Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful
Review: The book is beautiful just like the painting. It was a quick read that ended all too soon. I couldn't put it down - I read it in two sittings and I couldn't even wait that long to finish it.
Rating: 
Summary: Very nice book
Review: This is an interesting book written about the Dutch artist, Johannes Vermeer. Very little is known about Vermeer. One of his most famous paintings, "Girl With a Pearl Earring," is both engaging and mysterious, not unlike the Mona Lisa. This is a fictional account of the possible origins of the girl in the painting. Taking what little is known about Vermeer and adding some history of Delft during the 1600's the author seamlessly weaves a story about the girl in the painting. This is a story of class differences, of romance and of a young woman's coming of age.16-year-old Griet goes to work as a maid in Vermeer's household after her father is blinded in an explosion and can no longer support the family. She is expected to know her place, which is well below the others in the household. As she expresses an interest in his work, Vermeer allows her to learn from him and to help him, and Griet finds herself being drawn to him. Meanwhile the butcher's son takes an interest in her, and her family encourages her relationship with him because he will be able to provide them with meat in their poverty-stricken circumstances.This book is very well-written, with every character and relationship carefully thought out, including Vermeer's selfish and demanding wife and his manipulative and scheming daughter. I really enjoyed the story and found myself thinking about it when I wasn't reading it.I rate this book at 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: wonderfully written, ispirational novel everyone should read
Review: Instantly, Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier draws its readers into an unfamiliar yet excitingly new setting in 1700th century Holland, where a sixteen-year-old timid girl sets the stage. Griet detests the idea of having to serve the family of rich painter Johannes Vermeer. Soon enough, though, Griet is faced with many inspirational experiences that she can no longer pretend do not intrigue her. This novel is the struggle between artist Vermeer and Griet and his desire to teach her how to be a more appreciative person who can see the true beauty of life and understand what love really is. I suggest that everyone seriusoly takes time out to read this novel. It captures life and beauty in its true essance and brought me to tears when I finished. I cannot ever remember being as moved and inspired as I was with this story...
Rating:
Summary: Interesting tale about the Dutch Mona Lisa
Review: Set in 17th-century Delft, this historical novel intertwines the art of Johannes Vermeer with his life and that of a maiden servant in his household. From the few facts known about the artist, Chevalier creates the reality of the Netherlands. The parallel themes of tradesman/artist, Protestant/Catholic, and master/servant are intricately woven into the fabric of the tale. The painters of the day spent long hours in the studio, devising and painting re-creations of everyday life. The thrust of the story is seen through the eyes of Griet, the daughter of a Delft tile maker who lost his sight and, with it, the ability to support his family. Griet's fate is to be hired out as a servant to the Vermeer household. She has a wonderful sense of color, composition, and orderliness that the painter Vermeer recognizes. And, slowly, Vermeer entrusts much of the labor of creating the colored paints to Griet. Throughout, narrator Ruth Ann Phimister gives a strong performance as the enchanting voice of Griet. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Loved every minute of it.
Review: I dont know why it took me so long to come across this book because it is fabulous. I picked it up to read and I could not put it down until I read the last page. I love the authors easy style of writing, I love the story and I love the characters. I cant wait to read more from Tracy Chevalier.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: This story is a captivating novel with everything I look for. Romance, conspiracy, art; this is one of my favorite books and I recommend this to any teen-adult willing to put up a few days to read it.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: I read this book for school and loved it. While it was slow in places, the beauty of the story is umistakable. I could truly relate to Griet, and everything she went through. I could see her life clearly. the book showed her as a person and her as a model. The two were in many ways very seperate people. Her hardships with van Ruijven made her a like to maids evrywhere, but she was differnt. Her descriptions of Vermeer were by far the most interesting. His character while not imposing, has such a definite personality. The painting itself is beautiful, but after reading the book I looked at it in a new light. The description of Vermeer readying Griet to be painted, made me constantly turn to the cover to ook at the face of the girl and compare. This is the first good book I have read in a long time and I advise everyone to read it. It's not a long book, but it is powerful.
Rating:
Summary: Were they always so serious?
Review: This is set in seventeenth century Holland, so I suppose I'm a bad person to review it because I start with a prejudice against historical novels. I think the novelist should stick to his or her own time. If I want to know how people spoke and thought in the seventeenth century I'll go to Samuel Pepys's Diary. One problem all historical novelists have is with dialog. Do you make people talk in modern colloquial way, which jars, or have them talk with yeahs and forsooths. The usual compromise, which Chevalier adopts in this book, is having them talk in a stilted way with little humor or give and take. This conveys an atmosphere of solemnity. There was a lot of tragedy in the seventeenth century, but some people sometimes had good times. One of them was Leeuwenhoek, who appears as a solemn character in this book. He must have been bubbling over with excitement about Hooke's book on the Microscope when he talked to Vermeer. We know from his letters to the Royal Society how lively and interested in everything he was.
A ten year old child dies of plague in this book, and such terrible things happened then, but it was also possible for an amateur scientist, grinding his own lenses, to enter an unexplored world and start the train of discovery that would stop such things. Leeuwenhoek was the first man to see bacteria.
Rating:
Summary: A Economically Told Story About An Engima..
Review: Finally,a writer who doesn't overwrite! Ok,I actually wanted MORE detail as the subject was so interesting. Having been a fan of Vermeer's work,even before reading this book.I felt the"story" behind this painting,although fictionalized,seemed very plausible. Griet is both naive and very intelligent at the same time for she recognises Vermeer's genius. The day-to-day life of the household was also very authentic-feeling; Ms. Chevailer captures the drudgery of being a maid in a realistic,matter-of-fact way. You can see why this girl was willing to pierce her own ears so she could be in the painting,if only to escape her dreary,monotonous life for a brief while. A fine portrait about a famous portrait.
Rating: 
Summary: Insight to a wonderful painting
Review: Tracey Chevalier's idea to write a story about the famous painting 'Girl with a Pearl Earring', by Johannes Vermeer, is very intriguing and unique. Griet, the main character, was often frustrating with her withdrawn manner and lack of confidence in herself. This itself is probably a reflection of her status in society in 17th century Europe. I found it disappointing that the painter himself was not really brought into the story as well as he could have been. We only were given an indepth look into Griet's character, and the story was seen soley from her perspective. The plot was luke warm around the relationship of Griet (his maid) and the painter, but we discover that Griet has an artistic ability, that adds light to an otherwise monotonous plot. I was drawn to reading this book by the idea behind it. It is a good, light read, and one which I recommend .
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