the best novel ever

Avid reader One of my favorite books from Chevalier. Love the way she incorporates history into her work.

This is one of my favorite books!

Epic Brilliantly written. I was mesmerized.

Engulfed and absorbed. It made me crave micro brewed beer.

Millie's Review This book was full of beauty, emotion and a crave for more. You desperately want it to end in a happy way, the servant gets the man of her dreams but the ending is so different and a tragedy on whom she has to settle with forever.

Girl with a Pearl Earring Beautiful book!

It seems like Tracy Chevalier’s story was born out of speculation and a very creative imagination. Her “Girl with a Pearl Earring” is Griet, a young lower class woman who is hired as a temporary maid for the Vermeer family. While working for the Vermeer family, she engages in the most arduous work (laundry, laundry, laundry, oh and more laundry, fetching meat and fish at the marketplace, and helping in any way she can), as she is lowest on the totem pole. It is clear in the beginning that Griet needs to leave her family to work for the Vermeers because her father, the longtime breadwinner as a tile-maker, lost his sight in a kiln accident. Her older brother Frans is in an apprenticeship and her sister, Agnes is far too young, so the burden falls on her shoulders. Life with the Vermeers is a bit of an adjustment. However, the most interesting part of the story is when Griet interacts with the mysterious Vermeer, observes the progress of his paintings, and cleans his studio. There is something almost magical about the studio and there is a certain amount of reverential awe when Griet regards “him” or “the master.” At first her conversation with Vermeer is very minimal but as they interact more, it’s as if Griet begins to come alive, as if she is was blind but suddenly can see. She witnesses strange inventions like the camera obscura, has a conversation about the colors in the clouds with her employer, has the audacity to move an item in a tableau that Vermeer is painting, and even begins to grind ingredients for him, in order to make paint. This, to me, is the best part of the story. This is the reason why I read Girl with a Pearl Earring. I wanted to hear Griet’s story and in what ways she interacted with the famous painter. While Vermeer seems to respect Griet with quiet civility or maybe even friendship, just about everyone else in the house seems to ignore or dismiss her. Catharina, the moody, tempestuous, and constantly pregnant wife of Vermeer, dismisses Griet as if she was a fly and seems to lash out at her with vitriol. Tanneke, the senior maid above her (who serves Maria Thins), is rude, condescending, and bossy, but sometimes oddly understanding. It’s apparent from their conversation that Tanneke and Griet are not friends. Maria Thins, mother of Catharina, is a peculiar but insightful woman who gives off the ambience of knowing more than she sees. Interestingly enough, she is one of two people in the house to actually treat Griet with some semblance of respect, helping her in the small ways that she can. Lastly, Cornelia, the devious and clever daughter of Vermeer and Catharina proves herself to be a troublemaker, making life difficult for our heroine. All-in-all, "Girl with a Pearl Earring" was a fascinating and thought-provoking read, leaving me with more questions than answers. Even until the end of the book, I was at a loss for words to describe what exactly was occurring between Griet and Vermeer. The story left me feeling a little uneasy, much like how Griet felt when she observed something in Vermeer’s painting that felt wrong. It feels as if there is something missing in this story. In this case, I like to think it was all of the unanswered questions about Vermeer. As the quote on the book cover states, I also find this book to be a jewel of a read, enriched with all sorts of artistic facts and steeped so strongly in the history of the seventeenth century. ** MerryWifeofWindsor.com **