Rating: 
Summary: Interesting Concept; Women will "get it" faster than men.
Review: Lanie Schalbe has written an excellent review of Girl with The Pearl Earring. Read that review for a well-considered overview of the book. I would like to add a few points to her review: first, I found the main character, Griet, well developed and likeable. I didn't have any problem "getting into her skin" and seeing things as she did. However, I was amused at the way in which she kept her pursuer Pieter at arms length so long. I think that was a little unbelieveable. In real life, she most likely would have jumped at the chance to become his wife, even with his stained fingernails. It was a matter of eating well and caring for her stricken family.Peripheral characters were not as well-drawn, particularly Griet's brother and sister. When they left, I couldn't sense the pain she must have felt. When I was in The Netherlands, I was enchanted by the architecture and the canals. The architecture of the place captivated me. I wanted more of this backdrop for the scenes of this book, from the perspective of the author's art appreciation background. And street markets are lively and noxious at once. Scenes that occurred in the street market of Delft were fairly sterile in the narrative. But those are minor considerations when stacked against the positive attributes of this book. Although I was familiar with some of the works by Vermeer, I knew little about the man, his time, nor of what it took to create even the colors of his painting (or of all paintings of this era). Just that was well worth spending time with this book. Previously, because of the typical subjects of Vermeer paintings, I did not rank him very high on my list of favorites. The author deftly brings a new appreciation of his art. The life of a maid of the times was thorough and very interesting. The vivid descriptions of family life, and a maid's lot within the family, were the very foundation of the book. The most sublime parts of the book, however, were Griet's coming to understand the genius of the man, and to even subtly assist him in coming to see what she knew he would eventually realize about his own works in progress. I say sublime because the author combines an intelligent young girl with her daily duties of placing and re-placing his settings after cleaning them, along with her history of long talks with her artist father. For me, this is the very essence of the book and explains her attraction to him, as intelligence is attracted to genius. And it, combined with the conventions of 1600's Netherlands, explains and makes acceptable so much of the author's beliefs about her subjects. This is a very good read. Although some have called it a fast read, I believe it called for some relevant thinking about what exactly was happening to Griet, as the author wisely did not spoon-feed the reader her conclusions, but let us discover them on our own.
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant.
Review: Tracy Chevalier weaves a terrific fictional story based on the real painting by the real painter, Johannes Vermeer. All 35 of Vermeer's paintings are transcendent and evocative, but the work upon which this book is based is by far his masterpiece. Chevalier's story follows the young maid, Griet, who works for the Vermeer family and is drawn into the reclusive painter's studio. The story is subtle and sweet and heartbreaking and honest. Chevalier's writing is a brilliant example of how a writer can balance a heady story with a rich setting, never sacrificing her story to overindulge herself in her gift for description - and she truly has a gift. The book is like literary chocolate, easy to devour and fondly remembered. If you haven't read it, I heartily recommend it; it's the perfect by-the-fireside book for winter.
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Summary: A Wonderful Entertainment!
Review: If Vermeer had written a novel, this is the language he would have used. The effect of Chevalier's words is very, very similar to the effect of Vermeer's brushstrokes. The story is painfully beautiful and believable. (Very little factual information is known about Vermeer, and his body of work is very small.) From what I have heard through a close friend of Chevalier, she did her research in the Netherlands (as one would hope), and it shows in this marvelous book! Other recent books I recommend: Life Of Pi by Martel, The Losers' Club by Richard Perez
Rating: 
Summary: Intriguing idea, average writing, plot fails midway
Review: I read this book for a book club I belong to and was disappointed with the book midway through. Initially, I enjoyed the idea of the book, the historical placement of its characters and story, and a look into the life of an artist. However, the writing style is best suited for high school students, i.e. it is quite simplistic, even though a few good metaphors are presented. The plot is somewhat predictable but then becomes historically unbelievable midway. Considering what we know of the main character, I highly doubt whether she would handle her virginity the way the author suggests. The story then rapidly collapses towards the ending, with the author trying to finish the novel without further developing the characters or the plot. I finished the book quite disappointed with the author's lack of effort.
Rating:
Summary: Girl with a Pearl Earring
Review: The book does read quickly as many readers have noted, perhaps a bit too quickly. By contrast, Vermeer's paintings take time... years. They can be "re-read" thousands of times with no risk of tiring. It will be very interesting to see which aspect of the book the upcoming film will emphasize. Just in case someone is interested, there is an informative website devoted entirely to the real painting...
Rating:
Summary: A MUST read. Fantastic IMAGINATION Chevalier has
Review: This book grabbed me from page one and didn't let me go even after I had quietly closed the cover and sat the book down with a smile. Chevalier did just a fantastic job of recreating the world of Vermeer, what he might have been thinking, his personality, etc. And her insight into the Girl with the Pearl earring--what her life might have been like, her relationship to Vermeer, etc.--is simply nothing short of genius. EXCELLENT book.
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Summary: This book never made me care about the girl with the earring
Review: I never finished this book. I made it about 3\4's of the way through tedious descriptions of every day life, washing and cleaning and a plague that swept through the opposite side of town and killed off some very unfleshed out characters that the protagonist knew well. The girl's character comes across frequently as cold and unsympathetic. I did find the descriptions of Vermeer and his art fascinating, but that was about as far as I got with it. I made myself read it when I had free time because I was trying to find out what everyone else was raving about. I would rather read a textbook about Vermeer than this woman's pale, watery interpretation. I realize that this sounds harsh, and this book probably just wasn't my cup of tea. Maybe it will be executed better in the movie when it is released.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!!!!
Review: I first read this in a book club in highschool two years ago. It is a wonderful book, exploring not only the historical aspects of Vermeer's life and times but also delving into the strange relationship with his servant/model. It is an excellent exploration of the social classes-master and servant-as well as personal relationships. I highly recommend this book. Another recommendation would be the Red Tent, though I have forgotten the author's name.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable
Review: Speculative fiction about Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer or, more specifically, about the girl in one of his most famous paintings, Girl with a Pearl Earring. Griet starts off as a maid in the painter's house but she is soon made his assistant and eventually his model. While this is going on she also has to deal with being away from home for the first time, Vermeer's wife and daughter's jealousy, and her growing attraction to the painter. Not the kind of book I usually read but it was enjoyable. It was a bit on the slow side but the book itself was short so that didn't really bother me. It could also be vague in places but this is one of those books where some things are better left to the imagination. If you are an art dork or you just like good fiction in general you'll probably enjoy this book.
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Summary: History and fiction combined
Review: This was a neat little book. It was given to me by my aunt who had received it from a friend. I especially enjoyed it because I was also taking an art history class at the time. The plot could have been more developed, and the ending elaborated on, but overall I enjoyed it!
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