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Summary: Simplicity, precision, and light from within . . .
Review: In a thrilling emulation of Jan Vermeer's artistic style, Tracy Chevalier uses scenes drawn from everyday life and painstaking attention to detail to tell the story of Griet, a 16-year-old girl who is required by her family's misfortunes to become a maid in the Vermeer household.I devoured the book the first time through, then read it again to savor the starkly beautiful language and the highly sensual account of 17th century life in a busy Dutch household. On both forays, I drank in the vivid descriptions of Vermeer's paintings and his creative process, from the positioning of his models to the grinding of bone and lead, massicot, madder and ochre, to make his pigments. To those who complained that nothing happened or that the book was predictable, let me say, this was never meant to be a suspense story in the conventional sense. That an event could be foreseen doesn't render it improperly drawn. The magnetism of this tale is not its ability to surprise us with plot twists but to show the complex and fascinating interplay among people of different stations and sensibilities. Chevalier demonstrates her considerable skill in presenting Griet to be at the same time naive and intelligent, hemmed in by her lack of status and strong of spirit. Her resigned frustration over the many slights and unfair situations she must deal with strikes me as the only sensible option for one who must continue in employment for the sake of those she supports. Though I can't imagine Griet describing herself as anything but ordinary, her attention to detail--as keen in its own way as Vermeer's--and her understanding of the personalities and motives of those around her show her to be a remarkable young woman. The other main characters--sometimes as bound by their elevation as Griet is by her lack of it--behave with annoying reality. Maria Thins, Vermeer's mother-in-law and behind-the-scenes overseer of the household and finances, almost always knows the score. She comes to Griet's aid or not, based on what will best serve her daughter's interests and yet she comes across, not as scheming, but as practical. Comparable to Vermeer's intricate landscapes are Chevalier's long views of the Delft streets. She has a knack for picking the right detail to convey a mood, a cultural insight, a social contrast. Vermeer had the extraordinary capability to endow his figures and landscapes with a luminescence that gave his paintings lasting impact. Chevalier imbues this simple story with a similar light from within. For those who can set aside the desire to be entertained with broadly drawn action, there is glowing subtext and delicious tension throughout. Chevalier lets the characters be real--noble at times, disappointing at others--and though she doesn't tie up every loose end, she provides a resolution that is both satisfying and credible. My only complaint was that the ending came too soon as it tends to do with good fiction. In addition to a good story well told, Girl With Pearl Earring is a remarkable intertwining of the historical with the fanciful. Chevalier's tale is exquisitely believable and lives in the yearning face of this most appealing model. I will never again look at the painting without feeling the marvelous resonance and possibilty of Griet's story.
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Summary: who are these people anyway
Review: I was greatly looking forward to this book until I started reading it. It was well written, but there was no meat in it. The first half of the book seemed to be about the fine points of being a maid in a household of dysfunctional adults and children. I kept waiting for something to happen other than doing laundry and going to market. The author never developed the characters beyond a purely surface level making it difficult to care about their lives or who they were, which by the way, was never explored. A small interest at the end when the painting was being done, but there was never was any insight into the painter Vermeer's personality. I read "The Girl in Hyacinth Blue." A far superior book about the same subject.
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Summary: More, More!
Review: One of the best books on art in recent years, this little volume is packed with insight into the painting in question and a marvelous tale about the painting's subject. This book is a page turner in a different way from a suspense novel, yet the author engages you in the life of this girl to such an extent you must find out how it all ends. One of the most entertaining items I have read for some time. One can only hope this author is not done exploring the Dutch masters and perhaps other artists as well!
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Summary: Vivid evocation of 17th century Netherlands
Review: If words are like brushstrokes, then Girl With a Pearl Earring produces just the right touch to the canvas of Vermeer's city, its imagined inhabitants, and finally to the enigmatic Vermeer and his portraits. A story based on the imaginary servant girl in Vermeer's household and in the portrait who is unwittingly caught between the contrary whims of that household, the expectations of her society, and allowing a small space for her soul to flourish. If you only have time to read one book right now, make it this one.
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Summary: Save your money ....buy another book
Review: This book was a BIG disappointment.The author's depiction of seventeenth century Delft is interesting and it's decently written but her characters are one dimensional and oh so boring.The main character, Griet, is an oh so clever sixteen year old. She knows the BEST way to: perform every household chore; handle young children; manipulate lazy wives; grind paint for Vermeer; find a pawn shop; bargain with butchers, and fend off inappropriate sexual advances. She's a big snore. Vermeer is the artist incarnate burning with inspiration and passion but lacking any discernable personality - an ephemeral flame. If you like the following excerpts, this book is for you:"I should have begged him not to ruin me." (page 195) , "Never so much trouble with a maid before. Lord love us!" (page 149), "Just before I fainted I thought, I have always wanted to wear pearls." (page 201).
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Summary: Absolutely wonderful
Review: I loved this book--the spare prose, the lovely imagery, the compelling way the plot unfolded. I found it utterly charming, and unlike other historical novels, understated in a way that illustrates the writer's familiarity with the period but doesn't use pretentious prose to make her point. Bravo!
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Summary: Poignant and beautifully written
Review: I found this story to be very absorbing and wonderfully written. To fully enjoy this book, I recommend looking at Vermeer's work on the web since that will greatly enhance your appreciation for Ms. Chevalier's simply beautiful tale.
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Summary: YOU KNOW THE STORY
Review: Young pretty girl forced to toll unmercifully as a maid to support her destitute family in the home of a brooding artist. There's the jealous wife, bossy mother in law, nasty servants, lots of bratty kids, lecherous art patron, a little dilly dally with the butcher boy. This book was not as dark as some of the works of Vermeer and the writing extremely well done. Except for the little twist at the end, predictable but enjoyable to read.
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Summary: WHAT WERE PEOPLES ATTITUDES IN 1664?
Review: The author met her goal for me by creating a good story in an era foreign to us all. I thought the way of life then was expressed quite well and a touch of the differences between protestant and catholic was well done, though minor in the story. When a crisis in her life happened you surely wondered which which one she would take, though it was not difficult to determine beforehand. This was superior to "Hyacinth In Blue," another book about Vermeer that didn't do it for me.
Rating:
Summary: Girl With a Pearl Earring
Review: This book enabled me to do something I have wished to do for nearly thirty years: enter the house and the studio of the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer of Delft. All the hopes I had for this book were realized. Ms. Chevalier has made good use of the limited sources available regarding this reticent 17th century artist who has left us little more in the way of information about himself beyond his magnificent and magnificently crafted paintings. Ms. Chevalier has woven a believable and entrancingly charming tale that brings to life the painter himself, his family, and the maid Griet. Vermeer is portrayed much as I always thought he might be, moving quietly in and out of the shadows of narrative -- a consummate craftsman, artist, and enigma. The drama unfolds in such a way as to captivate the reader and make us want to see what will happen next to Griet and what more we might learn about Vermeer, while preserving the quiet, myserious ambiance that imbues those wonderful and simple interior scenes, I have come to love. The story is a simple, domestic one, as befits the tone of much of the artist's work and will appeal most to those who are fascinated by Vermeer's presentation of ordinary people in their domestic environments -- a great departure from the epic religious and historic scenes which were the fare of nearly all artists prior to the seventeenth century. Yet, like the paintings with their subtle symbolic messages, the story Ms. Chevalier tells is universal and important to the human experience. Yet, I must confess that the greatest enjoyment for me in reading this book was re-entering that house and being with those people; seeing the artists studio, "touching" those familar studio props and "meeting" the models I've seen in quiet afternoon poses for so many years. Usually, a book I really like is a book I cannot put down. In this case I made myself put it down periodically in order to prolong the experience. Yet, when I was finished, I found that it still wasn't long enough. However, Ms. Chevalier has my heartfelt gratitude for providing me the time machine I've always wished for in order to enter that "View of Delft" and pass through the door of that wonderful house on the Oude Langendyck.
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