Rating: 
Summary: Big disappointment
Review: I read this on the recommendation of several friends and, even a passerby who saw me reading it, all of whom were very enthusiastic about it. So, I was extremely disappointed to discover that it wasn't very good. I found the central character, Griet, to be a pompous, priggish young woman with an overinflated sense of her own position in society and far too calculating for the persona she is supposed to be. Nearly everyone else was without any substance. Vermeer is very cold, almost mute and there is no clue to his thoughts at all. He just comes and goes as if he's in a trance. His wife is one-dimensionally nasty. The children, Griet's family and the other maid are stock characters (the bully, the good child, the baby, the threatened co-worker, the poor but proud parents, etc.). About the only real personalities are Vermeer's mother-in-law and the butcher's son who eventually marries Griet. I actually liked the mother in law best. She seemed to have some three dimensionality. However, I did think the description of the housework they had to do was interesting. Presumably, this is due to the influence of Simon Schama's excellent book "The Embarrassment of Riches: An Interpretaion of Dutch Culture in the Golden Age". On the other hand, I found her description of the camera obscura almost unintelligible, even though, as an art historian, I've had the opportunity to see the view through one. (I'm a 17th century specialist, altough my area of specialization is Italian and French art, not Dutch). A great opportunity for a good scene was missed there. Ms. Chevalier's Vermeer could have explained how he used the projected image in preparing and painting his pictures, but this wasn't done. If you want to know something about 17th Century Holland, read Schama's book and there are many excellent art historical studies of Vermeer. Don't waste your money on this book.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the very best ever
Review: The opening scene of this book is masterly: a girl, chopping vegetables in her home, arranges them by color and texture and tint, listening as her parents arrange for her to leave the only home she's ever known and go to work for the painter Vermeer. She becomes his helper and the subject of his painting. This wonderful, multi-layered book is historical fiction that rises many notches above other books in the genre.
Vermeer's prosperous household is full of tensions: servents who have their own heirarchy, his domineering and perpetually-pregnant wife, the many resulting children, and his incredibly powerful mother-in-law. An exquisite and painstakingly- researched portrayal of life in 16th century Delft through all levels of society - giving a vivid understanding of how small a sphere of life the characters were able to experience.
Masterful and memorable book.
Rating: 
Summary: A light read
Review: The historical context is interesting as are the various roles of the characters - the author is particularly good at highlighting the subtleties of power and influence in the characters, however this is not maximised and the end result is a rather light read, without much depth to the story. A good read if you want something that's interesting without being too complex or taxing.
Rating:
Summary: A Jewel -just like Vermeer's paintings
Review: Jan Vermeer's paintings thrill me. They are so finely rendered that you can almost touch the velvet, the nub of the pearl, the satin.
This book does justice to Vermeer's artistic skills.
It is historical fiction at its best- a speculative piece of work based on a woman who is the study of one of Vermeer's better known paintings "Girl With a Pearl Earring.'
In Chevalier's novel, the "girl" is Griet, a young Dutch girl of the poorer classes who becomes a housemaid in the Vermeer household. Through her eyes we see the nuances of family life-Vermeer's ever pregnant wife, bratty daughter, mother in law- and we also view the somewhat rigid class structure of Holland in the 1660s.
Griet is a gritty, gutsy girl, who is struggling to survive with her dignity intact in this world.
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction and character driven plots, particularly female-themed.
It is a beautiful read.
Rating: 
Summary: Missed the mark.
Review: I loved the historical aspects of the book, and the descriptions of everyday
life. The characters were well fleshed out. However, I felt they were passionless, lacking in wit, kindness, and character. No one in the book has a sense of humor, most of the characters are surly, and they all tip toe around each others' emotions. Also, I did not care for the sexist treatment of the main character, and her acceptance of this as what she deserved. In all, the book left me as warm as a Dutch sky in January.
Rating:
Summary: Another of the best!
Review: This book was one I really enjoyed. It is historical fiction set in 16th century Holland. The main character is sent by her family to work for the Vermeer Household as a maid, because her father can no longer work. Vermeer (whom by the way was a real artist) hires her to clean his studio without moving anything from its proper place. I had a wonderful experience in my art History class, and really enjoyed learning more about how things truly were, even though this book is partially fictional. It tells of Greit's life story and has a truly wonderful ending. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys art, or just a good read; however, some parts were a bit risque. But that did not affect the reading at all. This was truly a wonderful book. I hope my review has helped you!
Rating:
Summary: A visit to 17th c. Netherlands
Review: If you were ever curious to find out how people lived in the Netherlands of the 17th century, this book will be a great introduction. Tracy Chevalier's detailed description of common folk of that time is superb! And it did feel as if we were entering into the scenes depicted by Vermeer or his Delft colleagues Pieter de Hooch, Gerard Ter Borch, Gabriel Metsu. Despite the narrow focus of the narrative, Chevalier was able to keep me involved with greater and greater interest to the end. Here, the ordinary worries of a young woman, who finds herself pushed down in the rigid social scale, moving from an artesan's class to the servant class, are described with sympathy. The tone, to Chevalier's benefit, is unjudgmental and adds to the sense of a true portrait of the era. Definitely a great read, charming in all aspects; a jewel, worth re-reading!
Rating: 
Summary: Lovely
Review: A nice read. Short, simple story and yet one that will likely almost haunt you a bit after you have read it.
Rating:
Summary: Captivating
Review: It is not a coincidence that I read this touching novel while abroad in Holland. I felt it would've added much to the story, being in the country of it's setting. And so it did! I couldn't put the book down as much I tried. (So much for sleep!) The story revolves around 14-year-old Griet, the daughter of a tile maker in 17th century Holland. When her father is blinded and no longer able to care for his family's needs, Griet must find work to support the family. She obtains employment as a servant in the Vermeer household, with the famous Dutch artist Johanne Vermeer as her employer. The story is beautifully written, as seen through Griet's eyes - the complex family she is thrust into the midst of, the society of the small town of Delft, and life with an obsessive artistic genius. Griet loves being drawn into Vermeer's abstract life and ultimately becomes one of his models - as the "girl with a pearl earring." A fascinating novel that I would highly recommend to history-related fiction buffs, or anyone who is just plain interested in a personal and touching tale.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but a slow start...
Review: I found this book to be hard to get into at first, I'm not sure why. However, after, I felt the author really took us into the life of Griet, who goes to be a maid in the artist Vermeer's household, and what life was like in 1660s Holland. We see Griet grow from a wide-eyed innocent into a woman who learns who handle Vermeer's wife, his children (including one who is always out to get her), his mother-in-law, and the other maid in the house, along with attention from men! I found the descriptions of the paintings by Griet, someone who was not supposed to be used to viewing such fine pieces of art, to be extremely pleasing.
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