Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful surprise!
Review: I wouldn't have picked this book up by myself but read it because it was a choice of my book club. It was a wonderful surprise! Even though it was set in the 1600's it was easy to read and a story that tells much more than just a story. Hidden meanings that were conveyed by our club members. A good book that will surprise you!
Rating: 
Summary: Quite different from what you'd expect
Review: Reminiscent of the Girl in Hyacinth Blue, the story of another Vermeer painting, this is the tale of a young maid in the Vermeer household who becomes the subject of one of his paintings.
Griet is a young girl from the family of a tile painter in Delft who for financial reasons is forced to find work in the house of Vermeer. At first working in the household solely as a maid and admiring his paintings Griet comes to assist the painter in producing his paintings from the grinding of materials which produce luscious sounding colors to becoming the subject of one of his 35 paintings.
Written from the point of view of a young girl growing up in a working environment filled with the family of Vermeer including his many children, difficult wife and fascinating mother-in-law to the painter himself this book follows Griet's life for the several years that she stays with the family and becomes an integral part in the course of several paintings' completion.
The author conveys well 17th century life from a young person's point of view but what is particularly well done is Griet's concept of her master's work. Developing a keen eye for color and crucial to the subtle work required in such gifted artistry she provides us with a view to works in progress from blank canvas to completed painting.
An excellent book which is quite different from anything I've ever read.
Rating: 
Summary: good, though not great
Review: This is a fairly interesting novel from the standpoint of portraying what it was like for a great artist to work in 17C Holland, that is, Vermeer. The frame of the story is from the point of view of a maid, whose family has fallen from relative affluence and hence she was forced into degrading labor in spite of her considerable intelligence. The sensibility is extremely delicate and prosaic, in that what the maid worries incessantly about are everyday battles for status within the household with children, another maid, and Vermeer's spoilt and narrow-minded spouse. Indeed, the maid's world, while complete in all its distressing detail, is petty to the point of boredom for the reader, or at least for me. Because her personal freedom and possibility were so sadly limited, I could not identify beyond a certain point with her anxieties and hopes as she was forced into a succession of servitudes and humiliations. Moreover, there is not a single jot of humor. Nonetheless, late in the book, her relationship with Vermeer becomes very interesting indeed, as he puts her into a painting as a model for a rich patron - the psychology is subtle and far-reaching. The reader also gets some perspective on the tensions between Catholic and Protestant groups that persisted even in the tolerant cities of Holland. Recommended, but tepidly.
Rating:
Summary: Very easy reading
Review: This was the first book I read in a day. It was lighthearted and did not go into all the intricate details about painting. It gave you a few ideas on how a young maid lived/worked and how she learned to see not just the painting but the details on the painting and colors.
Rating:
Summary: Good, if simplistic, novel
Review: This novel is definitely not a great work of literature, in my opinion, but the story is engaging and it is easy to read. The main problem with the novel is that it does not have any subplots, in addition to Griet's life as a servant, to "jazz it up" a bit. I found that because of this, the short novel became a little boring at times. Still, the characters are lively and the "what if...?" idea is inventive.
Rating:
Summary: Astonshingly well written
Review: This coming of age novel features a extrodinarily perceptive but illiterate teenage girl who becomes a maid in the home of the great 17th century Dutch painter Vermeer. Both Vemeer and his wealthy patron are taken with this young woman, and Vemeer immortalizes her in a commissioned work by the patron while diverting her from household duties to become his studio assistant. Juggling household intrigues, unwanted suitors, and a sense of propriety, our heroine manages to navigate her coming of age with a wisdom and charm that make this novel a must read.
Rating:
Summary: Girl with a Pearl Earraing
Review: Easy read. Sensitive story. Couldn't put the book down.
Rating:
Summary: Intelligent historical fiction
Review: Sixteen year old Griet needs to work. Since her fathers accident costing his eyes and her brothers apprenticeships took him away from home, she will have to go away to work and bring home money for her family. She is hired by a wealhy Delft family the Vermeers to clean their house for wages and work every except Sunday. With a heavy heart, she packs her bags and leaves for her new home. The Vermeers have an unusual household. The head, Johannes Vermeer is a struggling artist to his 12 children (with #13 on the way) and spends his days up in his attic painting beautiful works of art. Catharinna, makes sure her husband is not disturbed and that none of the children bother him. But when events unfold and Griets sexual interests start to bloom, art may be the only thing that will save her this time. Full of beautiful writings of Delft and people who live in it, Girl With a Pearl Earring is a luminous portrait of the power of art and the magical effect it has on people.
Rating:
Summary: Perrysburg Literary Book Club Gives a Thumbs UP!
Review: ... This book is a wonderful book for a book discussion group and we even carried the theme of the pearl earring a little farther by all wearing pearl earrings! We then discussed the different types of pearls, how they are made, the differnt prices, etc. We also love to read over the Amazon book discussion questions which are helpful. Perrysburg gives a thumbs up!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: I just finished it. This was a beautiful book and a lovely story. Tracy Chevalier is very talented.
| 
