. Chevalier's vivid descriptions of people and places create a world of art and of creation, both that of Vermeer and her own. Definitely a book worth reading!
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Summary: Girl with a Pearl Earring
Review: This book was a 1 day read and other than giving a new way of looking at art it did not delve deep enough into the charachters. It would on the other hand be great for 12 year old girls.
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